Architecturally it can be described as a great marvel in wood, monumental in concept, design and execution. The construction of the Padmanabhapuram palace was started in the latter half of the 16th century by Trippappur Muppan whose descendants came to be associated with Trippappur Swarupam, the royal lineage, later came to be known as Travancore kings. Marthanda Verma, the warrior king who knitted together the state of Travancore later in the 18th century, expanded it. Dharma Raja, who succeeded Marthanda Verma, shifted the Capital of Travancore around 1795 from Padmanabhapuram to Trivandrum which he thought was more befitting a location for a Capital. A popular picnic spot, it has a watchtower, crocodile farm, lion safari park and a deer park.
Boating facility is available at the reservoir.
A picturesque picnic spot on the banks of Karamana river. The 2000-year old Sree Janardhana Swamy temple and a nature cure centre are two main attractions. It is a hill station at an altitude of 1000 mts. Climate is cool. It has good trekking trails.