Blogs from Alleppey, Kerala, India, Asia - page 2

Day 16: Thekkady - Alleppey (or Alappuzha) 3 October 2017 This morning, we drove to Alleppey (130 km/ 3.5 hrs approx). The drive was moving down the tea-covered slopes, again, admiring the scenery the deep valleys offered. Upon arrival, we boarded the traditional rice boat, which offered an on-suite bedroom with fan and air conditioner. It had everything we needed on board – fridge, hot water, dining room, a large balcony above the dining room, a chef, captain and 2 waiters for the 4 of us. Before we got onto the boat, Mohan took us to an alcohol outlet, all of which are owned and controlled by the government. We saw a line of men in front of the non-premium grilled-secured counter, buying cheap spirits and beer. There was also a secured premium wine outlet which ... read more

A trip along the back waters of Alleppey in a beautiful houseboat has turned out to be a holiday highlight. The change in weather was immediately apparent as we stepped off the tour bus into glorious sunshine with a gentle breeze - vastly different from the cooler climate in the cardamom hills. We loaded our kit onto a small boat which chugged us upstream to board the houseboat that would be out accommodation for the next day or so. I couldn't get over how comfortable and spacious the boat was - there were three large double rooms with ensuite bathrooms, and Charlie was thrilled to have his own room for the first time this trip. There was a dining table and chairs on the front deck, and six armchairs were arranged around the side of the ... read more

Kettuvallum is the name given to houseboats used in the Kerala backwaters. With Kettu meaning 'to tie' and Vallum meaning 'boat' these are literally tied together boats. Made from Anjili wood (Jack fruit tree) the planks are tied together using coir ropes made from coconut fibre. Historically used to transport goods between the port of Cochin and Kuttanad, these 100 foot long boats could carry up to 30 tonnes of rice, spices and other items. The journey would take three days and the operators therefore needed quarters on the boat to live. These trading vessels became defunct as a means of transporting goods once the road and rail network provided much quicker ways of getting goods from A to B. Just like the iconic trading wherries in the Broads these Kettuvallum boats were given a new ... read more

The Keralan Backwaters are made up of linked rivers, lakes and dykes whose ecosystem is pretty special with freshwater meeting salt water from the Arabian Sea. They were formed through the action of waves and shore currents building up silt into spits of land.The area was slowly colonised over hundreds of years and now villages and towns are dotted around the backwaters and act as the start and end points for houseboat cruises. There seem to be many similarities between this region and the UK's Broads National Park where I work, although it would be pretty surprising to see rice growing in the fens and coconut palms lining the rivers! Our Keralan backwaters homestay is the Green Palms, aptly named as I find out on a wander along the riverside path. The many palms leaning towards ... read more

We weren't sure how to tackle exploring the Kerala backwaters. The western side of the state is a maze of waterways. We had already seen some of this on our canoe trip the prévious day and it seemed lots of people hired a houseboat to explore a part of the large area. The center of the houseboat business was a town a bit further north called Alleppay. We opted to take the 6 hour ferry trip to this town which would give us a taste for the area. As expected the ferry was 'rustic' with minimal facilities but proved to be bearable. There was an option of sitting inside the cabin below decks or find space on the roof where there were a few chairs which had already been grabbed by those foreign tourists clever enough ... read more