5 Reasons the Coastal City of Thiruvananthapuram Is India’s Best-Kept Secret

On the western side of India’s southern tip stands the city of Thiruvananthapuram (colonially known as Trivandrum, which is still widely used, despite the name change in 1991). It is the capital of Kerala state: a leafy, breeze-licked sliver of terraced earth with burnt pink sand beaches; air pungent with spiced and flowery odors; and unsettlingly surreal sunsets, which arrive slowly with a terminal glow that makes you feel like you’re on some other hazy planet, the slatted chatter of palm fronds and the bone-shaking crash of dark waves outlining the phenomenon. Multicolored lights fly by at night (they’re everywhere in Thiruvananthapuram), as mopeds and taxis spit along, the high pitch of a Hindu song curling in through the smoke and the sea mist. It is sense-melting and eye-opening from the fundamental to the endemic; where else might you see the skinned, marbled head of a bull awaiting the butcher’s knife atop a hot metal table, framed by the curlicue flourish of Hindi lettering on billboards and the polychrome river of a thousand passing saris outside?

Here, the five highlights and must-sees in Thiruvananthapuram and its surrounding areas. From Ayurvedic treatment resorts (Anna Dello Russo is a fan) to backwater boat trips, the region is emerging as a must-stop destination for Americans (Europeans have long been in on the secret). Plus, with India’s easier-than-ever e-Tourist visa for U.S. citizens (apply online and receive confirmation within three to five days), now’s the time to go.