Travel

1) Bonacaud: Spread over an area of 2500 acres of valleys, waterfalls and hills, Bonacaud is the base station for exploring the well-known Agasthyarkoodam in the Agasthya hills of the Western Ghats. This place is around 12 km from IISER Tvm campus. The thick green wilderness of this place will very soon colonize all recesses of your mindscape. En route, you may also check out the Vithura Jersey farm and the beautiful Vazhvanthol waterfalls near the forest check-post. It offers a fascinating view of the nearby Peppara dam and its catchment area. The snaking road further leads to the tea estate.

2) Ponmudi Hills: Popularly known as the ‘Ooty of Trivandrum’, this place offers magnificent views of the mountains from almost all the points. The tea plantation along the winding paths to Ponmudi will be a delightful sight as well. Located about 25 km from the IISER Campus and 55 km from Trivandrum Central Railway station, this is a perfect place to be during the season. 

3) Kallar Meenmutty Waterfalls: The Kallar Meenmutty waterfall is about 43 km from Trivandrum Central Railway station and is just 13 km away from the IISER Campus. You can drop by these beautiful waterfalls en route to Ponmudi. A 2 km gentle walk to the waterfalls through the tranquil forests will refresh you as well. 

4) Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary: Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary offers one of the best trekking options in the capital city. The terrain is undulating with elevation ranging from 100 m to 1717 m, and the trek to Vazhvanthol is an amazing experience. This area includes tropical moist evergreen forests and myristica swamps and is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. This location is around 44 km by car from Thiruvananthapuram Central and 17 km from IISER Tvm Campus.

5) Varkala: Varkala is a calm and quiet hamlet that lies on the outskirts of the Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several tourist attractions that include a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple, and the Ashramam Sivagiri Mutt nearby. The place is nearly 44 km from the Central railway station and 71 km away from the IISER Campus.

6) Kovalam: A magical beach around 14 km away from the Trivandrum Central, is one of the iconic tourist places of Kerala. Lighthouse beach, Hawah beach, and Samudra beach are some popular destinations where one can spend the evenings. The top view from the lighthouse is one of the alluring experiences of the spot. The Vizhinjam sea port is located approximately 3km away and is quite popular for the delicious food items that it has to offer. There is a wide range of fish items that the tourists will surely love. Kovalam beach is around 55 km from the IISER Campus and 14 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central.

7) Poovar Islands: Poovar Island is a ‘solitude seekers’ sanctuary, which is bordered by backwaters and the Neyyar River near its confluence with the Arabian Sea. This place is located around 57 km away from the IISER campus and about 30 kilometers south of Trivandrum and can be accessed by boat. Kovalam beach is just 12 kilometers away from the location. Beach, island, backwater, river, and sea – all meeting in a single locale cast a magical charm, unique to Poovar.

8) Neyyar Dam And Wildlife Sanctuary: The Neyyar reservoir is easily navigable and extends 9.06 sq. km and is around 35 km away from the IISER campus and 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central. The Agasthyakoodam hills lie in the premises of the sanctuary. It boasts a beautiful Watch Tower, a Deer Park, a Lion Safari Park, and a Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Center as well. The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, of which the dam is a part, is the habitat of over a hundred species of fauna, including the Asian Elephant, tiger, leopard, Slender Loris, and reptiles and amphibians like the King Cobra, Travancore Tortoise, etc. One can avail of boating facilities at the reservoir, which provides a beautiful panoramic view of the area.

9) Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple: This temple displays a supreme blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture and is believed to be one of the richest places of worship. A specialty of this temple is its presiding deity, Lord Vishnu, enshrined in the “Anantha Shayanam” posture, the eternal yogic sleep on the serpent Adisheshan. The temple is situated 3 km from the Central railway station and nearly 43 km from the IISER campus.

10) Kottur Ecotourism: Kottur offers bamboo rafting through the green waters of Neyyar, and one can also avail boating in the Neyyar reservoir of Kottur. The place offers two-seater and four-seater pedal boats. The boating is for 30 minutes. Kottur elephant rehabilitation center, nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats, retains its serenity. Visitors arriving at 09.00 hours will get to watch the elephants taking a bath, and it is one of the most magnificent sights that one shouldn’t miss. If you arrive around 10.30 hours, you get to watch the elephants being fed by their handlers. This location is around 34 km from the IISER campus and 33 km away from Thiruvananthapuram Central.

11) Thenmala: Thenmala, which lies at the conjunction of the Kollam-Shencottah road and the Trivandrum-Shencottah road, boasts one of India’s first planned ecotourism destinations. It has 10 Ecotourism spots that cover the great hill ranges of Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, and Kollam districts, and was selected by the World Tourism Organization as one of the premier eco-friendly projects in the world. Adventure tourists can spend an entire day happily at Thenmala. Thenmala Dam, Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, Butterfly Safari Park, and Leisure Zone are some of the major tourist destinations. This place is around 60 km from the IISER campus and 73 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central.

12) Jatayu Earth’s Center: This is one of the world’s largest bird sculptures, which consists of a rock theme park within, which suits the expectations of adventure enthusiasts, including climbing activities designed around the natural rock formations on the hillside. The Jatayu Adventure Center (Jatayu Earth’s Center), at Chadayamangalam, 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram and around 52 km from the IISER campus, is a unique combination of artistry, mythology, technology, culture, adventure, leisure, and wellness. The virtual reality museum and the theatrical magic that render the story of Jatayu add to the magic of the destination. The state-of-the-art ropeway offers a bird’s eye view of God’s Own Country, just as the helicopter rides do as well.