Puthe Maliga Palace Museum Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)

Overlooking the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple tank, the opulent 18th-century palace of the Travancore maharajas is a classically Keralan world of beautifully carved wooden ceilings, tiled roofs, marble sculptures and imported Belgian glass. Inside you’ll find Kathakali images, an armoury, portraits of maharajas, ornate thrones and other artefacts. Admission is by informative one-hour tour, though you can just visit the outside of the palace grounds (free).