Kollam's areas and what they mean for a move
Kollam wraps around the many arms of Ashtamudi lake. The commercial centre around Chinnakada, the clock tower and Main Road is busy and tight for parking, while Kadappakada, Thevally, Asramam and Uliyakovil have residential streets with houses in their own compounds and some apartment blocks. Towards the coast, the harbour and fishing areas at Neendakara and Sakthikulangara have narrow lanes, and the town's edges along NH 66 and the roads to Kottarakkara and Karunagappally keep growing.
When you ask for a quote, give the exact address, the type of home and the floor, and say whether the lane is narrow or close to the water.
Moving in the monsoon
Kollam's southwest monsoon, from about June to September, is long and heavy, with days of continuous rain, and the northeast rains in October and November add more. A move in those months needs plastic over every mattress, sofa and wooden piece, cartons sealed against damp and a crew that can load quickly between showers. Low-lying roads near the lake and the backwaters can waterlog after heavy spells.
December to March is usually the driest and most comfortable window.
Cashew, fishing and family businesses
Kollam has long been a centre of cashew processing, and its harbour supports a large fishing industry. Many families run or work in these businesses. If you're moving business stock, equipment or office files as well as household goods, keep them on a separate list with their own paperwork, and check whether the risk coverage includes business goods.
Gulf families and overseas goods
Many Kollam households have family members working in the Gulf, and moves often mean setting up a home for someone returning, or sending part of a household away. Keep any overseas shipment's paperwork apart from the local move, and tell the mover which items are already at the house. If the family is abroad, agree who will supervise packing and sign the inventory.
Festivals and busy weeks
Onam, usually in August or September, and Christmas and Easter are celebrated widely, and Kollam Pooram in April brings crowds to the Asramam grounds. Crews are busy around these dates, so book early.
Traditional houses and wooden furniture
Older Kollam homes often hold heavy teak and rosewood cots, carved chests, brass lamps and large wooden almirahs. These need blankets and corner protection, and in the monsoon damp, careful drying before they're wrapped. List large pieces on the quote with the floor they're on, and photograph valuable pieces before packing.
Moving out of Kollam
Common moves from Kollam go north along NH 66 to Kochi and east over the Western Ghats to Madurai. Our route guides cover what to plan for on each, including the monsoon and the hill pass into Tamil Nadu.
If you rent, book a walk-through with the owner after the home is cleared, photograph each room and return all keys.
Your first weeks in a new Kollam home
Open cartons of clothes, books and bedding early in the monsoon and keep fans running, and find out how water, power backup and gas work. Book internet as soon as you have the address.
Malayalam is the main language, and English is widely understood. Update your address with your bank, employer and delivery apps; our guide to moving in the monsoon covers protecting goods from rain and damp.
Students and transfers
Kollam's engineering, medical and arts colleges bring students in every year, and government, bank and harbour jobs bring families in and out on transfer. A student's room can usually be booked as a few-items move. If your employer is paying, ask what documents they need, such as an itemised quote and a GST invoice in a particular name; every mover we work with provides a GST invoice.
Ashtamudi's islands and ferries
Kollam sits on the Ashtamudi lake, a branching backwater with islands such as Munroe Island, where homes are reached by narrow lanes, footbridges or ferry. A move from an island or a lakeside home often needs goods to be carried or ferried to a road the truck can reach, so tell the mover the exact location and plan extra time.
Chavara's mineral sands
The beaches around Chavara, north of Kollam, are rich in mineral sands, and the public-sector plants that process them employ many families from the area. Their townships have their own vacating rules, and the coastal road is busy with ore lorries.
Punalur and the ghat railway
Punalur, east of Kollam, is known for its old suspension bridge and paper mill, and the railway climbs from there through the ghats towards Sengottai and Tamil Nadu.
Amritapuri's ashram
The ashram of Mata Amritanandamayi at Amritapuri, on the coast near Karunagappally, draws large crowds, especially around her birthday in September, when the coastal roads are packed.
Sasthamcotta lake
Sasthamcotta, Kerala's largest freshwater lake, supplies Kollam's drinking water, and the villages around it are reached by narrow roads.
Thiruvananthapuram an hour and a half away
Thiruvananthapuram, an hour and a half south, has the airport and big hospitals, and many Kollam families travel there.
Thangassery's old quarter
Thangassery, on the coast by Kollam's lighthouse, is an old quarter with Anglo-Indian families, churches and the remains of a Portuguese fort. Its lanes are narrow, so goods may need to be carried to the main road.
Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara, east of Kollam, has the Ganapathy temple and is a busy town on the road to Punalur, where staff are posted.
Karunagappally
Karunagappally, north of Kollam on the highway, is a busy town, and many families move between it and the city.
Thenmala
Thenmala, in the hills near the Tamil Nadu border, has an eco-tourism centre and the Parappar dam, and its roads are narrow and winding.
Kollam Pooram at Asramam
Kollam Pooram, held in April at the Asramam ground, draws crowds with its elephants and fireworks, and the roads nearby are closed then.
Moving for the cashew trade
Kollam's cashew factories employ many workers, mostly women, and families in the trade often keep stock at home. Raw and processed cashew must be kept dry and sealed, separate from household goods.
Moving across the backwaters
Some Kollam homes are on the islands of Ashtamudi lake, like Munroe Island, reached by narrow roads, bridges or ferries. A large truck can't reach many of them, so goods are shifted to a smaller vehicle or carried from the nearest road. Ask the mover to visit first, and avoid the heavy-rain weeks.
Chinnakada
Chinnakada, Kollam's central junction around the clock tower, has a busy underpass and markets, so a truck shouldn't plan to stop there.