Yann Martel famously based the animals in his novel Life of Pi on those he observed in Trivandrum’s Zoological Gardens. Shaded paths meander through woodland, lakes and native forest, where tigers, macaques, hippos, peacocks, deer, leopards and other creatures gather, though some live in small, not very open enclosures.
Zoological Gardens
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…
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0.12 MILES
Housed in an 1880 wooden building designed by Robert Chisholm (a British architect whose Fair Isle–style version of the Keralite vernacular shows his…
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13.39 MILES
Rising to 1868m at Agasthya Peak and surrounding an idyllic lake created by the 1964 Neyyar Dam, 30km east of Trivandrum, this 128-sq-km sanctuary has a…
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16.73 MILES
Fringed by colourful fishers' houses, 12km southeast of Varkala, this laterite-and-concrete fort was built by the British East India Company in 1695…
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22.66 MILES
Varkala is a temple town and the Janardhana Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is the main event – with its roots dating back to the 13th century, this…
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2.04 MILES
Overlooking the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple tank, the opulent 18th-century palace of the Travancore maharajas is a classically Keralan world of…
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26.08 MILES
About 8km north of Varkala, this long, beautiful and (so far) undeveloped stretch of golden sand is also the beginning of a mini network of backwaters. A…
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Ponnumthuruthu (Golden) Island
19.28 MILES
Around 10km south of Varkala, this acacia-filled island in the middle of a backwater lake conceals a Shiva-Parvati Hindu temple also known as the Golden…
Nearby Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) attractions
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Within the grounds of Trivandrum's zoo, this gallery displays paintings by the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools, and portraits by renowned Keralite…
2. Ticket Counter (Zoo & Museums)
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Main ticket counter for Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens and surrounding museums.
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In Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens complex (but not inside the zoo itself), the Natural History Museum contains hundreds of stuffed animals and birds and…
0.12 MILES
Housed in an 1880 wooden building designed by Robert Chisholm (a British architect whose Fair Isle–style version of the Keralite vernacular shows his…
0.18 MILES
Built for the royal family of Travancore, this early-20th-century palace is now mostly a venue for cultural events and performances.
6. Museum of History & Heritage
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Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…
0.25 MILES
A graceful landmark church, 450m west of Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens, dating from 1906.
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A red-brick neo-Gothic construction, built in 1900 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.