QUICK TOUR OF KOLLAM & VARKALA (FROM KOCHI)

At a distance of 7 Kms from Kollam Railway Station, Mahadeva Temple desticated to Lord Siva is located in Thrikkadavoor is a famous Siva Temple in the district of Kollam, situated on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake.

The temple celebrates two important festivals every year. The annual Srattu festival is celebrated in the month of Kumbham (February) which attracts thousands of devotees. Eight artificial horses which represent the eight areas around the temple is a special attraction during Srattu festival. The annual Kettukazhcha festival is a colorful festival celebrated in the month of Dec-Jan or Feb- Mar.

At a distance of 2 km from Kollam Railway Station, Ashtamudi Lake is a beautiful lake situated in the Kolla district of Kerala. It is the southern gateway to the backwater of Kerala, and among the most visited tourist places in Kollam.

Spread over an area of 16 km, Ashtamudi Lake is the second largest lake in Kerala, after Vembanad Lake, which has found its way into the sea through the Neendakara estuary. The 8 arms or channels of the Ashtamudi Lake are what gave it its name. The lake resembles the shape of a palm conifer or an octopus.

Surrounded by lush green trees and swaying coconut palms, Ashtamudi Lake is famous for its panoramic views. Boating is offered in the lake by The Kollam Boat Club. It is the entrance to the famous backwaters of Kerala and the houseboat rides here are extremely famous. The Kollam to Alappuzha route is considered among the best in the backwaters. A lot of tourists come here .....

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.

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.

At a distance of about 26 km from Kollam, Janardhana Swamy Temple is located in Varkala, which is a coastal town on the banks of Arabian Sea.

Situated on top of a small hillock near Papanasam Beach, this temple is believed to be 2000 years old. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Hanuman and it is important for 'Pithrutharpanam'. The temple was maintained by the Pandya Kings.

Only Hindus are allowed inside the inner sanctum of the temple. Photography is not allowed inside.

Timings: 4 AM to 12 PM and 5 PM to 8 PM

At a distance of about 26 km from Kollam & 48 km from Trivandrum, Papanasam Beach is located in the coastal town of Varkala in Kerala. It is one of the popular beaches near Trivandrum, and among the major Kollam tourist places.

Varkala is the second-best Kerala beach resort after Kovalam. Varkala Beach, also known as Papanasham Beach, is a cliff beach situated on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Often called the Pearl of the Arabian Sea, this is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. These cliffs are of tertiary sedimentary formation and are named by geologists as Varkala Formation. They are a geological monument as recorded by the Geological Survey of India.

The beach is renowned for its natural spring which is considered to have medicinal and curative .....