India: Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Napier Museum & Padmanabhapuram Palace in Trivandrum, Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram was the capital of the kingdom of Tranvancore, which covered southern Kerala. It's the current capital of Kerala. Since its name was quite long for the British colonial rulers, they called it Trivandrum, hence the two names. Aside from the popular beaches and backwaters, Trivandrum has a a colorful local culture and built heritage dating back hundreds of years.

Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple dates back to the 7th century. But it is believed the area has been a place of worship for thousands of years. The foundation of the present gopuram was laid in the 16th century. It is said to be the richest temple in the world owing to its vast collection of gold, silver and precious stones offered by many generations of the Travancore royal family, amounting to trillions of US dollars.

Only Hindus are allowed to enter the main temple. And there is a strict dress code. Men have to wear a mundu with their shirt off. While women have to wear a sari or long skirts. So we only got to walk around it. Photos are allowed only up to a certain point.

Driving around Trivandrum, we could see that the city had a very interesting collection of colonial buildings. To bad we couldn't stop to take photos. We did pass by one though, the Napier Museum, an Indo-Saracenic structure built in the 19th century. The Napier Museum houses a collection of Kerala artifacts dating back hundreds of years.

Around the museum is a garden and a band stand built at about the same time as the museum.

Before Trivandrum, the former seat of Kerala's Travancore kings was Padmanabhapuram Palace. It is however in Thuckalay in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. When India was divided into states, based on the language spoken by the majority of the people, the palace was included in Tamil Nadu. But because of its historical association with Kerala, it remained a property of the state. So the entire palace, while a property of Kerala, is totally surrounded by the state of Tamil Nadu.

So we had to cross over to Tamil Nadu to visit the palace. It was a two-hour drive. And I realized that they take state borders seriously here since our Kerala local sim went on roaming once we entered Tamil Nadu!

Built in 1601, Padmanabhapuram Palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, a part of the Western Ghats. One of the most ipressive teak wood structures in the world, it's a sprawling complex of different structures. Since the palace closed exactly at 5 p.m. (and note also that it's closed entirely on Mondays), we didn't have much time to explore. There is a fixed route to follow, and as we left a sector, the staff and Kerala police were closing the windows and doors behind us.

The main structures of the palace include the Mantrasala (King's Council Chambers), Thai Kottaram (Mother's Palace), Nataksala (Performance Hall), a central building housing the king's chambers, the treasury and the Upparikla Maliga or worship chamber of the royal family among others, and the Thekee Kottaram (Southern Palace).

How to get to Padmanabhapuram from Trivandrum
The palace is a must visit for anyone interested in history and heritage who is visiting Trivandrum. The best way to visit the palace is to join a tour of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). They have an office near the Trivandrum Bus Station. It includes visits to Padmanabhapuram, Suchindram and Kanyakumari. But if you just want to visit the palace, you can take public transportation from Trivandrum. Get on a bus to Nagercoil and get down at Thuckalay. At Thuckalay, it's a 1-kilometer autorickshaw ride to the palace. Make sure to be there before 4 p.m.

Vivanta by Taj Kovalam
G. V. Raja Vattapara Road, Kovalam
Trivandrum, Kerala 695527
Tel No. 0471 661 3000

Back in Trivandrum, I checked-in at the Vivanta by Taj Kovalam, a sprawling resort right beside Kovalam Beach. The property is divided into two parts, a hill area where the reception, rooms, villas, pool and main restaurant are located, and the backwater area which has Kovalam Beach and a lake within the property of the resort. Too bad we arrived in the evening. My room had a balcony with a forest view.

We were treated to a short Kathakali performance before dinner. I'll talk about it when we visit the Kathakali school in the next few days. But as you can see, the dance drama is know for its colorful make-up and elaborate costumes.

Dinner was at Bait, the beachside seafood restaurant of the resort. The next morning, I made sure to wake up to take a photo of a small lake within the property of the resort. Yes, it's a property of the resort. And it's stunning!

Instagram: Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala, India

We're currently on the Kerala Blog Express, touring the state of Kerala, India. Here are some photos from the city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala. For more photos, follow @ivanhenares on Instagram.

Only Hindus are allowed to enter the main sanctuary of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. And there is a strict dress code. Men have to wear a mundu with their shirt off. While women have to wear a sari or long skirt

Napier Museum, an Indo-Saracenic structure built in the 19th century, is among the many grand colonial buildings in Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Kathakali is a classical dance drama from Kerala, India known for the colorful make-up, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures, facial expressions and well-defined body movements. We were treated to a short Kathakali performance at the Vivanta by Taj Kumarakom

India: From Poovar to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala

It was a beautiful morning in Poovar, an isolated but spectacular beach town in the southern end of Kerala. We were up early since we had to check out then travel to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital of Kerala, some 18 kilometers away.

To get to our bus, we took a boat from the Island Estuary Resort to a jetty were vehicles and buses of guests to various lakeside resorts in Poovar are parked.

It was a thirty minute ride through the backwaters of Poovar and the Neyyar River. Backwaters (a term for a wetland where rivers, lakes, estuaries, beaches and the sea converge) define the landscape of much of Kerala. And we'll be seeing more of them in the coming days.

Poovar actually has a very rich trading history dating back to 1000BC. It is believed to be one of the possible locations of the port of Ophir mentioned in the Bible where the ships of King Solomon landed. He received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, ivory, peacocks and precious stones from Ophir.

Our group was on our way to Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Trivandrum. On the way, we passed by a temple which was having a festival since it was the peak festival season which runs from October to March, especially the last two months. The night before, we also passed by a very colorful evening religious procession. But unfortunately, the bus couldn't stop for us to take a closer look.

It took us about an hour to get to Trivandrum from Poovar. Our first stop was the Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Trivandrum.

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India: Backwaters of Poovar, Chowara & Kovalam Beach in Kerala

A beautiful sunset greeted me as I relaxed at our resort in the backwaters of Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. We were on an island in the Neyyar River estuary where the river converges with a lake, a beach of golden sand and the sea, with thousands of coconut trees dotting the landscape. It was a great way to start an exciting journey around Kerala, India. To all those who voted, thank you for sending me to the Kerala Blog Express!

I arrived in Trivandrum (another name for Thiruvananthapuram), the capital of Kerala, after a short flight from Malé in the Maldives. I was met at the airport by the Kerala Tourism staff who took me to the Estuary Island Resort, my home for the next two days. As I walked in, I could hear the calls of crows, among the many bird species abundant in these backwaters. Egrets, kites, kingfishers and cormorants were also quite common. It was a fascinating place.

From my balcony window I could see the small lake that separated us from the beach. To get to the beach, one had to ride a boat which the resort provides for its guests. To the right was the Neyyar River which flowed into the lake. I went straight to lunch at the restaurant by the lake.

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting some rest, coming out an hour later only to see the beautiful sunset. We were brought to the beach by boat where we joined locals enjoying the same view. It was an unusual strip of sand which separated the crashing waves of the Arabian Sea from the tranquil lake.

The next day, we were brought to various resorts in three areas. We walked to the neighboring Poovar Island Resort for a sumptuous lunch. Then we boarded the boats that would take us to the jetty where our bus was parked.

From Poovar, we proceeded to Chowara, a fishing hamlet with many scenic spots. From the Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort, we had a picturesque view of Chowara Beach with its colorful fishing boats parked on the gold sand. At the resort, the group was given an orientation on Ayurveda. But the actual treatments had to wait as we were having them at another location in Kerala. We spent the rest of the afternoon just enjoying the view while having tea.

We ended our day at Kovalam Beach where we watched the colorful sunset from the Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach Hotel while having, you guessed it, tea! Tomorrow will be another long day! Catch updates on @ivanhenares on Twitter and Instagram. Also check out the hashtag #keralablogexpress.

Estuary Island Resort
Poovar P.O., Trivandrum 695 525 Kerala, India
Tel. No. +91 471 2229222
E-mail: info@estuaryisland.com

Hong Kong: Dim sum at Tim Ho Wan & One Dim Sum

Dim sum could very well be Hong Kong's national dish. So where can one find the best dim sum in Hong Kong that won't make a dent in your budget? Tim Ho Wan usually comes to mind when one asks about good but affordable Hong Kong dim sum. The restaurant (with various branches) has had a Michelin star since 2010; but prices remain affordable. Few visitors have heard about One Dim Sum, which had a Michelin star in 2011 and 2012. So I went in search of both!

My first stop was One Dim Sum near the Prince Edward Station (15 Playing Field Road corner Tung Choi Street). I went during the off peak hours (between lunch and dinner) and easily got a seat. They don't have a signature dish but everything is definitely good.

Take note that the moment you sit down, you are served tea and charged HK$3 per person for that. It's called pu-ehr and you'll experience that in other restaurants including Tim Ho Wan. The paper placemat doubles as your menu. You are given an order sheet for you to write down your choices. If you need photos, they have a picture menu translated into several languages. There were a lot of things I wanted to try. I missed out on the glutinous rice dumplings which are too big for one person to handle. So since I was alone, I limited myself to three or four choices which were actually good enough for two people.

The first order that arrived was the Char Siu Cheung or Steamed Rice Sheet Rolls with BBQ Pork (HK$18). They pour a sweet soy sauce over it. This was my favorite!

Then came in the steamed dumplings which included Choy Miu Gau or Vegetable and Shrimp Dumpling (HK$18) and the Chiu Chow Fun Gor or Chiu Chow Steamed Dumplings (HK$15). The wrapper of the Choy Miu Gau was so thin and delicate, so definitely good! With it came the Steam Sliced Chicken Meat Roll (HK$15).

I spent HK$69 for all four including the pu-ehr. Not bad especially if there were two of you sharing it. And the good thing about One Dim Sum is that their last call is up to 12:30 a.m. So it's conveniently available for a late night snack.

Of course, I had to try Tim Ho Wan too. I was treated out by a member of the Filipino community. We went to the branch at the Hong Kong Central Station. Hands down, the main attraction are the Baked Buns with BBQ Pork (HK$19). That's definitely their best seller!

We also ordered Steamed Fresh Shrimp Dumplings or Ha Jiao (HK$26), Pan-Fried Turnip Cake (HK$16), Steamed Rice Rolls stuffed with BBQ Pork (HK$21) and Steamed Egg Cake (HK$15).

It took quite a while before we got seated since this is the more publicized restaurant. Make sure to register with the restaurant reception table. They will ask how many you are in your party and give you an order sheet with a number. So you can choose your order while waiting for your number to be called. They will call your number twice. The first time is to collect the order sheet so that your food can be prepared and served the moment your sit down. The second is when the table becomes available.

Have you tried these restaurants in Hong Kong? What other good value dim sum places in Hong Kong do you know of?