One of the best ways to spend time in Thiruvananthapuram, according to locals, is to go for a weekend drive to the hill station of Ponmudi. Located around 55 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the way to Ponmudi will take you past the vast river of Kallar, with the Meenmutty Waterfalls at a distance. The region is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including wild orchids, and exotic butterflies.

For adventure-seekers, trekking and camping options are available. Around one-and-a-half kilometre from here is Ponmudi Falls. There is a treehouse view tower that affords visitors stunning vistas of the surrounding hills and the valley below. Given the rising popularity of the weekend getaway, a number of cottages and homestays have come up in Ponmudi. Other attractions near the hill station include the Golden Valley, with a number of streams, rapids and rivulets, some of which even cross the road!