TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan Sri.V. S. Sri. Oommen Chandy Chief Minister Achuthanandan Ex-Chief Minister Ex-Chief Minister Sri. Ramesh Chennithala Sri. Kadakampally Surendran Sri. A. P. Moideen Opposition Leader Tourism Minister Industries Minister Sri. V S Sunilkumar Minister for Agriculture Sri. Thomas Issac Sri. K. Suresh Kurup Finance Minister MLA 1 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination The Kerala Destination - 2016 Directory of Kerala Tourism, KERALAAyurveda, TOURISM, Hotels AYURVEDA, & Travels HOTELS & TRAVELS DIRECTORY The Kerala Destination 2016. is a directory, con- This is a publication taining tourist - information for the state of meant for tourism Kerala .It gives you all the essential and impor- awareness and tourism tant information needed for moving around the state. development with public participation. The infrastructure development inside the state is one area to which the ruling Government has been giving top priority ,as part of its develop- Puplished by ment agenda and also to attract more and more Kerala Tourism tourists from all over the world. Of late the com- Enterprises petition from Sri Lanka has alerted the state to Karimpatta Road improve upon the quality of service in tourism sector and bring them on par with international Pallimukku standards.This directory provides you with the Cochin -16 updated information on such added facilities and services. Courtesy : We are greatly thankful to all all our advertisers and other well - wishers who helped us to bring Kerala Tourism out this publication. Department Service. Ajith Mathew For free distribution only Co-ordinator 2016 - Edition 01-11-2016 [email protected] 2 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination Kerala Tourism is gradually KERALA rising to international standards, with the aid of innovative technology applications. The modern digital technology has helped it to record notable achievements in the recent years. Apart from the traditional inflow from western countries ,tourists in large numbers are arriving to Kerala from more and more countries like Saudi Arabia,South Korea, Japan, China and so on.. The state's revenue from tourism sector is estimated at around Rs.25000 crores per annum. It is further estimated that an additional revenue of around Rs.5000 crore will be generated within the next two years. Yet the growth rate is poor when compared with the rate of 15% per annum being recorded by Sri Lankan Tourism mainly with the help of tourists'arrival from China.The developments in basic infrastructure made by Sri Lanka during recent years are tremendous. Farm Tourism Tourism in Kerala has undergone a sea change with the advent of Farm Tourism and spread of Home Stays all over the state .More and more Farms and Plantations are entering into tourism activities ,which fetch them substantial profits.The availability of fresh farm- produced fruits and vegetables is a great attraction to tourists.They also cherish the sight of farming activities . Special aid to Physically Challenged The Tourism Department has introduced special vehicles,wheel chairs,ramps,mobile 3 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination ramps and so on for the use of physically challenged tourists.Language assistance is rendered to hearing- impaired .Signboards in braille language are being fixed at major picnic spots .Menu cards in braille language are introduced in restaurants.Facilities like pre recorded travel information,medical aid ,walking sticks,crutches, special vehicles for beach rides and the like are also being provided. Domestic Tourism The Central Government has announced investment of Rs.50000 crore in domestic tourism sector. The main objectives are to ensure safety and security of tourist spots,and introduction of helpline numbers with option to communicate in 12 different languages . With all these new initiatives the state's tourism is all set to make a great leap forward. Density : 819/sq. k.m. Literacy : 90.92% Male : 87.86% Female : 94.20% Assembly Constituencies : 140 Loksabha Constituencies : 20 Rajya Sabha Seats :9 Districts : 14 District Panchayats :14 Panchayaths : 991 Villages : 1452 Taluks : 63 Revenue Division :21 Corporations : 5 Municipalities : 53 Contonment : 1 (Kannur) Coast Line : 580 k.m. Rivers : 44 Official animal : Elephant Official Bird : Vezhambal Official Tree : Coconut Official flower : Kanikonna Longest River : Periyar (244 k.m.) Highest Peak : Anamudi (2695 mtr.) Post Offices (2002) : 5073 Railway Stations :188 Airports : 4 Ports : 18 Roads Length : 1,37,678 k.m. 4 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination GEOGRAPHY The land of Kerala is situated at the South Western edge of Indian sub-continent between the Western ghats and Arabian Sea. It is having an area of 38863 sq. km which constituted 1.18 percent of the total landed area of India. While the distance between the northern and southern ends of the state is 560 km, it is only 60 kms between the eastern and western ends. The epics says that Kerala was created from sea by Parasurama, the warrior-incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, who threw an axe from Gokarna in the north, which went as far as Knyakumari, in the south end full there, converting the sea in between into mainland. The northern and north eastern part of the state are boardered by Karnataka and southern and south east parts share borders with Tamilnadu. Geographically, the state is divideds into three zones, one consisting of hilly, terrain (Malanad) another moderately hilly and plain land (Idanad) and the third, coastal land (Threeradesam), stretching throught the eastern border lies the ‘Sahya ranges, an extension of might Western Ghats. The tallest peak of western Ghats called ‘Anamudi’ is also located in Kerala. While 48% of total area of the state is such hilly region, 41.76 % is idanad, consisting of hillocks and agricultural land. The costal area consited of 3979 sq km with lakes, estnanies deltas etc... The coatal belt is also the densely populated of the state. There are 34 lakes in the coatal Kerala out of which 27 are linked to the sea. There is also a waterways connecting 448 km of coastal land. Being near to the equater Kerala experiences equitorial climate. However, the nearness to sea helps to have a failrly balanced weather condition. The land invariably gets two spells of monsoon rains every year, the first spell during June to September and second fromOctober to December. While January and February winter months, from March to May it is summer. Climate : Tropical Summer : Feb - May (24- 330C) Monsoon : Jun - Sep (22-280C) Winter : Oct- Jan (22-320C). Basic Informations Area : 38,863 sq. km Population : 3,33,87,677 (Census 2011) Capital : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) Language : Malayalam; English is widely spoken Religion : Hinduism, Christianity, Islam Time : GMT+ 5:30 Currency : Indian Rupee Rural Population : 2,35,71,484 (74.03%) Urban Population : 82,67,135 (25.97%) 105 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Area: 2132 sq Rm · Altitude: Sea level Located at the southwestern tip of India, Thiruvananthapuram district is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west and Tamil Nadu in the east. The wooded highlands of the Western Ghats in the eastern and northeastern borders give Thiruvananthapuram some of the most enchanting picnic spots. A long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage make this district a much sought after tourist destination. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. Capital of the State, well renown beach resort at Kovalam, Mountain resort at Ponmudi, Water resorts at Veli, Akkulam. Agasthyakoodam forest range, Dams like Peppara and Neyyar, Pilgrim centers such as Sivagiri, Anchu Thengu, Aruvikkara, Thiruvallam, Shri Padmanabha Swami Temple, Palayam Mosque, Kanakakkunnu and Kavadiyar Palaces, Napier Museums, Zoo, Star Bunglaw, Vikram Sara Bhai Space Centre are the main attractions in Thiruvananthapuram. ACCESSING THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Telephone access code: ++91-471 Air: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (6 km from the city) has over 30 air links with convenient connections to Colombo, Maldives and the Middle East. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate domestic flights to different parts of the country. Rail: There are direct trains from Thiruvananthapuram to all the main towns in Kerala as well as the major cities in India. Railway enquiry Ph: 131. Road: Long distance buses operate from the Central Bus Station at Thampanoor, opposite the Railway Station (KSRTC Ph: 2323886, Thiruvalluvar Ph: 2327756). MAJOR ATTRACTIONS IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM CITY Padmanabha Swamy Temple: The temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is 6 TheThe Kerala Kerala Destination known for its mural paintings and stone carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India, the presiding deity here is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha the Serpent. Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum : The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture also has exquisite wood carvings. The Napier Museum: Built in the 19th century, this Indo - Saracenic structure boasts a natural air conditioning system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artefacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory