Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)
Canoe canals through eight islets where Kallada meets Ashtamudi
Best time to visit Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, off-season
- May, off-season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, off-season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to July
Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is the window: still canals, three-hour dawn canoe rides through coir retting pools, herons everywhere and 24-31°C.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Mar-May is hot and glaring on open water, so go at six in the morning or five in the evening and expect the retting pools to reek.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
June-July floods the low wards and canoe trips stop in the worst weeks; these islands sit barely above the tide as it is.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct still brings evening thunderstorms off the lake; November is clear, empty and the cheapest time to book a homestay.
What Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu) is actually like
A dozen family homestays on a quiet island, canoe punters rather than guides, and nowhere to eat after eight at night
Getting to Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)
Munroe Turuttu halt takes passenger trains only; Kollam 30 min by bus, Trivandrum airport 90 km
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 2 m
- State
- Kerala
- Coordinates
- 8.9945, 76.6116
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)?
November to February is peak season in Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to July. Oct still brings evening thunderstorms off the lake; November is clear, empty and the cheapest time to book a homestay.
How many days do you need in Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)?
1 day is the usual stay. A dozen family homestays on a quiet island, canoe punters rather than guides, and nowhere to eat after eight at night.
How do you get to Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu)?
Munroe Turuttu halt takes passenger trains only; Kollam 30 min by bus, Trivandrum airport 90 km. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Varkala
Kerala
Cliffside beach town with yoga shalas and sunset cafes
40 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly under an hour by road
-
Aranmula
Kerala
Snake-boat village on the Pamba that still casts metal mirrors
50 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly under an hour by road
-
Thenmala
Kerala
India's first planned ecotourism site, built round a dam reservoir
70 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Ponmudi
Kerala
Trivandrum's easy-reach hairpin-bend hill station
90 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters
Kerala
Venice of the East - houseboats through the backwaters
80 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Kumarakom
Kerala
Vembanad Lake birding village and backwater resort belt
90 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Courtallam (Kutralam)
Tamil Nadu
Nine falls that run when the rest of Tamil Nadu is bone dry
100 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Marari Beach (Mararikulam)
Kerala
Shore-seine fishing beach with coir villages and no promenade
100 km from Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu), roughly about 2 h by road
More places to visit in Kerala
- Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
- Aranmula Kerala
- Athirappilly Falls Kerala
- Bekal Kerala
- Fort Kochi Kerala
- Gavi Kerala
- Guruvayur Kerala
- Kakkayam Kerala
- Kannur Kerala
- Kanthalloor Kerala
- Kovalam Kerala
- Kumarakom Kerala
- Marari Beach (Mararikulam) Kerala
- Munnar Kerala
- Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur) Kerala
- Nelliyampathy Kerala
- Nilambur Kerala
- Paithalmala Kerala
- Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Kerala
- Ponmudi Kerala
- Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali) Kerala
- Thalassery (Tellicherry) Kerala
- Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary) Kerala
- Thekkady (Periyar) Kerala
- Thenmala Kerala
- Thrissur Kerala
- Vagamon Kerala
- Valiyaparamba (Nileshwar backwaters) Kerala
- Varkala Kerala
- Wayanad Kerala