A foggy highway at Kulamavu, Idukki

A view of Siruvani Hills, Palakkad

Kanthanpara Water Falls at Kalpetta, Wayanad

Kollam

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Kollam

Kollam is situated in southern Kerala and is prominent for its cashew processing and trading industry and coir manufacturing industry in India. It is also an important sea food exporting zone. Kollam is blessed with its long coastlines and vast backwaters. Historically it was one of the most important ports of the famous spice trade route. The commercial history of the place goes back to the Romans, Chinese, Persians etc. The famed traveller Ibn Batuta has mentioned Kollam in his writings. Coming closer to the 16th to 18th century the British, Dutch and, Portuguese made Kollam the pepper trading capital of the world.

Kollam is a bustling city surrounded by calm backwaters, beaches, coconut and cashew plantations. A visit to these surrounding areas is refreshing and peaceful.

Here is a list few must visit places in Kollam:-

Ashtamudi Lake:  Ashtamudi lake is the second largest lake in Kerala after the Vembanad lake. The name Ashtamudi translates into Ashta  which means 'eight ‘and  mudi meaning hair braids  in the local Malayalam language. This broadly means a lake with eight channels. The lake is 16 km long and merges into the Arabian Sea at the Neendakarai Estuary. The famous Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruth)  is located at the confluence of Kallada river and Ashtamudi lake .The banks of the river is a visual treat with mangroves, coconut trees, Chinese fishing nets (called Cheenavala in the native language, Malayalam)

The lake is the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is well known for its houseboat, live fish catch and resorts.  A houseboat ride in the lake is peaceful, serene, laidback and best place to unwind. You get freshly caught and cooked fish and crab varieties in the boats.

Munroe Island: Is an inland island located at the confluence of Ashtamudi lake and Kallada river, is an oft visited location for tourists from India and abroad. The main attractions are the narrow waterways and canal boat cruise. What you can enjoy the best here is the serene atmosphere, fresh air, local delicacies and day to day life of the villagers. The island is named after Colonel John Munroe who was the resident appointed by East India Company as administrative head to oversee the land reclamation of the area. The island is also famous for coir retting, coir weaving, narrow canals and waterways.

Thangassery Beach & Light House: Thangassery in Kollam is one of the historically significant places in Kerala. The Dutch and Portuguese architecture is quite evident in its churches and other structures. Thangasseri  beach is around 5 kms away from the town and is most famous for its light house. The 144 ft high legendry lighthouse was first built in 1902 by the British east India Company. This is the second tallest lighthouse in Kerala and is cylindrical in shape with white and red painted bands around it. There are around 200 odd spiral steps to climb to reach atop. A lift has been recently installed to enable elderly people or people with disabilities to enjoy the view atop the lighthouse.

The view from the top of the lighthouse is quite mesmerising and beautiful and peaceful. It’s quite windy on the top and therefore clicking photos on the phone is quite a task. An amazing view of the Arabian Sea, the red tiled Kerala style houses, the Infant Jesus Cathedral and the coconut and palm trees  are a treat for your eyes. A must visit for sure.

Thirumullavaram : It is a scenic laid back village just about 6 kms from Kollam town. There are a few resorts and home stays near the beach.

Kollam Beach: Also called Mahatma Gandhi beach is in Kollam town. It has well planned beach garden and walkways and a small park for kids adjacent to the beach. The beach is quite clean and well maintained.

Chadayamangalam: Jatayu Earth’s Center or Jatayu Nature Park is a park and tourism centre spread over 65 acres  at an altitude of 1200ft at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district of Kerala.. Its named after the mythical bird in Ramayana who tried to save Sita from the clutches of Ravana. Jadayu fought valiantly but failed to save Sita. It is believed that Jadayu fell on the rocks of Chadayamangalam after Ravana incapacitated him. Mr Rajiv Anchal who is a film director, screen writer & sculptor, is the brain behind this project. Facilities available to visitors are a 6D theatre, cable car ride, helipads, local flying service, digital museum,  adventure zone (with 20 games like archery, paintball, wall climbing, commando net, Burma bridge, shooting etc), facility for bird’s eye view, ayurveda and siddha cave resort. Tariff ranges from Rs1000 to Rs3500/-. 24 hours advance booking is mandatory

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary: It  is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India. It is located in Kollam district of Kerala and comes under the control of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. It is a bird watcher’s paradise with over 200 varieties of birds. Animals like deers, tigers, monkeys and crocodiles are also visible. Jungle safari, Camping and trekking facilities are also made available.

Pre Planning:

  • Jatayu Earth’s Center : 24 hours advance booking is mandatory is required to enter the nature park
  • Visit passes are required to enter the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.  Visit Permits can be obtained in advance from The Chief Wildlife Warden at Thiruvananthapuram and  Shendurney Wildlife Division at Thenmala dam.
  • Shendurney Lake Surfing : There will be two trips in a day at morning(7.00 am – 8.30 am) and evening 94:15 pm – 05:45 pm) for a duration of 1.5 hours. Maximum 10 persons are allowed & minimum 6 persons are required for running a single trip. Cost is Rs.500/- per person.
  • Shendurney Sanctuary Trekking:  Guided, full day hiking programme starts at 8am to 4pm with a group size of five people each.

Stay:

There are a number of midsized, affordable hotels in the city as well as resorts in the surrounding area. One can pick and choose according to their affordability and convenience.

Things to Do:

  • Enjoy trekking in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Enjoy a jungle camping at Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Surf in a boat at the Shendurney Lake
  • Catch clams from Astamudi Lake

How to reach:

  • By Road: The city is about 71 kilometres  from Thiruvananthapuram, 142 kilometres  from Kochi and 350 kilometres  from Kozhikode.
  • By Rail: Nearest railway station is Kollam
  • By Air: Closest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram(65 kms)

Other Info:

  • Elevation: 3 m
  • Weather: 31 °C
  • Coordinates: 8.8932° N, 76.6141° E

Trivia

There is a bus service by name Olympics doing city service between Chavara and Perumpuzha in Kollam.  It is just not a random of the bus alone, but this bus service was started & owned by an Olympian for many years. TC Yohannan was India's one of most promising Long Jump athlete who even participated in Olympics and had to retire at his career peak due to an injury. As a memento for his spectacular performance in field, Tata Motors gifted him with a bus chassis after which this bus service came with this name came in being. Though his family do not own the service now, they have still kept the name. Ace Indian cricket player and fast bowler Tinu Yohannan is his son.

Banner Photo : Thangassery light house view. PC: Rupesh Bidada

Things to Do

  • Fish with a Chinese Net

    Learn to fish with Chinese Nets at Astamudi Lake. Local fishermen will tell you how does it work and you can even try a hand.

  • Stay overnight in a House Boat

    Cruise the Astamudi lake backwaters & Stay in a house boat overnight. Taste exotic local cuisines and hospitality.

  • Catch a Fish

    Go fishing in Astamudi lake & Munroe island

  • Grab a Crab

    Grab a crab from the Astamudi Lake

  • Swim in backwaters

    Swim in backwaters of Munroe Island

  • Canoe thru backwater Channels

    Canoe thru backwater Channels of Munroe Island

  • Learn to make a coir rope

    Learn to make a coir rope at Munroe Island

  • Village Walk

    Walk through the village at Munroe Island. Get to know the locals life & culture

  • Take a Boat Cruise

    Take a canal boat rise and take in all the greenery.

  • Climb atop a Light House

    Climb the second tallest lighthouse in Kerala at Thangasserry and enjoy the scenic view

  • Ride in a Cable Car

    Enjoy the panoramic view while you are in a cable car at Jatayu Earth Centre

  • Experience Wildlife

    Watch wildlife at close quarters at Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Spot a bird

    Spot a bird at Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Enjoy a Deep Forest Safari

    Enjoy a Deep Forest Safari Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

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