Kanyakumari

Hello all,

I was wondering if Kanyakumari is worth visiting?

If so does anybody have reccommendations about where to stay if visiting?

Thanks,

Fraser

it depends...if you are in Kerela and have couple of days to spare then yes, its worth going there, if only to see the confluence of three Oceans.

Regarding staying there, the only option I recommend is Swami Vivekananda Ashram. Its simply the best.

It has symbolic significance more than aesthetic merit.

In other words it's not a particularly spectacular place, nor have a deeply special feel, but its nice to say that you have been to India's Land's End.

We visited it on a day trip from Trivandrum, and I am glad that I went there. I would not really recommend it as a place to stay.

Kanniyakumari is the sort of place you visit because "it's there" like Land's End or John O'Groats.
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation does a day trip from Trivandrum (It picks up in Kovalam but doesn't return there)The tour visits Padmanabhapuram Palace , Suchindram Temple, and KK.Cost Rs350.
At KK you can take a short boat trip to an off shore island where the Vivekananda Memorial is situated.
Details http://www.ktdc.com/Tours.htm

pls advise how do i plan a day trip from trivandrum to kanyakumari? is there any bus service?

Yes, there are frequent buses from the Trivandrum bus depot.

how far is the main temple and vivekand rock from bus depot? shall i get auto for both of these places?

I do not know about it, as I hired a car from Trivandrum itself. But an Auto will not be that expensive to make you plan in advance.

And anyhow these two places are besides each other.

how much a taxi will cost me going and coming to trivan and kanya?

Around Rs. 1500, to and from would be less than 200 km, calculate that using Rs.7 per km and driver stipend.

Thanks to all who replied

kind of a waste of time. the town is gross. the temple and statue are not nearly as pretty as other things you could be seeing elsewhere. the gandhi monument is indescribably tacky.

the hotel Maadhini should be shut down as a health hazard due to its abundant bedbugs, a stench throughout rooms and hallways and air conditioning that explodes onto the guests (as happened to us). don't expect a refund once you find all these hidden charms at the maadhini after pre-paying for the room. don't be fooled or enticed into staying due to the view over the ocean. stay at the sea view next door if you have any self-respect.

You gotta laugh

I visited Kanyakumari as a day trip from Tirunelveli. There isn't a huge amount to see in Kanyakumari. Aside from the Vivekananda memorial, and the "southernmost tip of India" bit, the only other thing worthwhile in my humble opinion would be the Kanyakumari temple. I am not a huge fan of crowded, touristy areas so I found the day trip to be plenty enough for me.

As mentioned above, it's like the John O'Groats mentality (and I've done it twice). Something to talk about.

Mind you, the sun-rise in the morning (if you are fortunate) is amazing. I watched the skies change colour for around 30 minutes and have some amazing photos of the changes that went on.

As for staying there long-term - nah... just go there on day 1 & leave on the morning of day 2.

And, be aware of the hotels charging policy. Some have a 24-hour check-out. The train arrives around 6am. If you are in the room soon after that, you have to be out the next morning at 6am or, you may get charged for an additional nights stay (little more than a scam).

Cheers
Zoltan