Ever since our children have gone away for their higher studies, my husband and I have been wanting to go on a vacation together. Last month, on our 21st marriage anniversary, we decided to go for a weekend getaway to a few places in our favorite holiday destination- Kerala. As we could not avail of leave from work for more than four days, we decided on just a couple of cities in the coastal part of the state: Kollam and Trivandrum.
After reaching, we booked ourselves a room at a resort. After freshening up and having our lunch at the resort itself, we decided to rent a car in Kollam with an experienced driver. That, we decided, would be far more convenient for our plans.
We started our journey by paying a visit to the ancient Rameshwara Temple first. My husband and I are loyal devotees of Lord Shiva, so we did not want to miss the chance of seeking his blessings at the very beginning of our journey. The temple, though old, has one of the fascinating architecture I have ever seen. I feel inner peace being there.
Next, we went to Jatayu’s Earth Centre. At first, we weren’t sure whether we would like the rock-themed park. We were hesitant to go, but we went anyway. And we were glad we did. The park is a new tourist destination and has so much to offer to visitors. The bird-statue on the hilltop looked magnificent in the sunlight. We clicked quite a few pictures. We also spent time in the 6D theatre, which was a completely new experience for us.
Kollam Beach
We decided to end the first day of our Kollam trip by going to Kollam Beach. The sunlight was almost dying by the time we arrived at the beach, which made everything look like a painting! My husband and I have always loved spending time at beaches. We sit, have some coconut water and bhelpuri, and catch up on our daily gossip. Even if there is nothing to talk about, we sit together in silence and look around.
We thought we would go see the Tangasseri lighthouse on the beach as well, but since it was already dark, we decided otherwise. After some time, we returned to our room in the resort, had some good, rich coffee to drink, and freshened up. At about 9 pm, we had our dinner. We retired to bed early, as we were really tired from all the traveling and sightseeing. Moreover, there were things planned for the next day as well.
Our visit to Kollam would have been incomplete if we did not experience the houseboat cruise on Lake Ashtamudi. So, the next day we decided to go on a 24-hour houseboat journey along the Kollam backwaters. The narrow canals and lagoons, the palm trees, the clear water, and the blue sky made everything look so serene and breathtaking. Truly, it was an experience to be had, missing out on which would have been regretful. We had all the meals arranged for us in the houseboat itself. The food was fresh, delicious, and reflected the true essence and culture of Kerala. Along the way, we could witness the peaceful village life in the backwaters. This life, we realized it was so different and distant from our busy lives in the city. Here, in the midst of the backwaters, time seemed to move slowly.
The houseboat also took us to this place called Munroe Island. This island was located at the confluence of two rivers – Ashtamudi and Kallada. This island is an important tourism destination, as it showcases important aspects of Kerala’s life, including activities like fishing, toddy tapping, coir weaving, and much more. There are also a number of mangroves, and if observant enough, you will also notice a number of migratory birds to come to the island. This overnight houseboat cruise was one of the best experiences my husband and I have had in all our travels. It turned out to be one of the most tranquil, serene, and enriching experiences of our lives.
Leaving for Trivandrum
The next day, after the houseboat cruise got over, we had lunch at a simple family restaurant nearby. Over lunch, we talked about how Kollam is surely a paradise on earth. We were really happy we decided to come here. But we were equally excited for our next destination- Trivandrum. After our pleasant experience at Kollam, we decided that it’s best that we book a cab in Trivandrum as well. We hoped that we have an equally enriching experience in this city as well.
