Kerala
Kollam: Explore The Cashew Capital Of The World!
Kollam (formerly better known as Quilon) is a district in the state of southern Kerala, India. It is consecrated with implausible water bodies, including peaceful lakes, lagoons, rivers, inlets, estuaries, scattered islands, and winding canals.
The Kollam town, which attended as a leading spice market in medieval durations, is one of the oldest ports on the Malabar coast. As of now, Kollam is concerned as the ‘Gateway to the backwaters in Kerala’.
It is also popular for the Kallada Boat race in the Kallada River that connects the Ashtamudi Lake nearby Munroe Island. There are fairly some very unique and attractive tourist places in Kollam that we think should be on every traveler’s radar.
Though Kollam is a less crowded destination in Kerala, some of its areas are gradually gaining admiration amongst foreign and Indian travelers. You can spend a few days in Kollam and roam about the town discovering tourist places in Kollam on our two-wheeler. Here is a list of the best Kollam tourist places to involve in your itinerary when on a vacation in this grand town.
Table of Contents
Best Places To Visit In Kollam
- Thangassery Light House
- Ashtamudi Lake
- Palaruvi Falls
- Kollam Beach
- Kollam Adventure Park
- Thirumullavaram Beach
- St Thomas Fort
- Kumbhavurutty Waterfalls
- Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
- Paravur Lake
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum
Thangassery Light House
Seeming for the best tourist places in Kollam? The Thangassery Lighthouse, also better known as the Tangasseri Light House, boasts of being the second tallest on the complete coast of Kerala and is thus even one of the most visited lighthouses across the state on this account. This is one of the best Kollam tourist places.
The royal tower is obviously visible and distinct, with its painted red and white oblique bands, and looks attractive indeed in all its glory and magnificence.
Ashtamudi Lake
A gateway to the backwaters, Ashtamudi Lake is one of the most prevalent Kollam tourist places, which is enclosed by lush green trees and swaying coconut palms. This place is so attractive that tourists from dissimilar parts of the country and abroad, visit this natural paradise to catch sight of one of the different splendors of Ashtamudi.
A lot of travelers come here to experience boat ride, which carries a glimpse of village life, natural habitat, and plentiful flora. This lake is known for its all-encompassing beauty and eight channels that link to one lake. It is because of its 8 ‘arms’ or channels, that the lake is called Ashtamudi.
Palaruvi Falls
Palaruvi Falls, pouring downstream from a height of 300 ft, is one of the prime fascinations in Kutrallam or as some call it Courtallam, Tamil Nadu. Ironically it seems to be a sparkling stream of milk as it flows down.
Therefore, the attractiveness of this fall stands unimaginable till observed with own eyes. The roaring sounds of the fall stand in stark dissimilarity to the silence of the forests and mist-kissed mountains across it.
Kollam Beach
Selected as the first ‘Beach Wedding Destination’ in Kerala, Kollam Beach demands no introduction. There are a lot of destinations to visit in Kollam, but this beach is one of the most scenic and attractive. We have added Kollam beach also to our list of best Kollam tourist places
This beach is popular among some travelers with the name Mahatma Gandhi Beach and pacifies wanderers with lush green, calm backwaters, and boundless water activities. The beautiful beach also has a lighthouse named the Tangasseri Lighthouse, which is the foremost landmark there.
The cultural and spiritual aura of the beach is indeed transmittable and fills the guests with renewed energy and passion.
Kollam Adventure Park
Calm and unwind in the lap of nature, and breathe in the fresh air as this park is a great place to find respite amidst plush greenery and frivolous activities amongst others.
It is an urban park that is situated beside the backwaters of Ashtamudi and can be a favorite for locals to come out and celebrate a picnic with their loved ones and to celebrate the adventure activities. It is one of the best Kollam tourist places for a fun day out.
Thirumullavaram Beach
An uncharted beach of Kerala where golden sand environs clear blue water and the serene seashore is inflated by coconut and palm trees which makes it a shady and hushed place. This beach is popular for the yearly ritual of Karkidaka Vavubali.
Holding a location in the list of Kollam tourist places, this beach is great for morning and evening walks with an astonishing sight of the setting sun. This beach is fascinating for swimming and sunbathing.
Mahavishnu Temple near the beach is worth visiting the location. Another prevalent attraction here is the rocky platform that prolongs out to the sea better known as the Sunday Rock.
St Thomas Fort
St. Thomas Fort, also better known as Thangassery Fort, is a ruined fort situated on the Kollam town’s seashores. The fort was constructed by the Portuguese as a trading port between China and UK. As of now, St. Thomas Fort remains in ruins and is preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Though the ruins of the fort express its rich history, it remains an abandoned monument and is not actually considered a tourist location in Kollam. The government is constructing the ‘Thangassery Breakwater Tourism’ area closely, carrying the fort its due attention. Else there is nothing much to view in these ruins from a tourist’s point of view.
Kumbhavurutty Waterfalls
Popular for clear blue waters that drop from grand heights, the Kumbhavurutty Waterfall is one of the famous places to visit in Kollam which is located in southern India.
The Kumbhavurutty waterfall is a part of the beautiful Achankovil River. The Kumbhavurutty Waterfalls situated in the locality of the Konni forest area tops the list of most beautiful and high-minded waterfalls in Kerala.
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam
Situated in the Western Ghats in the Kollam district of Kerala, the Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected place that serves as the natural habitat for innumerable plants, birds, and animals, and carries them with a safe cloistered spot, far away from the dust and dirt of city life.
This grand site is like a gem trove for all nature lovers, snappers, archaeologists, and biologists since the location is home to boundless flowering plants, birds, and trees.
The massive floral and faunal diversity that is found here is what lures tourists from all around the country, and enticements them to come and spend a day in silence and tranquillity.
Paravur Lake, Kollam
Paravur Lake is yet another one of the topmost places to visit in Kollam. It is one of the spectacular lakes in Kerala, and the impressive waters are a visual treat to the eyes.
It is a small lake but a great spot for locals to come out and celebrate a day outing amidst the attractiveness of nature.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum, Kollam
The Sardar Vallabhai Patel Police Museum pays honor to the police forces of Kerala and also dashes their history and development. The museum characterizes the historical figure, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, excellently better known as the ‘Iron Man of India’.
One of the most popular landmarks here is the Martyrs Gallery, which involves police holding arms and ammunition of the 18th and 19th centuries involving bullets, guns, machines, and much more.
In addition, the place endures unidentified facts about the Kerala Police force and information charts on human bones, DNA tests, fingerprints, and snapshots of police dogs, etc.
Best Time To Visit Kollam
November and December (Winter) are the best time to visit Kollam owing to the temperature being moderately pleasant, humidity being low and there being nearly no rainfall to indulge your evening at the beach.
It is best to evade the monsoons. Kollam experiences a tropical coastal climate and the temperatures average nearly 20 to 30 degrees during the complete year.
There is recurrent rainfall owing to the proximity to the ocean and from July to September (recurring monsoon) thunderstorms are more common.
How To Reach Kollam?
BY AIR: Trivandrum International Airport is just nearly 66 Km away from Kollam, which is considered the closest airport. Other domestic airports are also accessible at Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore that ply to Kollam.
International flight services are also accessible at Trivandrum to reach Kollam on daily basis from different abroad places such as Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Singapore, Muscat, Male, Doha, Colombo, etc.
BY FERRY: The ferry boat station is located next to the Kollam bus stand, which is at a distance of 3 km from the railway station. Well, a boat jetty is also an inspiring way to access different places in Kerala.
BY ROAD: Kollam is well linked by road via NH-220, NH-47, and NH-208. There are consistent interstate buses that run on this route. All buses ply from foremost cities such as Bangalore, Pondicherry, Chennai, Madurai, and several others.
BY RAIL: Kollam is the foremost railhead of the southern railways where all the foremost trains stop. There is a daily train named The Kerala Express linking Delhi with Kollam, which departs from New Delhi at nearly 11:30 AM and arrives at Kollam at 1 PM.
Conclusion
We hope this article answers all your queries about what you can do in Kollam. If you have already been to Kollam and think that we skipped out on adding an imperative tourist destination to visit, please let us know in the comment segment below. If you found this article valuable, pin it for later.
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