Here are the list of few places to visit in Trivandrum and things you might try while you’re in this coastal city.

1) Stroll around Napier museum premises or just relax or read a book, take pictures, share it with your friends. Visit the natural history museum, or randomly start talking to people who you think will tell you more about the city. This place is closed on Monday.

2) Take rest in one of the museum benches or lie down on the green grass surrounding Napier Museum .

3) Visit the open zoo in Trivandrum.

4) Browse for old books at the used book store near to the Public library (Palayam). If you’re lucky, you’ll get hands on priceless treasures at a bargain price. I’ve made really good collection of National Geographic Magazine and Chase books from these shops.

5) Walk inside the Victorian styled Public Library in Trivandrum. Or go inside the reference section to browse books.

 6) Take one of the city buses during rush hour. Once you are inside the bus, guess what each one does for living. If you’re a good face reader, it will be a good time pass. 🙂

7) Explore the last frontier – Space. Priyadarshini Planetarium. Located at Post Master General (PMG) junction, there is one antiquated Science Museum close to this building. Mind you, I found it too boring.

8) Walk through the corridors of Public Office building ( opp to Museum). Peek inside one of the Govt offices to see bureaucracy in slow motion. See stacks of files in each desk, and clerks of sizes and shapes working, walking, and doing the ‘hard work’. Step inside their canteen to have a hot tea.

9) Write a letter to a long lost friend. Visit Public Office building and drop it in one of the letter box inside this building.

10) Take a walk around the beautiful winding road around Kanakakunnu palace. Best during morning or by evening.

11) Mill with the devotees visiting Hanuman temple, at PMG junction.

12) Walk around the majestic granite, seven storied Padanabha temple. This temple recently came on news for it’s golden treasures. Just visualize the treasures inside these granite blocks.What shapes and sizes lies inside this 15th temple. Also think without limits on how these treasures made its way inside this temple.

13) Go for a movie at Sree Kumar or at Sree Vishak. During my colledge years ( 87 – 88 ), I used to see  English movies. At that time, balcony ticket costed just Rs 6/-  Wonder Years

14) Hire an auto for three or four hours and go for a joy ride around Vellayambalam, Kowdiar, or anywhere around Trivandrum. Stop at coffee shops to share a hot steaming cup of tea, and trade stories with the auto driver

15) Explore night food joints in Trivandrum. Visit Buhari restaurant at East Fort to savor their unique mutton curry. You can choose to have mutton with Puttu, dosa or paratta. If you’re lucky, you can get Mutton bone dish (nelli) and there’s a curry with goat testicles.

16) Step inside or window shop at any of the gold shops inside East Fort. Ponder on why these folks buy gold. Is it for a fat dowry? Is it for savings? Or is it b’cos of surplus funds? I vouch for the first one..

17) Mill around the budget shoppers inside Chalai market. Visit chalai vegetable market to see how traders sell vegetables in small lots. Further walk and few turns will lead to a lane where you can buy mud pots.

18) Are you a second hand hunter? They Marakada road near Chalia has couple of shops selling old and vintage stuffs. From used phones to antique keys or to handcuffs …if you’re lucky

19) Interested in history or the life of Travancore prince and princesses? On place to get high quality prints of our old maharaja is from Maharaja Studio, run by Mr Rajan. He is the official photographer of  Kowdiar royal family.  Probably, they can help you to Kowdiar palace. Call them at 0471 243 3233 for more details.

20) Cool off the heat from your body…enjoy a good swim at Public Swimming pool Vellayabalam or the try the swimming pool at Mascot hotel in Trivandrum.

21)

Cafe Sarwaa

Sarwaa

 Visit Sarwaa, a trendy lifestyle store located at Shathamangalam – curios items, home art, terracotta jewelry, lingerie, organic products, cut pieces of jewelry, etc. Also, relax time in their cafe.

22) While you are in Trivadrum, visit one of the many coffee houses dotting the city. While, the old charm of coffee house is lost with modernity, there many old timers like me who are regular visitors. Probably you can order strong coffee, sit for long hours, read the faces of people who walk in or look around the old posters hanging on the walls.

23) Get an escort/guide to take you around Trivandrum. One of my friend, one Mr Ramesh works as an recognized guide/escort. He speaks good English, and can give a good perspective about the city, the life, etc. He can be contacted by phone:

24)

Kerala’s Martial Arts Form – kalarippayat

 Interested in Kerala’s traditional martial arts form? Learn more about Kalari Payattu from Google. For a first-hand experience, visit CVN Kalari, Fort, Trivandrum, India. There are specified timing to see the practices or you can also attend one of short term classes conducted by this Kalari institute.

25) Have passion towards fine arts, sculpture, graphics, etc. Then visit Trivandrum Fine Arts College, which is located at the heart at the heart of Trivandrum city (Palayam, Trivandrum). Go to their office, and ask where you can see the student’s art work.

26)

Nirodh Condoms – Indian Family Planning

Tour inside the condom factory in Trivandrum  I’ve visited while I was studying in Trivandrum. This high-tech condom factory run by Hindustan Latex is located at place called Poojapura. Contact their office to find out the official timing for factory visits.

27) Visit Vellayani lake early in the morning. It’s a vast expanse of water body which is utilized for fishing, agriculture, etc.

28) Go for toddy tapping experience. You can accompany a toddy tapper who collects the fermented toddy from the coconut trees. Apart from seeing the process, you can drink fresh toddy right from the tree.

29) Visit a traditional handicraft unit which has hand run looms. The place which is famous for is called Balaramapurm. Google it for more information or you can get in touch with your travel guide.

30) Hire a boat and go through the Karamana river. It’s a long serpentine river which ends in the arabian sea.

31) Visit Thumba rocket launching station. Get in touch with the public relation office to know the places you can visit and get a brief about the activities of this place.

32) Ambassador cars are rare now in Trivandrum, but you can still hire one. Why don’t you hire an ambassador car for a day and explore the nook and corner of this city. It’s a different experience to ride in the sofa seated cars.

33) Contact someone who can arrange a vegetarian meals from one of the Brahmin’s house in Eastfort. While you’re there, you might be interested to see their peculiar house construction, and learn about their community.

34) Pattor has a catholic cemetery. For those who like to see and read the epitahs on old graves, there’re few old tomb stones.

If you’re an offbeat traveler, with interest to get up-close and personal with the people of this town, then here’s an opportunity. You can meet for a coffee or dine with some level headed people living in this town. 

Probably you can dine with the person from the royal family or with a graphic designer, or teacher, an architect, or a rock musician or a classical signer, dancer, modern painter, government cler, photographer, professional gardener, or a zoo keeper, a software programmer, Ayurveda masseur, or a person who has similar interest, then it’s possible. 

Or, it’s even possible to dine with a family in Trivandrum. There will be some cost, but you a chance to visit their house, chit-chat with them, and then dine with them. Something which Mealtango.in arranges in other cities in India. 

Again, I would recommend you to get in touch with a guide who can show you around.  He might be able to arrange a dinner with a person from a background you are interested. 


More to follow…this post is under construction