Kollam

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Destination Theme
Backwaters, Beaches,
Best Suited For
Families, Couples and Backwater lovers.
Recommended Duration
Two to Four days.

Quick Info

Kollam or Quilon is a city in the Kollam district of Kerala. It is an old sea port in the Arabian Sea coast, situated on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake. The place is well-known for cashew processing and coir manufacturing. The city of Kollam is famous for its lighthouse, mall, beach, backwaters and adventure parks. The nearest airport to Kollam is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport which is about 60 kilometres from the city.

Rankings & Ratings

A land of cashews promising some nice boating experiences.

Editor's Rankings

#14 in 33 Destinations in & around Kerala
#3 in 5 Backwaters in & around Kerala
#10 in 13 Beaches in & around Kerala

Editor's Review

Although quite warm, the city of Kollam is one of the popular backwater destinations in Kerala providing good boating activities. But there are only a few tourist attractions around the city and most of them can be reached quite easily.

PROS

  • The place is suitable for children, adults and senior citizens.
  • The boat rides are a good experience.
  • Restaurants and hotels are available for both budget and luxury travellers.
  • Most of the tourist atttractions are quite close to each other.

CONS

  • The weather is quite warm all throughout.
  • There is not much variety available in food items.
  • The place has no nature-related activities or places except boating in the backwaters.

Itinerary Tips

  • The Ashtamudi Lake is very famous for its backwater cruise.
  • Thangassery is 5 kilometres from Kollam, where tourists can see some interesting historic places.
  • Neendakara is a long shoreline famous for fisheries.
  • Take backwater cruise that the hotels provide.
  • You can travel to Alleppey on a six-hour boat ride. The experience is fantastic.
  • There are adventure parks for Children to have fun.
  • If you want to visit shrines or temples, you have to go to Mayyanad.

Detailed Info

The city of Kollam is an old seaport city located on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian Sea coast.  Ashtamudi Lake provides a gateway to all the backwaters in Kerala and is a popular tourist destination. Kollam was a major trading centre for trading with Arabs, Chinese and Romans. The metropolitan area of Kollam is quite densely populated. Cashew industry, Seafood exports and Clam fishery are some of the major business ventures in Kollam.

Built in 1902, Thangassery Lighthouse is one of the major attractions in Kollam with a beach and a fort with the same name close-by. The Clock Tower in Kollam is also quite famous. One of the most beautiful buildings in India called British Residency is also present in Kollam. Among the other tourist attractions in Kollam are Asramam Picnic Village, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum and Children's Traffic and Entertainment Park.

 

Altitude

The city of Kollam is just 3 metres(10 ft) above mean sea level.

Weather

The weather in Kollam is generally quite warm throughout the year.

Best Time to Visit?

Between the months of September and February

How to Get There?

By Air

The nearest airport to the city of Kollam is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport which is at a distance of 56 kilometres. The airport is well-connected to the major cities in India and abroad. From the airport, you can book a cab to reach the destination.

By Train 

Kollam has a railway station of its own called Kollam Junction Railway Station. The station is one of the largest railway stations in the state. From the station, you can pick an auto or taxi to reach your hotel

By Road

Private and state-run buses are available to Kollam from close-by places in Kerala and some cities outside Kerala too.

 

Local Cuisines

Stuffed Mussels(Arikkadukka) are Kollam's speciality. Apart from that, you also get Dosa, Puttu, Appam, Idly, Biryani and Seafood made in proper Kerala style.