GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN KOLLAM, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN KERALA

This was the punch line of an email I received from an old friend who, after spending many years in Delhi and Bangalore, had gone back to his native state: Kerala.

Having visited Kerala twice in 12 months a few years back and being satisfied that I had seen Munnar, Kochi, Thekkday, Kumarakom, Alleppy, Kovalam and Trivandrum, Kollam stirred my curiosity and I checked it up on the net. Not satisfied, I thought I would go and check it up personally!

In mid-January 2009, my wife and I flew to Cochin, and after spending two days in Cochin, one in Kumarakom and one in Allepy, we headed for Kollam.

On reaching Kollam, we checked into the Tourist Bungalow on the bank of Ashtamudi Lake. In the evening, we went for a speed boat tour of the magnificent lake, which was lovely. At dinner time, I met my friend who advised me to visit Varkala beach, which is 40km from Kollam. Here are some pictures from Ashtamudi Lake:











The next morning we went on the DTPC tour of Munroe island. First we were taken by bus for around 25km and then we sat in a Punting boat which was navigated through the small canals. The bridges on the way were so low that many times we had to lie down to avoid hitting them. In the boat, we were the only two Indian tourists, and the rest were from the West. During the boat ride, we were served fresh Coconut water.The boat ride was an experience of a lifetime. I’m sharing a few pictures with you.

After lunch, we went to Varkala beach, another wonderful destination. Clean beaches and clean water. Accommodation was on the expensive side, but worth the price. The room had a comfortable bay window with an excellent view of the sea, and the next day’s breakfast was served on the balcony of the top floor restaurant overlooking the sea. We went early for breakfast and enjoyed the breakfast and the view for two hours. Breakfast was nice and the view breathtaking.











In the afternoon, we went to Trivandrum Airport, another 40kms away, and took a flight for Bangalore to meet our daughters.

Yes Mr Koshy (my friend), you were right. If one has not seen Kollam, one has not seen Kerala.

This month, I have been to North Kerala, so I will amend the statement. If you have not seen Kollam, you have not seen South Kerala.