Kerala
Kollam
Ashtamudi, Munroe Thuruthu and Alumkadavu
Our home district. Ashtamudi lake reaches inland from Kollam town in eight arms of water, quieter than Vembanad and used more by the people who live on it than by visitors.
Most journeys stop here for a night or two on the way between Trivandrum and the backwaters further north.
- When to go
- November to March. Straight after the monsoon the canals are at their fullest.
- How long to stay
- One or two nights, on the way between Trivandrum and the backwaters.
- Getting there
- Kollam is about an hour and a half south of Alappuzha and two hours north of Trivandrum airport.
Places to see
In Kollam
03 places
01
Ashtamudi lake
The name means eight-branched. Chinese fishing nets work along its edges, the ferries are ordinary ferries rather than excursions, and coconut husk is still soaked in the shallows to make coir.
02
Munroe Thuruthu
Eight small islands where the Kallada river meets the lake, cut through by canals too narrow for anything but a canoe. Go at first light, with a boatman poling from the back. The land is slowly sinking, which is why the old houses stand a little lower every year.
03
Alumkadavu
Where the kettuvallam, the rice barge that became the houseboat, has long been built. The boatyards still work, and the hulls are still stitched together with coir rather than nailed.
Our houseboats
Tell us about your journey
Since 1997
Our team has been in tourism since 1997. Scenic Escapes India Private Limited is a private company registered in Kerala and based in Karunagappally, Kollam. Its registration details are published for anyone to check.
Company details