Southern Kerala

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You are here: Home>Destination Guides>Kerala>Southern Kerala-Kollam

Kollam - Introduction

Population: 362572
STD Code: 0474

Surrounded by coconut palms and cashew plantations on the edge of Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam, still referred to as Quilon (pronounced 'koy-lon'), is a busy Keralam market town. Away from the teeming main streets there are old wooden houses whose red-titled roofs overhang winding alleys.

The Malayalam era is calculated from the founding of Kollam in the 9th century.

Kollam is the southern gateway to the backwaters of Kerala, and is well known for the Kollam-Alappuzha backwater cruise.

Kollam - Information

There is a helpful DTPC tourist information center near the KSRTC bus stand (open 8am to 7pm, daily) and another at the train station.

You can cash your traveler's cheques at the Band of Baroda or DTPC tourist information center, between 10am to 2pm. There are several efficient Internet cafes at the Bishop Jerome Nagar Complex the usual rate is about Rs. 40 per hour.

Kollam - Things to See and Do

To promote Kollam as more than a jetty for backwaters tours, DTPC has a wide range of activities for all budgets. An example of its entrepreneurial acumen is the new monsoon package for Middle Eastern visitors, keen to experience a real tropical downpour. Other activities include the annual Ashtamudi Craft and Art Festival of India, from 26th December to 10th January, which involves artists from all over India. Workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions showcase the art at Asraman Maidan and the entry is free.

There are several churches of interest. In town is the extraordinary Shrine of Our Lady of Velamkanni and at Thangasseri, 5km from Kollam's centre, there are 18th century sites.

Kollam - Organized Tours

Guided tours (from Rs. 300 per person with a minimum of two) through the myriad paths and canals of Monroe Island in Ashtamudi Lake are organized by the DTPC. Tours include observation of prawn and fish farming, coir making, and even matchstick making, as well as opportunities for bird-watching.

Kollam - Places to Stay and Eat

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Kollam - Getting there and Away

Bus

Kollam is situated on the well-serviced Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam-alappuzha-Ernakulam bus route. The super-express services (reservations possible) take 1.5 hours to Thiruvananthapuram (Rs. 30); 1.5 hours to Alappuzha (Rs. 33); and 3.5 hours to Ernamulam (Rs. 65)

Train

Kollam is 159km south of Ernakulam and the three-to-four hour trip costs Rs. 47/212 in 2nd class/3-tier air-conditioned coach.

Boat

There are public ferry services across Ashtamudi Lake to Guhanandapuram (one hour), Muthiraparam (2.5 hours) or Perumon (2.5 hours). The daily Alleppey Tourism Development Corperative (ATDC) and DTPC tourist boats to Alappuzha can be booked at various hotels around town; substantial discounts are given for direct bookings, with further discounts for students and pensioners.

Kollam - Getting Around

The KSRTC bus stand and the boat jetty are side by side, but the train station is on the opposite side of town. Auto rickshaw drivers are reasonably willing to use their meters; expect to pay around Rs. 15 from the train station to the boat jetty.

Around Kollam (Quilon)

Krishnapuram Palace Museum

Two kilometers south of Kayamkulam (between Kollam and Alappuzha), the fully restored Krishnapuram Palace is a fine example of Keralan architecture. Now a museum, the two-storey palace houses paintings and antique furniture and sculptures. Its renowned 3m-high mural depicts the Gajendra Moksha, or liberation of Gajendra, the chief of the elephants as told in the Mahabharata.

The palace is well worth a visit. Buses (Rs. 12) leave Kollam every three minutes for Kayamkulam. Get off at the bus stand near the temple gate, 2km before Kayamkulam. From the bus stand it's a 600m very obvious walk to the palace. The palace is open 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm daily except Monday. Entry is Rs. 2.