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If you’re exploring the Secretariat, head across the road to Arul Jyothi (Mahatma Gandhi Rd.; daily 6:30am–10pm). The capital’s civil servants pile in here at lunchtime, when there’s much ordering of thalis (the ubiquitous platter featuring Indian breads and various curries and chutneys) and wonderful masala dosas. If you’re keen to browse newspapers from back home, stop at the British Library nearby; it has a good collection of magazines and international dailies (just show your passport to enter). Alternatively, Kadaleevanam (Prakrithi Bhojanasala Hotel Mas Annexe, near the SL Theatre, Chettikulangara; 0471/247-2780; daily 8am–9:30pm; no credit cards), where the owners pride themselves on the fact that they have no fridges or freezers (all food, cooked on wood fires, is served within 3 hr. or not offered to customers) and use only organically grown vegetables and whole grains, apparently prepared according to the principles of naturopathy. The set meal will run you a mere Rs 100.

Snack Food, Kerala-Style

Although tourists are normally advised to stay off street food, there’s one kind of street snack you can sample without a problem in Trivandrum. Banana chips are a Keralite’s favorite snack, and you’ll see thattu kadas, temporary food carts (particularly at night), with men slicing and frying bananas in coconut oil right on the street, almost all over Kerala. Buy them piping-hot and lightly salted—they’re even more scrumptious than potato chips. Good spots to buy these fresh are near the British Library, or at a small shop in Kaithamukku (about 3km/2 miles west of the central train station), where A. Kannan has been frying some of the best banana chips in Kerala for close to 15 years. Note that banana chips come in myriad flavors depending on the variety of banana used. Those made with ripe bananas are slightly sweet, but we suggest you go for the thinly sliced variety. Be warned, however: They are seriously addictive.

For more salubrious surrounds, the smart Tiffany’s at the Muthoot Plaza is rated by locals as the best restaurant in town (Punnen Rd.; 0471/233-7733; daily 12:30–3pm and 7:30–10:30pm), although the smart crowd is slowly warming up to the dining offered at The 5th Element, an all-day venue at the Taj Residency hotel on C.V. Raman Pillai Road, Thycaud ( 0471/661-2345).

There is little reason not to head south before nightfall, but if you really must stay in the city, Muthoot Plaza (reviewed below) remains (in our opinion, anyway) Trivandrum’s best hotel—it’s more intimate and has a classier ambience than even the brand new Taj Residency (C.V. Raman Pillai Road, Thycaud; 0471/661-2345), which has sleek modern rooms and a host of business facilities (and big halls to host weddings for the city’s biggest and brightest families). Rooms facing the large, underutilized pool cost Rs 8,500 double, but the cheaper city-facing rooms (Rs 7,500) actually give you something more interesting to stare out at. An altogether more engaging option, and within walking distance of the Muthoot (should you feel the urge to rush off for an air-conditioned meal) is Varikatt Heritage , a green oasis off bustling Puynnen Road. This is the best homestay in town, filled with quality antique furniture and presided over by the welcoming Colonel Roy Kuncheria, who enjoys playing the gracious host to a handful of guests. Each of the Colonel’s three advertised rooms open onto the front veranda, so make sure you get one of these; there’s also another room facing the courtyard, which is less appealing ( 0471/233-6057 or 98-9523-9055; www.varikattheritage.com; roy@varikatt.com; Rs 3,000 double, Rs 3,500–Rs 4,500 suite). Budget travelers just looking for a decent en-suite room for the night should head for Ariya Nivaas Hotel ( 0471/233-0789; www.hotelskerala.com/ariyanivaas), an office-block-style hotel that offers good, clean air-conditioned lodging conveniently located near the Central Railway Station for under Rs 1,000. Staff is friendly and can help with travel arrangements. The