Trip to Kollam : Offbeat Kerala

This post is a continuation of the earlier Varkala post, when I recently planned a trip to the lesser known places in Kerala. As such all parts of Kerala are very beautiful, but Kollam or Quillon was a bit less touristy.

Top View from Thangaserry Light house

How to Go: Well from Bangalore, the best option to go was by train - we took the Kanyakumari express which takes around 15 hours of journey time. Since we had a small kid, we booked the first AC compartment and the journey was really comfortable. The train leaves at 8 pm in evening and reaches Kollam (Quillon QLN junction) at 11 am next day.
If you prefer to go by flight, then the nearest airport is Trivendrum.

Kollam Beach

When to Go - As i mentioned in my earliest post, there is no best time to visit Kerala, every season has its charm. We went there in the month of June, the monsoons in Kerala are a bit unpredictable. It will start to rain suddenly and will stop in 5 mins.

Thangaserry Light house

Where to Stay - We stayed at Aquasareene resort in Kollam, it is around 40 mins from the railway station but they offer pick up and drop service. So when we reached, there was a cab waiting for us to pick up from station

Sightseeing - Well, there are a couple of places which we really enjoyed in Kollam. There is also a main market where you could go shopping for Kerala special sarees and stuff, but we avoided that.

Thangaserry Light house - This is a 111 year old light-house offering a birds eye view to the sea below. It is indeed beautiful to climb up the 193 stairs to the top of it and also view some of the age old machinery used in the light house. Be mindful of the timings, it closes down at 5 Pm.
There is an entry ticket of Rs10/- and then you need to remove your shoes and climb barefoot those 200 odd stairs to the top. The stairs are very steep and if there are kids, then you really need to be extra cautious.

~200 stairs at Light house

Reaching on the top, I kind of felt dizzy, as the breeze was too strong, the pathway was narrow and the railing on the top is below the waist length. I had my 2 year old with me, so it was a moment of stress.
Breathtaking !! Literally!!

Kollam Beach - Indeed beautiful.. there were no tourists, but lots of locals. Some small vendor shops and people selling bhutta and balloons !! Reminded me of my visits to beaches in Mumbai.
There is a children's park right opposite to the beach. But it is kinda strange to see this statue in a children's park !! Strange !! but worth a photograph!!

Statue @ Kollam beach

Kappil Lake merging with the sea - This is a very serene sight. As we go from Kollam to Varkala, the entire route has sea runs parallel to the road onto one side. There are moments when you feel you are not in India anymore, the empty roads, the roar of the sea and coconut trees lining the journey.
On the way, we passed the Kappil bridge, which is built on top of the Kappil lake. A few kms ahead, our driver went down the road on a kaccha rasta and drove for sometime only to witness the miracle of God's own country.
It was a lake merging into the sea, crossing over the rocky terrain and changing its colors. The wind was so strong that it was difficult to hold ourselves but we did spend some good time at this place.
Then our driver reminded us to move, as this was a very secluded place.
This attraction is more closer to Varkala than to Kollam, so if you are staying in Varkala, so visit here.

All in all this was an amazing trip and I would love to go there over and over again.
Another post in continuation to this trip of Kerala - Varkala