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Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Pop:
860,000 Area
Phone Code: 0471
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. The city derives its name from Thiru-anantha-puram—the city, or puram, of Ananta, the sacred serpent. Lord Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu) reclines on Ananta here in the famous Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. The city is situated on seven small hills and is spread out over a large area. Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore State by Dharma Raja two centuries ago.
Many foreign tourists come to this city on their way to the beach town of Kovalam, which is 18km away.
Orientation
Thiruvananthapuram is spread out over a fairly large area. The most important
places are on or just off MG Road, which runs north–south through
the center of town. The museums and zoo are on Museum Road, just off North
MG Road. The Indian Airlines office and the Mascot Hotel are on north
MG Road.
The railway station and bus station, in the southern part of town, are a few blocks east of MG Road, on Central Station Rd (also called Station or Subramaniam Rd), across the street from one another. A few minutes walk from the railway station is Manjalikulam Rd, where several budget hotels are located.
The
Padmanabhaswami Temple is in the southern, old part of the city, south
of the railway station. Not far from the temple on MG Road is the local
bus stand, from which buses depart to Kovalam.
You can get a good city map from Pai and Company Bookshop on MG Road.
Information
The Tourist Information Center (232-1132), Museum Rd,
is off the north end of MG Rd, across the street from the museum entrance.
They have good literature on Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka and can
provide information on Keralan festivals. Tours are not arranged here,
but at the office next to the Chaithram Hotel. Open daily 10 am to 5 pm.
The KDTC
Tourist Reception Center (223-30031), on Station Rd in front
of the Chaithram Hotel, near the railway station, organizes tours. Open
Mon to Sat 6:30 am to 9:30 pm. There is also a KDTC Tourist counter at
the long-distance bus stand. Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 4:45 pm. There is
a helpful Tourist Office at the airport.
The British Library (68716), YMCA, near the Secretariat,
has British newspapers and magazines.
Cosmopolitan
Hospital (448-182), in the northwest section of town, is a good
hospital.
Tours
KTDC Tourism offers different tours at their office by
the Chaithram Hotel. The Thiruvananthapuram tour (Rs 70, 8 am to 7 pm)
goes to Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple, the Science and Technology Museum,
the zoo, Veli Lagoon, Shanghmugham Beach, and Kovalam Beach.
The Tourist Reception Centre organizes a four-hour Backwater
Tour.
The Kanyakumari Tour departs at 7:30 am and returns at 9 pm. It goes to Kovalam, Padmanabhapuram Palace (closed Mon), Suchindram Temple, and Kanyakumari (Rs 150). You can be picked up in Kovalam at 8:30 am, but they will not drop you off there. This tour is popular, so should be booked a few days in advance.
There is a Sabarimala Tour (Ayyappa Temple) departing the last day of the Malayalam month as well as every day during Mandala Puja and the Makaravilakku season. It departs at 9:30 pm and returns at 8:30 pm the next day.
Post
and Internet
The GPO is down a side street off MG Road, in the Vanchiyur
area, by the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. It is open from 8 am to 8 pm
and has a poste restante downstairs. There is a tailor
who can seal your package for you across the street.Poste
restante sent to Kovalam may end up here.
Internet connection here are less expensive than other
area of India as a cleass. NN Computers and Communication
Centre (321-311), on MG Rd, near the Hotel Regency has email
facilities. Email facilities at the Hotel Chaithram.
Chem Saft
Cyber Cafe, Press Road has cheap internet.
Money
Wall Street Finances, behind the Luciya Continental Hotel
in East Fort (Mon to Sat 10 am to 6 pm) changes money efficiently.
State Bank of India on MG Road, near the Secretariat,
and the Central Bank of India branch in the Chaithram Hotel, Station Rd,
change money. The Andhra Bank, a block south of the Secretariat
on MG Rd, is fairly efficient at changing money and also gives credit
card advances.
The Thomas Cook office is at Tour India (phone & fax: 331-407), MG Rd. The American Express office is at The Great Indian Tour Company (233-1422; fax 330-579), Mullassery Tavern, Vanross Junction.
Canara Bank TT Forex (233-2127), Niranjan towerss, Vellayambalam is connected to American Expressand are helpful.
Visa
Extensions
You can apply for a visa extension at the Foreigners’ Registration
Office, Commissioner of Police on Residency Rd. They do not normally
extend a tourist visa, but only student and entry visas. The extension
takes three days to a week. Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm.
Travel
Agencies and Car Rental
Travel Destination (330-702; fax 331-346), Chaithram
Hotel, Central Station Rd, near the long-distance bus station, books and
confirms airline tickets and reserves trains. A (67183; fax 331-704),
MGirtravel
Enterprises India Limited Rd. near the intersection with
Museum Rd, is a good place to purchase airline tickets. They will also
confirm tickets, help with visas, and exchange money. Aries Travels,
Ayswarya Building, Press Rd, is a reliable place to arrange tours to the
Maldives. Chalukya (444-618), Vadayakadu, Kunnukzhy,
arranges high-end tours and treks to village areas.
To
hire a car, there is Inter-Car (67964), Ayswarya Building,
Press Rd; Travel India (78208), Convent Rd; Best
Travel’s (62616), Pandit’s Building, Palayam; Natraj
Travels (63064), Thampanoor; or Jolly Tours (72001),
MG Rd, which is very good.
Bookshops
Higginbothams Bookshop and Pai & Co on MG Road are
decent bookshops but carry limited stock. Continental Books,
MG Rd. just north of Station Rd, has a decent selection of books. Morning
Star Books in the Chaithram Hotel, Station Rd, has books about
India and Southeast Asia and some maps. There is also DC Bookshop,
Statue Junction, opposite the Secretariat, that has a good selection of
books to chose from..
Shopping
The Kairali Government Emporium, opposite the Secretariat
on MG Road, and SMSM Handicrafts Emporium, behind the Secretariat, are
both good shops. Chalai Bazaar by the railway station
is a good place to shop.
The Central
Handicrafts Emporium has a good selection of items. Khadi
Gramodyog, MG Rd, north of Station Rd, sells handloom cloth.
Gram Sree sells village handicrafts.
Natesan Antique Arts, MG Rd, north of Station Rd, sells
temple woodcarvings, paintings, and other items. Their prices are high,
but so is their quality.
Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple
This is an important and ancient Vishnu temple, believed to have been
rebuilt by Marthanda Varma in 1733 AD. The temple is on an elevated part
of the city, and its eastern tower (built in 1566) is seven-storeys high
(30m). The temple is a blend of local Keralan style and Dravidian architecture.
It is intricately carved in granite.
The main Deity in this temple is Lord Padmanabha, who reclines on Ananta, the thousand-headed serpent. He is 5.5m (18 ft) long, and is one of the largest Vishnu Deities in India. He was originally formed from an iluppa tree, but was later replaced with 12,000 shalagram-shilas, carried on elephant back from the River Gandaki in Nepal. The Deity reclines in a large, dimly-lit room. Devotees view him through three large doors, one revealing his feet, another his midsection (with Brahma on the lotus), and the third his chest and head.
It
took seven months for 4,000 stonecutters, 8,000 workers, and a hundred
elephants to build the Sreebalipura, the rectangular corridor surrounding
the temple. There are 324 pillars in the temple corridor. It is 150m long
on one side, 105m long on the other, and 7.5m (25 ft) wide.
After conquering the local area in 1729, Marthanda Varma, ruler of Travancore,
came to the temple and offered all his possessions—his scepter,
his sword, his army, and his people—to Lord Padmanabha. He symbolically
placed the royal sword on the altar steps. He then received the sword
back and ruled the state as “Padmanabha dasa,” servant of
Lord Padmanabha. He ordained that his successors would do likewise.
The processional Deity of Lord Vishnu is taken at 4 pm on his daily procession around the temple grounds. There are several other deities in the temple including Sita, Rama, Hanuman, Krishna, and Yoga Narasimha.
The
temple tank, Padma Teertham, is located just outside
the main eastern entrance of the temple.
Only Hindus are allowed in the temple, but converted Hindus may also be
permitted. Men must wear a dhoti and remove their shirts; women must wear
saris. Entrance fee Rs 5. From MG Rd a large yellow gate marks the entrance
to the temple.
The
Padmanabha Swami Temple darshan times are 4.15 to 5 am, 6.45 to 7.30 am,
8.30 to 10.30 am, 11.30 to 11.45 am, and 5.15 to 7.30 pm.
Festivals
There are two main annual temple festivals, one in March-April (Meenam),
and the other in Oct-Nov (Thulam). The Utsavam Festival is a ten-day festival.
On each of the ten days there are festivities inside the temple (Hindus
only).
During the Arat Festival, the last day of the Utsavam festival, the Sri
Padmanabha processional Deity is brought around the temple and then carried
in grand procession to Shangumugham Beach to be bathed. The procession
is led by the Maharaja of Travancore and his five, gold-clothed elephants.
The Maharaja, who walks the entire way, wears a simple white dhoti and
goes bare-chested. Before the procession begins, there is a twenty-one-gun
salute. The procession leaves the temple accompanied by music at 5 pm
and arrives at the beach about an hour later. After the ceremonies at
the beach, the Deity returns to the temple by about 9 pm. The day ends
with a fireworks display.
Martial
Arts Gyms
There is a martial arts gym near the red brick CVN Kalari Sangam close
to the temple. You can view the students practicing Kalarippayat fighting.
Foreigners can also take lessons. They also provide traditional Ayurvedic
massage and have a good Ayurvedic doctor.
At PS Balachandran Nair Kalari martial arts gym (65140), in the eastern part of the city, Kalariyil, Cotton Hill, students are trained both in unarmed and armed combat in Kalarippayat, the traditional Keralan technique. Visitors can view classes with permission (daily 6 to 8 am and 6 to 7 pm). The school has short courses in Kalarippayat and foreigners are permitted to attend.
Museum,
Gallery, Zoo and Public Gardens
These places are all in the park at the north end of the city, on Museum
Rd; a few minutes walk east of MG Rd. The Napier Museum
displays a fine collection of 400 bronze deities. It’s worth seeing.
There is a 9th century Deity of Lord Vishnu with inlaid crystal eyes,
a 17th century bronze Vishnu and Garuda, and a wooden sculpture of Narasimha.
There are also elaborately carved wooden temple carts (ratha), 15th century Keralan woodcarvings, 12th century Chola, and 14th century Vijayanagar bronze deities, a wooden model of the Guruvayur temple, detailed ivory pieces, and gold necklaces. It has interesting architecture in the “Indo-Saracenic” style, with stained-glass windows and a wooden ceiling. Open daily except Mon 9 am to 5 pm; on Wed 1 to 5 pm.
The architecturally interesting Shri Chitra Art Gallery has paintings of the Rajput, Mughal, and Tanjore schools. There are also modern Indian paintings, especially ones painted by Ravi Varma (1848-1906), and Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Balinese paintings. There are copies of the Ajanta frescoes.
The
National History Museum has a collection of stuffed animals
and dolls wearing traditional costumes. You get a ticket for all three
places at the National History Museum for Rs 5.
Also in the park are a good Zoo and a Botanical Garden. The zoo is open
9 am to 5 pm daily except Monday. Admission Rs 5, camera Rs 5. Tickets
sold at the Shri Chitra Art Galley.
Puthen Malika Palace (Horse Palace)
This was the palace of Prince Swati Tirunal, and is located just 100m
southeast of the Padmanabhaswami Temple. The museum received the name
“Horse Palace” because it contains 122 wooden pillars carved
in the shape of galloping horses. It is an interesting example of Keralan
architecture. The Puthen Malika Palace is also known as the Kuthira Malika
Palace.
The museum contains weapons, paintings of the Rajas and
Ranis of Travancore, a solid crystal throne, full-sized Kathakali figures,
and items from Italy, China, and other places belonging to the Maharajas.
It also has excellent murals. Open daily except Mon 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
and 2 to 5:30 pm. Admission Rs 20; no cameras.
During the Musical Festival (Feb-March), which is held on the palace lawn,
classical music is performed in memory of Prince Swati Tirunal’s
love for music. He was a famous musician and composer.
Other
Places
Chachu Nehru Children’s Museum, in the east part
of the city in an area called Thycaud, has over 2,000 dolls, stamps, and
ritual masks. Open Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm.
The Science and Technology Museum, Museum Rd, has science exhibits. Open daily except Mon 10 am to 5 pm. Admission Rs 1.
Margi
This is a school that often gives free Kathakali dance-drama and Kutiyattum
(Keralan martial art) performances in the evening. You may also be able
to watch a class. It is located west of the Padmana-bhaswami Temple, near
Fort High School (%434-066). The school can also provide information about
performances. Free performances take place at the Nishagandhi Auditorium
from Sept to March on Sat at 6:45 pm.
Where to Stay
The hotels here fill up by later in the day, so it may be difficult to
find a room by late afternoon. Besides staying in town, you can also stay
at the beach in Kovalam (18km).
Where
to Stay—Lower
Most of the inexpensive places are near the railway and bus stations,
on or close to Station Rd. Most of the hotels on Station Rd are not very
good and are especially noisy. A better area is along Manjalikulam Rd,
which heads north off Station Rd and is a five-minute walk from the station.
This road is lined with hotels for about 1km, from low-end to good mid-range
hotels. It is a quiet street.
Sundar Tourist Home (233-0532) has rooms with common
bath for Rs 100/135 and Rs 175/2500 with bath.
Nalanda Tourist Home (471-864), MG Rd, has rooms for
Rs 100/140. The rooms on the street side are noisy, but the back rooms
are not so bad. It is close to the local bus stand (for Kovalam).
Pravin (233-0753), Manjalikulam Rd, has quiet rooms with
clean bathrooms and big windows for Rs 175/300. TV in lobby.
Bhaskara Bhavan Tourist Paradise (79662) isn’t
really a paradise, but the rooms are clean and cheap at Rs 75/125; some
rooms go for Rs 100.
Sivada Tourist Home (330-320) is a good place with clean,
well-maintained rooms for Rs 100/150 and Rs 250/350 with A/C. It is built
around a nice courtyard.
Manacaud (327-578), Manjalikulam Rd, has large, clean
rooms with bath for Rs 125/250.
Hotel Ammu, nearby, has rooms for Rs 200/250 and Rs 500
with A/C.
Hotel Kyvalya is a good place. It has double rooms with
bath for Rs 350.
Taurus Lodge (247-7071: fax: 233-1704), off Statue Road,
is a good place with clean rooms for Rs 250 to Rs 350. Some rooms are
better than others. Well-managed and helpful. The owner is full of interesting
information.
Omkara Lodge (245-1803), MG Rd, has really basic rooms
for Rs 150/200.
Hotel Safari (477-202; fax 450541), MG Rd, has large
rooms with bathtubs and hot water for Rs 225/325 and a room with A/C is
Rs 500. It has a restaurant with a view of the city.
YWCA (247-7308), MG Rd, Spencer Junction, has clean modern
double rooms for Rs 400 and with A/C for Rs 800. It is a friendly good
place. It is very popular, so it must be booked in advance.
Yatri Niwas (63711), Thycaud, is very cheap, basic and
popular.
Where to Stay—Middle
The well-managed Hotel Regency (233-1541; fax 233-1690;
Email: hotelregency@satyam.net.in), Manjalikulam Rd, has clean,
comfortable rooms with TV and hot water for Rs 300/450 and Rs 600/700
with A/C. It is a good value.
Hotel Highland (333-200), Manjalikulam Rd, is a
tall building that can be seen from the railway station. It has comfortable,
clean rooms for Rs 250/350 and Rs 550/650 with A/C. The staff here is
helpful and friendly.
Hotel Amritha (323-091; fax 324-977), Thycaud, half a
km from the railway station, has rooms for Rs 250/400 and Rs 500/675 with
A/C.
Hotel Horizon (66888; fax 446-859), Aristo Rd, has comfortable
rooms for Rs 550/700 and Rs 950/1100 with A/C. 24-hour checkout. It is
a good value.
Residency (233-1661; fax 233-1311), Press Rd, has clean,
modern rooms for Rs 550/700 and Rs 1000/1250 with A/C. It is a good value.
Rooms have a phone and TV.
The modern KTDC Chaithram Hotel (233-0977; fax 233-1446'
Email: chaithra@md3.vsnl.net.in), Central Station Rd, next to the KSRTC
long-distance bus station, has good-size clean rooms for Rs 650/750 to
Rs 1050/1250 with A/C. It is conveniently located by the bus and train
station. It has exchange facilities, a veg restaurant, beauty parlor,
bookshop and a travel agency.
Wild Palms (247-1175; fax: 246-1971; Email: wildpalm@md3.vsnl.net.in)
is clean, pleasant guesthouse with large rooms for Rs 800/950 to Rs 1600.
Has a pleasant atmosphere.
Thamburu International (321-881), opposite the railway
station, has comfortable rooms for Rs 700/750 and Rs 850/950 with A/C.
It is a good value.
Hotel Navaratna (331-784), YMCA Rd, near Manjalikulam
Rd, has modern rooms with TV for Rs 300/450 and Rs 550/750 with A/C.
The two-star Jas Hotel (324-682; fax 324-443), Aristo
Junction, has rooms with TV for Rs 600/700 and Rs 900/1000 with A/C. It
is a good value and is in a quiet place on a hill.
Where to Stay—High
Hotel Pankaj (246-4645; fax: 246-5020; Email: hotelpankaj@sanchamet.in),
MG Rd, opposite the Secretariat, is a well-maintained comfortable place
with central A/C rooms with TV for Rs 1600/2000. Exchange facilities.
It has a restaurant on the top floor with good views, which has buffet
lunches.
KTDC Mascot Hotel, Museum Road, is a three-star hotel
which is located about 3km north of the Padmanabhaswami Temple. Rooms
with hot water, A/C and a TV are Rs 1200/1400 and suites are Rs 2500 plus
20% luxury tax. It has a pool. Best to see a few rooms before choosing
one. Recommended.
The three-star Hotel Luciya Continental (463-443; fax
463-347), East Fort near the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple, is a good, modern
place with rooms for Rs 1895/2350 up to Rs 5500 for a suite. Centrally
air-conditioned, pool, and bookshop.
The four-star South Park (233-3333; fax 233-1861; Email:
mail@thesouthpark.com), MG Road, is a Welcomgroup modern hotel with comfortable
A/C rooms for Rs $60/70 up to Rs $120 for a suite. It has a good restaurant
and coffee shop.
The well-managed Hotel Fort Manor (462-222; fax 460-560),
Power House Junction, half a km south of the railway station, has clean
large rooms (some with good views) with A/C for Rs 1250/1550. You can
eat on the roof, from where there are good views of the city. It has a
small gym.
Horizon (326-888; fax 324-444), Aristo Rd, a 10-minute
taxi ride north of the railway station, has good value rooms. 24-hour
checkout.
Where to Eat
Hotel Arulakam, across the street and two blocks down
from the railway station, has a vegetarian restaurant.
Arul Jyothi, opposite the Secretariat on MG Road, is
a fairly good, cheap South Indian place.
Sri Ram Sweet Stall, on MG Rd near the Hotel Pankaj,
is a good, cheap place.
Ananda Bhavan Restaurant, further north, is a basic South
Indian meal place with a big selection of sweets.
The A/C Azad Restaurant, MG Rd, south of the railway
station, is a good value.
Nearby, Rangoli, MG Rd, is a clean A/C place serving
Indian and Chinese food.
Hotel City Tower, MG Rd, is a popular lunch place.
Vinayak Vegetarian Restaurant, Dharmalayam Rd, near Manjalikulam
Rd, serves Keralan food.
Ananda Jyoti, Manjalikulam Rd, serves cheap Indian food.
Hotel Arroya, Station Rd, has good, cheap South Indian
food.
There is an Indian Coffee House on Central Station Rd
and one at Spencer Junction, MG Rd.
Prime Square, junction of Manjalikulam Rd and Central
Station Rd, is a popular place with an ice cream place.
City Queen Restaurant, in the Highlands Hotel, Manjalikulam
Rd, has good Chinese, Indian and Western food.
The KTDC Chaithram has two good restaurants. One is pure-veg
and the other one is a Mughal-style North Indian place.
Sandhya Restaurant, on the 5th floor of the Pankaj Hotel,
has good views of the city. The lunch buffet is a good value.
The Regency Hotel and Fort Manor Hotel
have top-floor restaurants.
South Park Hotel serves good lunch and dinner buffets.
The Promenade in the Mascot Hotel, Museum
Rd, has snacks and ice cream.
Hotel Pankaj has a restaurant on the top floor with good
views and buffet lunches.
Snoozer’s Ice Cream, off Manjalikulam Rd, near
Residency Towers, has ice cream, milkshakes and other goodies.
Local
Travel
The rickshaw drivers are usually willing to use the meter. To get from
the train station to the museum is about Rs 20.
Travel
Air There are flights to Bangalore (4 weekly, $150),
Chennai (daily, $225), Delhi (daily, $325), Male (daily, $125) and Mumbai
(3 daily, $225).
From Thiruvananthapuram, Air India flies to the Gulf. Some of those flights
continue on to Europe and New York. Gulf Air flies to London and New York.
There are daily Indian Air and Air Lanka flights to Colombo ($80), Sri
Lanka. Indian Airlines and Air Maldives have daily flights to Male.
Airlines offices: Indian Airline (316-870), Mascot Junction; Air India (231-0310), Museum Rd, Velayambalam Circle; Air Maldives (246-1315), MG Rd; British Airways (326-604), Niranjan Towers; Jet Airways (322-329), Akshay Towers, Shastamangalam Junction; Gulf Air (232-7514) KP Elankath Rd, Vellayambalam; Kuwait Airways (232-1668), Panavila Junction; and Air Lanka (247-1815), Geethanjali Building, Vazhuthacaud.
The airport is near the beach, 6km from town. If you arrive on an international flight, you can change money at the bank before going through customs. It gives a good exchange rate. Local bus #14 goes downtown. A prepaid taxi costs Rs 125 to Rs 150 to the city and Rs 280 to Rs 350 to Kovalam.
Airtravel Enterprises (232-7627; fax 233-1704; Email: atetrv@md2.vsnl.net.in), New Corporation Building, MG Rd, Palayam, can book flights on most of the airlines.
Train
The reservation office (64585) is on the first floor of the ticket office
building (open Mon to Sat 8 am to 8 pm, Sun 8 am to 2 pm). Foreign tourist
booking is handled at counter 8, the Chief Reservations Supervisor’s
office, at the top of the stairs. They have a generous tourist quota.
It is best to book your train as far in advance as possible as it can
sometimes be difficult to get a train out of Thiruvananthapuram. Trains
to the larger cities can be booked a month in advance.
There are direct trains to Mangalore, Ernakulam (5 hr), Kanyakumari (2
hr), and many other places. There are about seven trains a day to Thrissur
(8 hr). The train to Madurai departs about 7 pm and arrives in Madurai
at 4 am. There are 12 trains daily to Kollam (1½ to 2½ hr,
65 km) via Varkala (50 min). Around ten trains a day go to Kochi.
Bangalore Kanyakumari-Bangalore Exp #6525 (9.20 am, 19 hr); Chennai Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Mail #6320 (2 pm, 17 hr); Delhi Kerala Exp #2625 (11 am, 54 hr), Himsagar Exp #6017 (3.15 pm, Fri only); Goa (Margao) Rajdhani Exp #2431 (7.15 pm, 12 hr; Sun, Mon), Rajkot Exp #6334 (1.30 pm, 21 hr; Fri), Gandidham Exp #6336 (3.30 pm, 21 hr; Sat) Mumbai
Kanniyakumari-Mumbai Exp #1082 (7.15 pm, 45 hr). Mangalore Malabar Exp #6329 (5.40 pm, 16 hr), Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore Exp (6 am, 15 hr).
Bus Long-distance buses depart from the Central Bus Station (KSRTC Thampanoor bus terminal), opposite the railway station. For short to medium trips, the buses are usually quicker than the trains. For lengthier trips, such as to Chennai, it is best to take a train.
Buses go to Kochi (5 hr), Chennai (17 hr, 4 daily), Madurai (7 hr, 10 daily), Bangalore (18 hr), and Kanyakumari via Nagercoil (2 hr, 12 daily).
About ten buses go daily to Madurai, some on the way to Chennai. You may be told that you cannot buy a ticket until a half-hour before departure. The problem is that some of the buses also go to Chennai, and you can purchase a ticket for Chennai hours in advance. Therefore, when you return, you will find the bus full. I saw this happen on two separate occasions. A good alternative is to take a bus to Nagercoil, about two hours away, and then get one of the many Nagercoil to Madurai buses from there. It took me seven hours to make the trip, the same amount of time it would have taken me to go from Thiruvananthapuram to Madurai directly. If you are staying in Kovalam, you do not necessarily have to come to Thiruvananthapuram to get to Madurai. You may be able to take a bus directly to Nagercoil and save time and trouble.
Transportation
to Kovalam
There are many buses going to Kovalam Beach daily. You take bus #111 at
the Fort Bus Stand, 100m south of the local bus stand on MG Rd, by the
Hotel Luciya (Rs 4). At first the bus is usually very crowded, but it
empties out quickly. If there is a long queue (line) to purchase a ticket,
you can get a boy to wait in line for you for a few rupees.
You can get a shared taxi to Kovalam for Rs 20 per seat from the bus stand.
An auto-rickshaw costs Rs 70 to go to the lighthouse end of the beach.
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