Thiruvananthapuram to Seoul Flights

  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 Seoul

The affluent city of Seoul is one of the largest cities and capital of South Korea. Defined by its vibrant culture, flourishing economy and striking infrastructure and architecture, the city easily becomes one of the best places to live in. Right from the clean and convenient Incheon airport to the towering yet scintillating structures of the skyscrapers in the city, Seoul is a city that you should definitely visit. From the city's nightlife fervour to the relics of ancient history, Seoul caters to the likes of all types of tourists.

Flight bookings to Seoul are decently priced from India. It also falls under one of the top places to visit for a budget-friendly experience from India. The lively and dynamic city life will certainly leave an impression on you. Not to mention how they have exquisite accommodations and hospitality too. You can book some lovely hotels in Seoul and enjoy the garden views of the city.

Best time to visit Seoul

Seoul enjoys multitudes of seasons, making some months perfect and others best avoided. Spring in Seoul between March to May is when the city witnesses the best of nature's delights. From lovely trees turning into beautiful shades of green to the blooming of the cherry blossoms, Seoul's Springtime is the best season to visit the city. The temperature is also at a pleasant 10 degree Celsius to 23 degree Celsius. It is recommended that you pack some parkas or winter jackets during your visit as the evenings will get quite cold. The flight tickets to Seoul is cheap during springtime, making travelling viable. Not to mention how the hotels also drop their prices. If you do a little scouting, you might even find some snazzy flight deals online to Seoul as well as affordable accommodation. Best would be to book hotels to Seoul in advance as the locals of South Korea might flock over to the city to experience the charming season. Since this is also the time when there are festivals celebrated, crowd from other parts of South Korea might travel to the city.

The second wave of season that would work in your favour is the autumn. Between September and November, the autumn season envelopes the city with scintillating atmosphere and lovely weather. Compared to the flight ticket prices to Seoul during summer or even winter, autumn will get you the best travel deals. Hotel prices also see a pleasant drop, enabling travelling convenient for travellers who wish to explore the city of Seoul. There are various high-priced and quaint hotels in Seoul that you can check into.

Places to visit in Seoul

As a city that witnesses approximately 10 million people from around the world, there are many beautiful tourist spots with off-beat city things. You will interestingly find a lot of gardens and parks interspersed with a fine culinary experience. The two famous things to see in Seoul is undoubtedly their well-maintained parks, temples, palaces and marketplace. Some of the perfect places to begin with in Seoul are from the serene gardens of Changdeok Palace, Bukhansan National Park and Namsan Park and N Seoul Town. While it might sound boring to indulge in garden-hopping as opposite to the possibility of seeing pristine structures and architectural delights. But you should know that these gardens have the power to transport you to a tranquil space amid a busy city. Bukchon Hanok Village would be a good neighbourhood to visit as it has some of the most expensive and private hanoks, basically traditional Korean-styled houses.

While in Seoul, do not miss out their UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the oldest royal shrines preserved by the city. Jongmyo Shrine is known to be the oldest and a well-kept royal shrine complex from the Joseon dynasty. The location is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. You can also check out their cute Korean version of Disney World at Lotte World. The theme park boasts Korean kitsch but also has some fun adventure rides suitable for all ages.

Things to do in Seoul

Within the Bukhansan National Park, there are towering hills and even valleys that would deem perfect for some of you adventure junkies. You can also trek up to the Buddhist temples and the Bukhansanseong Fortress, all by following the trails in the park. To engage in some of their party cultures, you can check out Hondae, a hub and that flaunts the fun youth culture of South Korea. Dongdaemun Market is another amazing place for all you shopaholics. It is Seoul's very own mecca of shopping with exquisite brands and over 30,000 shops, wholesale stores and much more. In fact, to peruse through the market, you will have to carry a map with you, so that you don't get lost in the premise.

Food and Restaurants in Seoul

Seoul's culinary delights are something that you shouldn't miss. Take that leap of faith and experiment with your palette by downing some of the traditional Korean dishes. Straight from the Korean kitchen are dishes like hansik, kimchi, gochujang and samgyupsal, galbi, to name a few of them. Much of Korean cuisine has grilled food that goes down really well with some soju. The setting for these dishes is mostly some of the quaint restaurants with tabletop grill. The sizzling meat in front of you would certainly leave you drooling.

It is essential for you to first learn about Korean cuisine before experimenting as some of their dishes might not go down well with you. While the sizzling meat could make you go weak in the knees, some of you might want to get a whiff of the lovely rice bowl with aromatic vegetables and meat. Seoul's famous Bon Bibimbap will serve you some of their legendary bibimbap. A bibimbap consists of a rice bowl topped with vegetables, fried egg (optional), marinated meat and chilli paste for taste. Not only will these dishes do you good but won't burn a hole in your pocket.

For the best street food experience in Seoul, you should simply head to the Gwangjang Market where you will find dishes such as mandu (dumplings with ground meat or vegetables, depending on your choice), bindaeduk (friend pancakes) and jokbal (pigs' feet tossed in boiling soy sauce and ginger). To experience the restaurant-like setting, you should visit places such as Gusto Taco, Jangseng Geongangwon, 853, The Griffin Bar, Jihwaja, Innisfree Green Cafe, Yang Good, to name a few. The Korean-style food and savouries are a treat, especially if you've been following the Korean culture for too long. Seoul's food expedition would be quite rewarding.

How to reach Seoul (Transportation)

By Air

From India, there is impeccable flight connectivity to Seoul. Major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, etc., have direct or layover flights to Seoul. To book a flight ticket to Seoul, you'll have to select Incheon International Airport, which is near the main city of Seoul. From the Seoul airport, there are inter-city buses that will take you to the main city. The city of Seoul is approximately 48 km away from Incheon airport. Hence, the provisions to facilitate buses from the airport has been made by the authorities. It takes close to 60 minutes to reach the main city of Seoul from the airport. Seoul-Incheon International Airport is touted to be one of the cleanest and best international transit airport globally. The efficiency of the airport can be witnessed as you take the international route to Seoul from India too. The flights to and from Seoul regularly fly in India. The demand for the South Korean city is quite high, making it one of the important international cities to connect for India.

The flight tickets from India to Seoul are also quite cheap and affordable. It costs approximately INR 37,000 - 40,000, round trip. Despite regular flight connectivity to Seoul, the flights from India do have to undergo layovers in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, etc. Air India is the only Indian airlines to have dedicated flights to Seoul from India. To enjoy cheap flight tickets to Seoul, you should opt for early booking. In fact, while you're at it, book your hotels in Seoul as well. You'll get the added benefit of booking flights to Seoul as well as accommodation. There are many flight deals online for Seoul as it is a popular city that sees decent demand from India. The flight duration to Seoul from India takes about 10 - 15 hours to reach.

By Water

There are cruises to Seoul by they are not connected from India. South Korea is an island country and hence, has cruises and ships as other modes of transport. However, the provision is not possible from India. There are regular ships and cruises voyaging to Seoul from Singapore, China and even Australia. IT should be noted though that travelling via waterways would take a lot of time. As long as you have the luxury of time and wealth, you can take up fancy cruises from the places mentioned. It is not a convenient mode of transport as you will have to change from flights to cruises or ships.

  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.