I visited the Munroe Island in Kollam, Kerala. I can help you with what to expect in the quaint peninsula south of Kerala.

I was in Munroe Island on April 7,8 and 9. It is a sleepy village surrounded by Ashtamudi Lake and River Kallada.

The climate is tropical with temperaturbes touching 30 degrees in the day and dipping to 25 in the night.

There are coconut trees, marshlands, labyrinth of canals, and canoes waiting for tourists. If you are looking for a quiet place, away from the busy back-water tourist hotspots like Alappuzha, (also spelt Alleppey) Munore Island is a fantastic option.

How to Reach Munroe Island?

I travelled by Public transport. From Kochi, you need to travel 135 kilometres south to reach Munroe Island by road. There are buses plying through National Highway 66 to Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

You can choose a Fast Passenger, Super-Fast or Airconditioned Low-floor Multi-axle Volvo buses. Karunagapalli is your first major destination. From the KSRTC Bus depot find a bus going to Bharanikavu town (12 kms). From there, you can catch a private bus going to Chittumala (6 kms). Alight in Chittumala and you are 6 kilometers away from the peninsula. You can take a tuk-tuk by paying 170 Rs to ride through a bumpy road to reach Munroe Island.

Second option is travel by train. Indian Railways have some trains stop at Munroe Island station.

Where to Stay?

Okay. The tourism scene in Munore Island is flourishing, but it has not become a hotspot yet. There are decent resorts and friendly homestays available to rent. I stayed at a Resort named Lake N River – and I recommend this place.

No, they have not sponsored me.

The reason why I choose Lake N River is because it has very good reviews. The resort is on the southern tip of the peninsula on the shore of the Lake Ashtamudi. It also happens to be sandwiched between a branch of River Kallada.

This is a three-star stay with rooms costs you an average 2500 INR a day with a complimentary Indian breakfast. All the rooms are air-conditioned, some rooms have minibars, and there is an in-house restaurant that serves Arabian-influenced Indian and Chinese food. Sadly, they do not serve alcohol.

You can play pools, badminton, do kayak, two-hour guided canoe tour for a 1000 INR.

Another good reason to choose Lake n River is, it is very near to the main attraction in Munore Island, the natural mangrove arch in the Lake Ashtamudi. Your canoe ride concludes with canoe passing through the green arch.

The resort has a beautiful green cover with carefully maintained meadows, variety of trees including mangoes, Indian gooseberry, White Java Apples etc.

What are you going to hate about Lake N River?

The house restaurant menu, as expected, is expensive. There is a lack of response from the staff in the morning, especially during the Breakfast buffet. There are no hammocks.

Things do when you are in Munroe Island?

• Walk around. The place is sleepy and there are not many people in the island. Roads are deserted and people are warm, and helpful.

• Take a canoe ride through Lake Ashtamudi and small canals. You can easily find private canoe operators in different parts. Government-backed KTDC is also running a canoe tour. There are private companies running Shikara (ornamental canoes) boat services.

• There are only few restaurants available in the Island and all of them serve tasty fish from the lake. You can eat Pearl-spot fish, prawns, crab etc., all fresh and cooked locally. It costs you around 550 INR for lunch for two people.

What are some things to bear in mind?

• There are no ATMs and chances are very limited you can swipe your credit card, so carry cash.

• Roads are bumpy and tuk-tuk is going to charge you more.

• There are no BAR restaurants. Buy your liquor in advance.

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