A cluster of eight small islands formed by the confluence of the Kallada River and Ashtamudi Lake, about 25 km north of Kollam. Named after Colonel James Munroe, a British Resident of Travancore in the early 19th century, the islands are criss-crossed by narrow canals lined with coconut palms, coir-making workshops, and small fishing settlements.
The best way to see Munroe Island is by country boat — a flat-bottomed wooden vessel poled through the canals by a boatman who knows every channel. The trip takes two to three hours and passes through scenes of rural Kerala that have barely changed in a century: women beating coir fibre against wooden stakes, ducks paddling under banana trees, and the occasional kingfisher perched on a low branch. Organised kayaking tours are also available.