Capital of God’s own country, Kerala, this city on the hill top is not just the transit point to Kovalam, the popular beach resort a few miles to the south but also home to some rich cultural heritage reflected in the narrow backstreets and old gabled houses

The Fort area, around the famous Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple and Puthenmalika palace, is seat of the Travancore Rajas. Parts of the palace have been converted into a museum displaying a collection of heirlooms and artifacts that date centuries back. The sloping red-tiled roofs with hundreds of wooden pillars carved into the forms of horses that prop up the eaves beneath, and airy verandas projecting onto the surrounding lawns are proof of the understated but elegant Keralan architecture.

Ponmudi, the enchanting hill station, tucked away in the Western Ghats, is forty miles to the north of the capital, is a popular trekking spot. The magnificent Padmanabhapuram palace is also a must see.