Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination.
Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Vembanadu Lake in Kottayam, Vaikom, Changanassery, Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, Punnappra, Kuttanadu and Kochi Lake in Kochi. Several groups of small islands including Vypin, Mulavukad, Maradu, Udayamperoor, Vallarpadam, and Willingdon Island are located in the Kochi Lake portion. Kochi Port is built around the Willingdon Island and the Vallarpadam island.
Halcyon Castle was built in 1932 in the princely state of Travancore, in the modern-day state of Kerala, India. It was constructed by M.R.Ry Sri Rama Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran, the consort of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, as a retreat for their family. In 1964 Valiya Koil Thampuran sold the entire property to the Government of India; since then it has been a luxury hotel. A dispute arose when the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which was running the hotel, sold it to a private hotel resort group. It has since then been taken under The Raviz Hotels and Resorts and been renovated and restored to its former glory.
Kerala, a state situated on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is famous especially for its ecotourism initiatives and beautiful backwaters. Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demography, have made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Several international agencies ranging from UNESCO to National Geographic have recognised the state's tourism potential. Kerala was named by TIME magazine in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places. In 2023, Kerala was listed at the 13th spot in The New York Times' annual list of places to visit and was the only tourist destination listed from India.
Bolgatty Palace is a former palace built by the Dutch in India on Bolgatty Island in Kochi, Kerala.
Taj Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels and a subsidiary of the Indian Hotels Company Limited, headquartered in Mumbai, India. Incorporated by Jamsetji Tata in 1902, the company is a part of the Tata Group. The company employed over 20,000 people in the year 2010. The company has been ranked as the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand in 2022 and India’s Strongest Brand as per Brand Finance Hotels 50 Report 2022 and India 100 Report 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Mulavukad, also known locally as Bolgatty Island, is one of the islands that forms part of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the Mulavukad Grama Panchayat. Vypin island and Vallarpadam island lie on its west side and Vaduthala lie to its east. Mulavukad is connected to mainland Ernakulam & Vallarpadam by the Goshree bridges and to Container terminal road at north side to connect to Kalamassery and Aluva side. Easy connection to the CBD, Northern and Southern side of Cochin city make the Island unique among other Goshree Islands.
The city of Thiruvananthapuram has been the centre of cultural activities of Kerala (India) from the time it was made capital of Travancore in 1745. The capital city is a major intellectual and artistic center. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo were started during the reign of Swathi Thirunal (1813–1847) and are one of the oldest of their kind in India. The city's libraries include the Trivandrum Public library, which was started in 1829. The Swathi Thirunal College of Music and 'College of fine arts' are the leading institutions related to music and arts.
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the governor of Kerala. It is located in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Built in 1829 as Palace Guest house of Travancore Government Guest, this heritage structure hosts the present governor of Kerala, Arif Muhammad Khan.
Cherian Philip is an Indian politician and is the Coordinator of Nava Kerala Action Plan, which is an initiative of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Government of Kerala. He was the Secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee while A. K. Antony was in presidency. He was a prominent youth and student leader of the Indian National Congress in seventies and eighties. A political historian of Kerala and India, he has authored several books. He worked as a consultant for Kairali TV and People TV. He was the Chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) and founder president of Kerala Deshiya Vedhi - a social organisation. He returned to Congress(I) on 28 October 2021.
Beaches in the Indian state of Kerala are spread along the 550-km Arabian Sea coastline. Kerala is an Indian state occupying the south-west corner of the subcontinent. The topography of the coastline is distinctive and changes abruptly as one proceeds from north to south. In the northern parts of Kerala, in places such as Bekal, Thalassery and Kannur, the headlands rise above the shore from the fringe of the beaches. The highlands are dotted with forts built by the colonial powers – the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The view of the surrounding area is mesmerizing. From Kozhikode, once the hub of the Malabar coast, the view changes to flat lands with rocky outcroppings jutting out. One feature is common all through – the coconut tree in large numbers. Dense groves of coconut trees line the coast and extend to the interiors.
Taj Fisherman's Cove Resort & Spa, commonly called Fisherman's Cove, is a luxury beach resort near the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Chennai, India. Categorized as a 5-star deluxe resort by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, it is a part of the chain of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces and is classified under the group's leisure/resort hotels section. Owned by the Covelong Beach Hotels Limited, an associate of the Taj Group, the hotel is built on the ramparts of a ruined 18th-century Belgian castle.
Lt. Col. P. R. Godavarma Raja, often referred to as G. V. Raja, was an Indian sports and tourism promoter and administrator, pilot, sportsman and Sanskrit scholar. He took special care in inspiring the youth into sports and was instrumental in founding the Kerala Sports Council in 1953. G. V. Raja occupied the post of Council President till he was killed in a flight mishap in 1971. G. V. Raja also played a key role in establishing the Trivandrum Tennis Club, Flying Club, and the development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. As the spouse of Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi, he became the prince consort of Travancore.
Tourist Resorts (Kerala) Ltd or (TRKL) is a Government of Kerala undertaking under Kerala Tourism Department, established in August 1989 to promote tourism investment and to develop Tourism infrastructure in the Indian state of Kerala. TRKL was conceived to identify tourism infrastructure needs of the state and bridge any identified gaps. Kerala is today growing at an amazing pace in tourism, adhering to the principles of indigenousness, environmental sustainability and community participation. Kerala's beaches, hill stations, backwaters, wildlife sanctuaries, historical monuments, etc. attract foreign as well as domestic tourists.
The Department of Tourism is a major government ministry under the Kerala Government that regulates and supervises tourism in Kerala. Kerala Tourism is the fastest growing state tourism department in the country and the ministry has been often adjudged as key department that aggressively worked on to make Kerala Tourism into Top 100 Superbrands.
Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi (1916-2008) was the only sister of the last ruling Maharajah of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and of his successor, Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Under the matrilineal Marumakkathayam system of inheritance prevalent in the kingdom of Travancore, it was her children who were heirs to the throne. She therefore held a very special place in the Travancore court, superior to the Maharaja's wives, and was termed the Rani of Attingal in her own right. In 2013, her only surviving son duly succeeded his uncles as titular Maharaja of Travancore and is known as Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma.
Koyi Thampuran was the title of the Prince Consorts of the Queens and Princesses of Travancore. The Koyi Thampurans' gained prominence and prestige in Kingdom of Travancore as they were the fathers of the then reigning Kings. In Travancore, there were ten clans of Koyi Thampurans. The most ancient were the ones settled at Kilimanoor ; others were Kirthipuram, Pallam, Paliyakkara and Nirazhi, Ananthapuram, Chemprol, Cherukol, Karazhma and Vatakkemadham.
Waterways have always been an important mode of transport in Kerala. The total length of navigable route in Kerala was 1,900 kilometres and the navigable rivers constitute about 54 per cent of the waterways. The 41 West-flowing rivers together with the backwaters are an integrated part of the inland navigation system in Kerala. In Kerala water transportation through these channels are mainly small distant passenger services, informal country boats, freight transportation to PSU's such as Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore, Kochi etc.
The Aluva Palace, also known as Alwaye Palace is a Travancore royal palace built by king Maharaja Karthika Thirunal Dharma Raja around 1900 during the reign of the Chera kings of Travancore. Aluva Palace is situated in the city Kochi, Ernakulam district of the state of Kerala.
