Munroe Island · Mundrothuruthu
Where the Kallada River meets Ashtamudi Lake.
A cluster of small islands in Kollam district, threaded with canals barely wider than a boat. The house sits on it. Everything below is what there is to do once you are here.
We have not photographed the water yet.
There is no picture of the canals on this page, because there is no picture of the canals. Rather than use a photograph of a bedroom and let you assume it is the backwaters, we have left the frames empty and written down what is actually there.
The canoe canal tour.
The headline thing to do here, and the reason most people come. A small local boat, a guide who knows the cuts, and two to three hours of canals so narrow the palms close overhead.
- Two to three hours, guided
- Small local boats, up to about six people
- Best at sunrise, or late afternoon
- Usually arranged through the place you are staying
We arrange it; we don’t sell it. Tell us the morning you want and we’ll set it up with a local boatman.
Photograph to come
A canoe in a canal at first light. Nothing in the library comes close, so nothing stands in for it.
What you pass, going slowly.
The canals are not scenery. They are how the island works, and the tour goes straight through the middle of it.
- Coir retting and weaving
- Traditional fishing
- Prawn and fish farming
- Boat building
- Sand mining
And, if you are quiet, the birds.
Kingfishers and herons work the edges of the canals all day. The backwaters also take migratory birds in season.
Kayaking, if you would rather paddle.
Available in small groups. Same water, more work, and you set your own pace.
During Onam
The Kallada Boat Race is held here.
Kerala’s snake boats race on this water during the ten days of Onam — the biggest thing that happens on the island all year, and the one time it is loud.
Getting here.
Three verified distances, and nothing else. The nearest station is on the island line; the airport is a morning’s drive down the coast.
| From | Distance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Munroe Turuttu railway station | ~3 km | Nearest station. Local trains to Kollam Junction and Trivandrum Central. |
| Kollam Junction railway station | ~27 km | The main railhead. |
| Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) | ~84 km | Nearest airport. |