Palaruvi Waterfalls

At a distance of 81 km from Kollam, 29 kms from Tenkasi & 86 km from Trivandrum, Palaruvi Waterfalls are wonderful waterfalls located on Kollam - Tenkasi road, at a distance of 11 Kms from Thenmala Dam on Kerala -Tamil Nadu border.

The word Palaruvi means stream of milk in Malayalam. Falling from a height of 300 feet, it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Kerala. It is a favourite picnic spot for visitors from all over south India. The water falls into a small pool and this place is ideal for swimming. There are seperate locations for kids and ladies to bath here. 

The falls are close to the main road needs little walk from the road. Best time to visit the place is Jun-Jan.

Thangasseri Beach

At a distance of 4 Kms from Kollam Railway Station, Thangasseri Beach is a beautiful & historical beach on Ariabian Sea. This place was a Portuguese settlement in 15th/16th century and later changed hands between Dutch & British. 

Thangasseri beach is a wonderful place to spend an evening and watch the lovely sunset. The beach is adjacent to Kollam Fort. At north-east corner of the beach, the ruins of Thangasseri Fort built in the 18th century are also interesting to visit. Lighthouse situated close to the beach is worth visiting. Built in 1902, the majestic Lighthouse is 144 feet tall. Lighthouse is open to public between 3:30 PM & 5:30 PM. 

Feb to Nov is the best time to visit Thangasseri Beach.

Thirumullavaram Beach

At a distance of 5.5 Kms from Kollam Railway Station, Thirumullavaram Beach is a beautiful beach with full of coconut palms. 

This beach is excellent for bathing and swimming. Mahavishnu Temple near the beach is a worth visiting place.

Kappil Beach

At a distance of 18 Kms from Kollam and 6 Kms from Varkala, Kappil Beach is a famous weekend gateway from Tivandrum.

Sprawls across 25 acres of land, the thin line of sand beach separates Edava-Nadayara Lake from the Arabian Sea. Swimming, water sports and Sun-bathing are famous activities at this spot. Boating is available in the backwaters of the lake at Priyadarshini Boat Club and Lake Sagar Boat Club near Beach. Dolphins are an added attraction on the Kappil Beach.

Kappil Beach is connected by bus service from Kollam, Varkala & Trivandrum.

Papanasan Beach

At a distance of about 26 km from Kollam & 48 km from Trivandrum, Papanasam Beach is located in Varkala, which is a coastal town on the banks of Arabian Sea. Varkala is the second best beach resort in Kerala after Kovalam. It is a good weekend getaway destination from Trivandrum city.

Papanasan Beach is a quite and clean beach. It is believed that a dip in the water destroys all kind of sin. Hence, people prefer this shore for their offering of VAVUBALI in honour of ancestors and relatives whose souls are in rest. After the offering of VAVUBALI, people visit Janardhana Swamy Temple and perform Thilakahoma pooja performed for the sublimation of the departed souls.

This beach is less commercialized and less crowded. This long sandy beach is getting popularized in recent days. It is very much safe to swim & play in the waters of the beach here. Dolphins are also spotted at this place.

Ashtamudi Lake

At a distance of 2 Kms from Kollam Railway Station, Ashtamudi Lake is a beautiful lake which is also gateway to the backwater cruises of Kollam. This lake is the second largest lake in Kerala, after Vembanad Lake and also among the best places to experience Kerala Backwaters Tourism.

Ashtamudi Lake is famous for its panoramic views. Thick coconut groves and palm trees can be seen all along the banks of the lake. Boating is offered in the lake by The Kollam Boat Club. Backwater cruises are also available in the lake, between Kollam and Alappuzha.

The banks of the lake are also famous for the Chinese fishing nets. There are many resorts along the lake that offer variety of water sports.

Kollam

At a distance of 135 km from Kochi, 69 km from Trivandrum, 83 km from Alleppey, 94 km from Kottayam and 156 km from Kanyakumari, Kollam (also known as Quilon) is an old sea port city in Kerala and headquarters of the Kollam District. The town of Kollam lies between the Ashtamudi Lake and Lakshadweep Sea. Kollam is one of the Kerala backwaters destinations.

Kollam lies on the shores of Ashtamudi Lake. It is the southern gateway to Backwaters of Kerala and is a prominent tourist destination. Thirty percent of this district is covered by Ashtamudi Lake. The eight hour boat trip between Kollam and Alappuzha is the best way to explore the Kerala backwaters. It is also very famous for cashew processing and coir manufacturing.

Kollam was a flourishing port during the Chera dynasty and later became the capital of the independent Venad or Kingdom of Quilon. Kollam had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Desinganadu Rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. It was considered as one of the five main ports dealing with Chinese trade in 14th century. In 1502, the first trading centre was established in Kollam by the Portuguese. The Portuguese were followed by the Dutch and then the British in 1795.

Kollam attracts travelers all-round the year with its wide variety of sightseeing options. Kollam is also famous for lovely beaches & lakes like Kollam Beach, Thirumullavaram Beach, Thangasseri Beach, Munroe Island, Ashtamudi Lake, Sasthamkotta Lake, Neendakara Port and Alumkadavu Boat Building Yard. Rameshwara Temple, Achencoil and Mayyanad, Amritapuri Ashram, Aryankavu, Chavara, Kottarakkara, Oachira and Karunagappally are the prominent cultural as well as religious centers of the region. There are numerous churches and mosques in Kollam including Pullichira Church built in 1700 AD and Chinnakkada Palli.

Kallada Boat race is one among the famous festival events of Kollam. This boat race attracts a large number of tourists and is usually held on the 19th of January along with the great elephant march simultaneously.

Kollam is well connected by bus, train and air. Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport (66 km from Kollam). Kollam Railway Station is well connected to the major cities like Chennai, Hubli, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Mangalore, Nagarcoil, Madurai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Kanyakumari and Kochi. KSRTC bus service connects Kollam to all cities in Kerala. Private buses are also available to Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry and Thrissur.

Best time to visit Kollam is from October to March, while the peak seasons are from November to January. It usually takes 1-2 full days to explore this area.

Kollam Beach

At a distance of 2 Kms from Kollam Railway Station, Kollam Beach, also known as Kochupilamodu Beach is located in Kochupilamodu. It is also known as Mahatma Gandhi Beach.

The Mahatma Gandhi Park situated at the southern end of the beach is an added attraction. The beach offers beautiful views of sunset and it is ideal for swimming.