Mumbai06 Nov 22 1 Traveller Economy
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About Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, popularly called Trivandrum, is the capital of Kerala and a very popular tourist destination in the state, too. While the city does have quite the urban and modern setup, it has also maintained its old charm and colonial legacy. Trivandrum has quite a lot of museums, beaches, palaces and temples. The Kovalam and Varkala beaches are some of the most popular tourist spots that are close by. The city's history and culture will leave you fascinated. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kuthiramalika Palace Museum, Napier Museum are some of the popular tourist spots within the city. Not to mention, you will also be treated to some lip-smacking food that are specialities in Kerala.
Best Time to Visit Thiruvananthapuram
It is not surprising that monsoons in Kerala are the most beautiful to experience. It only adds to the lush greenery around the city. But it is the winter that makes Trivandrum an ideal time to visit. October to February is considered to be the best time to plan a vacation to Trivandrum. The temperature drops down to 15 degree Celsius during winter, especially in January and February. Make sure you book a hotel in Trivandrum that has a view of the hills. Though it might be a tad bit expensive since it is peak season, it will be worth it. You will also get to indulge in a lot of outdoor activities and adventurous ones during this season, as compared to the other seasons and you will also come across decent flight deals to Trivandrum online.
July to September is when the city experiences monsoon, which also leads to extreme humidity. The city witnesses heavy rainfall in the months of June, July and August. However, the downpour does reduce from August. Despite the torrential rain, the city does see a lot of tourists since the famous Onam festival also falls during this time. This also might be a great time for you to get cheap flight tickets to Trivandrum.
Summer begins from March in Trivandrum and lasts till June. The temperature reaches up to 35 degree Celsius during summer, and the weather does not make it favourable for you to plan a trip during this season. All of your sightseeing and outdoor activity plans will be affected, thanks to the humidity and scorching heat. Though you can go to the beach and chill, there won't be a lot of other options to try out.
Places to Visit in Thiruvananthapuram
Trivandrum's Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. The temple is only open to Hindus and dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The temple sees a lot of pilgrims and devotees throughout the year. The Karikkakom Chamundi Devi temple is another one that you must visit. It is 7 km away from the Padmanabhaswamy temple and dedicated to Goddess Chamundi. The Neyyar Dam and Wildlife Sanctuary are another one of the major tourist spots in the city. It is popular for its Deer and Lion safari. You will also find crocodiles and elephants in the sanctuary. You will have to pay a nominal fee to enter the sanctuary and a separate fee for the safari. You can also go boating at the Neyyar Dam. You can also go fishing here.
For the adventure lovers, there is the Academy of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports. Whether it is Scuba Diving that you want to attempt or skydiving, the academy offers a lot of adventure sports for you to try out and they also make sure that the equipment used is state-of-the-art. The Kanakakunnu Palace is a popular site to visit. It was built under the rule of Travancore King and is also close to the Napier Museum. The palace now hosts a lot of cultural programs on its premises and make sure you catch one if there is any hosted during your visit. Vizhinjam Lighthouse, at Kovalam beach, is a 45-year-old lighthouse that is a major attraction here. The view from the top of the lighthouse is breathtaking and will leave you awestruck. You can also visit the Varkala beach, which is close to Trivandrum. You can, in fact, book a hotel in Trivandrum that is close to the Varkala Beach.
Things to do in Thiruvananthapuram
Go sightseeing to the famous museums in the city. You can either hire a cab for the entire day to visit the major tourist spots or use the public transport to do so. Don't forget to stop by the Indian Coffee House for some authentic filter coffee. Kerala is called God's Own Country for a reason. Explore the temples here along with enjoying the beautiful scenery. If you are planning to visit the beaches, make a day of it and take up a few water activities by the beach, too. You will also find a lot of food stalls and restaurants near the beaches that serve Kerala's best street food. Take up boating or fishing at the Neyyar Dam while you soak in the stunning view. If you want to explore nature at its best, there are a lot of tour guides and companies that host camping and trekking activities in and around the city.
While you are at it, you can also try activities like paragliding, skydiving, scuba diving and rafting at the Academy of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports. Catch the sunset from the Vizhinjam lighthouse. It will certainly be a fulfilling experience. If you are in the mood for going on a shopping spree, visit the Chalai Market. It's one of the busiest markets in the city, and you will get everything that you desire. Ayurvedic massages are a speciality in Kerala, and you will feel absolutely rejuvenated. Head to the Ayushmanbhava Ayurvedic Centre for a healing massage. If you don't feel like taking up an activity and just lying around the whole day, you can do so at the beach. Lying on the beach, under the stars and near the waves of the ocean is the most relaxing thing to do.
Food and Restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram
Apart from the panoramic landscape that Kerala has to offer, it is also known for its cuisine. From spicy seafood to desserts, you'll love everything about the food in Kerala. It is known for its delicacies that are made of or with coconut. The tapioca chips that you get here are fried in coconut oil. Almost every tourist packs a few of these to take back home. Make sure you also try the Sarkara Upperi, which is basically banana chips that are coated in jaggery. You will come across a lot of stalls that sell this, especially during Vishu. The Appam and stew combo that you get in Kerala is also quite popular. You must definitely try this combo for breakfast. You can either opt for a sweet appam or a savoury one. If you have additional time on your hands, do head to Kozhikode or Thalassery to try the Malabari biryani. It's only 70 km away from Trivandrum. Your food experience in Kerala is incomplete without Sadya. It's usually served during weddings or festivals on a banana leaf.
Ananda Bhavan is a very popular restaurant franchise down South, and this one will also not disappoint. If you are in Kerala on your honeymoon, make sure you go to Curry Chatty. The food and the ambience complement each other perfectly. They also have an intimate setting for couples to enjoy a romantic evening. Jasmine Bay, at Vivanta Hotel by Taj, is open 24 hours and has a plethora of cuisine options You can also try the street food at popular tourist spots here. The rice here is quite unique, but you won't regret trying it out.
How to reach Trivandrum
By Air
Trivandrum is a coastal city and a beautiful one at that, too. Trivandrum airport has both domestic and international ports, since it is the capital of the state. It is 4 km away from the city and is also near Kovalam beach. You will be treated to a beautiful view of the sea as you land. The flight connectivity to and from Trivandrum is excellent. There are frequent flights from Trivandrum to other cities in the country and internationally. Connecting flights from Bangalore and Chennai are some of the popular routes to Trivandrum via air.
By Rail
Trivandrum is also well-connected by rail, and the Trivandrum Central railway station is one of the largest stations in India. It is also one of the cheapest ways to reach the city. The Netravati Express, Anantapur Express and Sabari Express are some of the trains that start from and stop at the city.
By Road
The city is also connected really well by road. You can either take the public transport or a private one to reach the city. You will get buses from Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Coimbatore and Kochi quite easily. The transport system within the city is also quite convenient. You can easily ditch the luxurious ways of travel to use the public transport here
About Kuwait Airways
Kuwait Airways is the national flag carrier of Kuwait and has its headquarters on the grounds of the Kuwait International Airport, located in Al Farwaniyah Governorate. The airline operates varied international routes across the Middle East as well as caters to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. The airline has its base at Kuwait International Airport. It is also a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation, a non-political and non-profit organisation that accommodates about 30 constituent airlines with members from around 18 countries. Kuwait Airways was founded by a group of businessmen in 1953 and was named Kuwait National Airways. In the initial days of the airline's commencement, the Kuwait government took a 50 per cent share in the airline. The same year, the airline struck a five-year management deal with British International Airlines, a British Overseas Airways Corporation subsidiary located in Kuwait. The management corporation basically handled all the flights along with the maintenance services for Kuwait Airways.
The airline purchased two Dakotas to join its fleet the same year which carried 8,966 passengers in total, in its first year of operations. In 1955, the airline dropped 'national' from its name and adopted Kuwait Airways as the official name for the airline. They also signed a new contract where operations and management handlings were directly taken up by BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation). In 1962, Kuwait Airways ordered two Trident type-aircraft, becoming the manufacturer's first customer. The airline continued to acquire more aircraft to join its fleet as they placed orders for a Comet 4C and three BAC One-Elevens. The following year, they received their first Comet and the airline added one more order for the same aircraft. In the same year, the Kuwait government expressed interest in the airline and increased its participation by 100 per cent in Kuwait Airways. In 1964, the airline chartered a new international route and added its first European destination as a flight to London was inaugurated with Comet. They extended their Middle East reach too by operating in cities such as Beirut, Doha, Bahrain, Adaban, Bombay, Geneva, Karachi, Paris, Frankfurt, Cairo and Dhahran.
By 1980, the airline acquired about 5,400 employees while its fleet expansion included new Boeing aircraft such as Boeing 707-320Cs, Boeing 747-200Bs, Boeing 727-200s and Boeing 737-200. In the mid-1980s though, Kuwait Airways started acquiring Airbus A310-200s to its place to replace the Boeing 707s on the international routes of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The city of Kuwait witnessed significant demand from the India market which resulted in the formation of Jet Airways, where both Kuwait Airways and Gulf Air held 20 percent of equity stakes each. However, due to some changes in the Indian law to allow foreign carriers to hold stakes in the domestic airlines, Kuwait Airways sold their 20 per cent shares to the chairman of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal. In 2015, after a hiatus of nearly 17 years, Kuwait Airways resumed the flight operations to Munich in Germany. They further resumed flights to Istanbul-Atatürk as well after a three-year break. In the same year, Kuwait Airways made an addition of a new Indian destination, Bangalore, to be part of its list of top cities.
Kuwait Airways currently holds several subsidiaries that are undergoing privatisation processes. These include Kuwait Aviation Services Co., Automated Systems Co., ALAFCO. Some of the alliances that the airlines associated with during the 1990 War are now defunct. These include Shorouk Air and Jet Airways.
Fleet size of Kuwait Airways
As of 2020, Kuwait Airways' fleet size stands at 31 aircraft that are all variants from the Airbus family with 10 Boeing 777-300ERs. In 2013, Kuwait Airways boasted one of the oldest fleets across the Middle East, which averaged 20 years. The same year, they also commenced a maintenance facility to ensure the conditions of their fleet and keep a check on its maintenance requirements. Kuwait Airways also signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to acquire around 15 A320neos and ten A350-900s to join the fleet. The deliveries of the mentioned aircraft would be made between 2019 to 2022. Meanwhile, they leased seven A320s and five A330-200s from Airbus, while awaiting their newer aircraft.
Kuwait Airways also expressed its intention to purchase ten Boeing 777-300ERs, which they made known in 2014. They went ahead and even placed an order for the same at a whopping cost of USD 3.3 billion. The deliveries of the same were received by 2016. In 2014, adding more panache to its fleet, the airline received delivery of its first Airbus A320, which catered to their fleet expansion and upgradation plan. With Kuwait Airways' rebranding in 2016, the airline also received its first Boeing 777-300ER, marking the arrival of the airline's first fully owned brand new aircraft after 20 years of using the old fleet.
Baggage Allowance
Kuwait Airways follows the global standard of baggage allowance for passengers travelling by the business class and economy class cabins. The baggage allowance on Kuwait Airways majorly depends on the cabin class and nothing else. Passengers travelling by the premium classes such as royal or business receive a free checked baggage quantity of three pieces with a weight that can go up to 32 kg per bag. Meanwhile, the maximum dimension of the bags should not exceed more than 300 cm in total. As for the travellers travelling by the economy class, the airline allows two pieces of free baggage with a weight that cannot exceed 23 kg each. The maximum dimension for bags should not exceed more than 158 cm. Additionally, Kuwait Airways does allow carry-on baggage which differs depending on the cabin class of the passenger. In case the weight of the baggage exceeds the weight specified by the airline's protocols, extra baggage might have to be purchased. Similarly, the airline also expects the passengers to adhere to the baggage rules as they are essential.
In-flight services
Kuwait Airways promotes world-class facilities and in-flight services that attract passengers. As an airline with a fleet that accommodates many wide-body aircraft that are well-equipped with the latest upgrades, it easily manages to provide the best hospitality onboard. Passengers can rest assured that the journey would be an experience of a lifetime as the in-flight services teamed with their exquisite in-flight meals and entertainment systems are all luxurious. The airline is one of the handfuls in the world to not accommodate alcohol and pork onboard, following religious practices.
Popular routes and top cities for Kuwait Airways
As of 2020, Kuwait Airways has managed to make a name for itself with its illustrious international route and domestic route connectivity. The airline caters to about 51 international cities spread across Asia, Europe, North American and Africa, from its hub airport in Kuwait City. Some of the top cities for Kuwait Airways include Abu Dhabi, Alexandria, Bangkok, Bodrum, Cairo, Colombo, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kuwait City, London, Manila, Medina, Milan, Munich, Muscat, Paris, Rome, Tehran and Varna. The city of Kuwait has also witnessed tremendous demand and passenger traffic from many Indian cities. Hence, to cater to the same, the airline has also extended its support to accommodating better connectivity in India by flying to a bunch of cities and not just the capital. Some of the top Indian cities that have impeccable connectivity of Kuwait Airways are Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Further, they plan to expand the reach and enhance their presence in more Indian cities.
Why travel by Kuwait Airways?
Kuwait Airways' Oasis Club is an interesting frequent flyers miles program. Known to be one of the best airlines in the Middle East, the services provided by the airline to cater to the upscale lifestyle of many passengers is a responsibility taken up by the airline. Hence, their Oasis Club's benefits are majorly towards adding more flyer miles to the customer's kitty. Interestingly, the airline enables partnerships with many top hotels in the country where the customer can either earn or splurge the miles accumulated. Thorough details regarding Oasis Club can be found on Kuwait Airways' website. Speaking of which, the airline's website is the perfect place to learn more about flights and destinations that the airline caters to.
The airline's website enables passengers to do web check-ins and simultaneously learn about flight status. Booking a Kuwait Airways flight ticket on their website is also not cumbersome as the interface is very user-friendly. Following the flight bookings, Kuwait Airways does share a list of policies and protocols that the passenger should adhere to, along with details of baggage allowance, in-flight services that can be availed and lounge accessibility. Passengers can also learn more about Kuwait Airways' flight schedules and other such necessary details that would be pertinent when booking flights. Basically, the airline provides all important information along with unmatched services that make it one of the best airlines, not just in the Middle East but also across continents.
About Trivandrum Airport
Trivandrum International Airport serves as the international airport to Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala. The airport came into existence in 1932 and has been recorded as the first airport of the state. It is also acknowledged as the fifth international airport that was installed by former Prime Minister of India, VP Singh. Despite being the state capital, Trivandrum International Airport is the second busiest airport, following Kochi International Airport. In the country, Trivandrum International Airport falls in the fourteenth position as the busiest airport in India. The airport recorded to accommodate about 4.4 million passengers, as on 2018-19, with aircraft movements of 33,093 in the same year. Trivandrum International Airport is only 3.7 kilometres away from the city centre and about 13 km from Technopark and 16 km from Kovalam beach. The airport is sprawled across an area of 700 acres of land. Currently, the airport handles two terminals, each dedicated to domestic and international flight operations, respectively. The airport also purveys to the Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard. In fact, IAF has an exclusive apron reserved for operations of the government security body. Additionally, it also allows pilot training activities that are facilitated by the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation technology.
About Trivandrum International Airport terminals
The airport has two terminals, one reserved for domestic operations and the second for international operations. Air India is the only airline which operates from the terminal 2. Ground operations at the international terminal are also handled by Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd. and Bhadra International India Pvt. Ltd. The terminal is fully air-conditioned and has WiFi facilities available. Some of the other features of the international terminal include exquisite lounges, brilliant natural lights with the use of glass roofing and efficient conveyance services for passengers. Meanwhile, the domestic terminal mostly caters to good cafes, book shops, phone-recharging points and more. Along with the terminals, Trivandrum International Airport also has a narrow-body maintenance, repair and overhaul unit (MRO) operated by Air India. They cater to twin hangars for services of Boeing 737-type of aircraft and a plethora of Air India Express aircraft. At a time, two aircraft can be accommodated simultaneously at the two hangars of MRO.
Terminal 1 - Terminal 1 or the domestic terminal covers an area of 99,000 square feet and has the capacity to handle 400 passengers at a go. Into Place Services fuelling operations that are facilitated by IndianOil Skytanking are also present in the domestic terminal.
Terminal 2 - Terminal 2 is a newly built building that has three jetways along with parking bays that can handle eight aircraft. It is built right opposite Terminal 1 and is closer to the city side. Constructed by the Airports Authority of India, the designs for the new terminal were taken up by architects of the UK-based firm, Pascall+Watson. The terminal serves as a catalyst for the development of the IT sector as well as the tourism industry of the southern districts of the state of Kerala. The international terminal is sprawled across an area of 380,000 square feet. It is capable of handling passengers of large aircraft such as three Airbus A340s and one Boeing 747. The passenger crowd mainly adds up to roughly 1500 passengers.
Meanwhile, the recorded passenger handling capacity has been recorded at 1.8 million, in a year. The area of the check-in floor is about 10,200 square feet while the arrival area covers about 6,500 square feet. With a view to enabling the passengers to check-in at any counter without having to waste time, the airport has installed a Common Users Terminal Equipment (CUTE). Along with this, there are X-ray machines installed right next to the conveyor belts to enable faster clearance of baggage. The terminal's entrance is perfectly connected to the Chacka-Eenchakkal road. A bridge has also been constructed across the Parvathy Puthanar canal that links the new international terminal to the Kazhakuttam-Inchivila National Highway. Further, the car park space of the terminal can accommodate nearly 600 cars.
About Airport Authority
Trivandrum International Airport is owned and operated by the Airports Authority of India. The statutory body has taken up the responsibility to manage, operate and maintain the airport's infrastructure. It has also undertaken roles of upgradation and expansion of the airport terminals and runways. Over the years, AAI has worked extensively towards making Trivandrum International Airport a state-of-the-art structure. They have enabled world-class facilities and installed better equipment for efficiency.
As part of the expansion plans proposed by the Airports Authority of India, they have demanded 82 acres of land to demolish the existing domestic terminal and to construct a new one altogether. The airport authority also plans to install newer and better facilities in the domestic terminal of Trivandrum International Airport. On the same, the state government has agreed to acquire about 18 acres for construction purposes of the domestic terminal. The new terminal that they plan to construct would be sprawled across 40,000 square metres to spruce up the city's common airport terminal area. Works regarding the new terminal, including blueprints of the new terminal building, have already begun at the AAI headquarters. They plan to complete the construction of the new terminal in about 18 to 24 months as soon as the Kerala government hands over the portion of land to the airport authorities. The new terminal is said to be a replica of the existing terminal 2.
Facilities at the Trivandrum International Airport
ATMs and forex counters – As an international airport, Trivandrum International Airport has provisions for currency exchange. You can find these counters in the arrivals section of the airport terminal.
Medical services – The airport has installed medical services and facilities to cater to emergency cases. There are dedicated rooms as well as free medical services that passengers can avail, in case they are facing some discomfort or unrest. Along with medical centres, the airport also has pharmacies.
Lounges – There are luxe lounges also available at the airport. Both the domestic and international terminals have lounge services which can only be accessed by specific ticket holders or VIP guests.
Baby care room – Child care rooms have been installed at the airport premise to make travelling easy for parents with infants. These rooms can be utilized for breastfeeding and diaper-changing activities.
Smoking zones – The airport follows a strict no-smoking protocol in public spaces. They have instead installed smoking zones for travellers who wish to smoke. These can be found at both the terminals of the airport.
Baggage – The baggage services are impeccable at the airport. They include facilities of trolleys, baggage wrapping services and porter systems.
Top airlines flying from Trivandrum International Airport
Presently, Trivandrum International Airport sees an equal amount of domestic and international flight operations. Some of the top domestic airlines operating from Trivandrum International Airport are Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara. While the number of domestic airlines operating from Trivandrum International Airport is limited, the international flights are aplenty. Many international airlines that operate from Trivandrum Airport include Air Arabia, Air India Express, Emirates, British Airways, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Maldivian, Malindo Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Scoot and SriLankan Airlines. A majority of cities that the airport is connected to are Sharjah, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Riyadh, Kochi, Coimbatore, Doha, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, London, Bahrain, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Colombo, to name a few. Trivandrum International Airport also accommodates cargo facilities and operations to be conducted from the airport terminal. Some of the important carriers include Blue Dart Aviation, Emirates SkyCargo, FitsAir, Qatar Airways Cargo, SriLankan Cargo and Saudia Cargo.
How to reach Trivandrum International Airport
By Road
Trivandrum International Airport is located in proximity with National Highway 66. The airport has been situated in such a way that access to the city is enhanced. The new integrated terminal is perfectly connected to the city centre. Various buses can reach you to Trivandrum International Airport. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation mainly operates these buses. They have bus services across the city and interstate as well. You can easily reach the Trivandrum International Airport from the city limits. Plus, they are cheap and affordable too so travelling to reach Trivandrum International Airport is convenient. You can also opt for prepaid taxi service to reach both the terminals of Trivandrum International Airport. Cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola also have services in the city to reach Trivandrum International Airport. The cab fare is also fixed on Ola and Uber so you wouldn't have to haggle with the taxi driver.
By Rail
The airport is in reach of the city's central railway stations, Kochuveli Railway Station and Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. They are located about 5 km and 5.5. km away from Trivandrum International Airport, respectively. The city is perfectly connected with the rest of the state from the railway station. You can easily reach the Trivandrum International Airport from the railway station. There are prepaid taxi cabs and other such services also available from the railway station.
