Trivandrum: The City

Being the official capital of Kerala, Trivandrum is the state's most important administrative, cultural, and intellectual hub, home to significant institutions such as the science and tech development hubs of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing; the University of Kerala also has its base here. Having been renamed to Thiruvananthapuram in 1991, Trivandrum still most often goes by Trivandrum for convenience. There are a few sites of interest to visitors, from the Kerala Science and Technology Museum with its world-class planetarium to a good selection of museums and eateries serving south Indian specialities. The Shangumugham Beach is a pleasant daytime and/or evening getaway a stone's throw away from the Trivandrum International Airport; Kovalam Beach, slightly further afield, is another local favourite.