With a network of winding canals, tall coconut palm trees, and endless rice paddies, the Kerala backwaters are one of those places that will leave you speechless. We did a 4 day Kerala boat house trip and stayed a few nights in Allepey beach to get the real feel of this unique destination in India.
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Please note: This article has been updated in 2024 for the latest Kerala Boat House trip information and tips.
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The Kerala Backwaters
The Kerala “Backwaters” is an area of low-lying waterways with 900km (560 miles) of interconnected man-made canals and natural rivers. It is mostly freshwater, which is used to irrigate the vast amounts of rice fields scattered between the Backwater cities. The towns and communities appear to be floating in this green and strange water world.
What Is A Kerala Boat House?
The Kettuvallams “Kerala houseboats” would traditionally ship rice, spices and other goods between Kuttanad and Cochin. They were impressive structures, transporting massive amounts of goods along the series of canals.
“The hull is formed from long wooden planks fastened together using coir rope with coconut fibers fitted in between, and is ultimately coated with a black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. The upper portion of the ships are woven of natural materials like panambu, bamboo and coir, and fashioned into vaulted formations resulting in high ceilings and spacious interiors”
The Culture Trip
In recent years, the Kerala Boat Houses offer relaxing liveaboard tours along the backwaters.
How Many Kerala House Boats are there in Alleppey?
With around 500 houseboats based in Allepey, there are lots to choose from. However, they all seemed to offer the same thing for roughly the same price. The biggest difference seemed to be air conditioning – which we chose to go without as it was quite breezy.
How Much Does It Cost To Do A Trip?
This all depends on how you want to organize it. As we visited Kerala in the low season, we were able to head down to the Jetty early one morning, check out which boats were there, and negotiate a good price for the following days.
It was approximately $90/day without air-conditioning. This cost included a driver, freshly cooked food made by a liveaboard cook and some drinks. It can be upwards of $140 to hire one with air-conditioning.
During peak season the price can double or triple, and the availability of quality boats is less. So it can be better to book in advance from a reputable company.
What Are The Best Kerala Houseboats?
If you are planning to travel in peak season, you will need to book ahead. These are some of the best Kerala Boat Houses on Booking.com. Click the links to see the latest reviews and prices for each.
Xandari Riverscapes
- Choice of one, two, or three air-conditioned bedrooms
- Hot water supply and bathroom with toiletries
- Classic Kerala cuisine cooked on board
Thara’s Eco Houseboat
- One-bedroom
- Bathroom with shower and toilets
- A vegetarian breakfast is available each morning on the boat.
Angel Queen Houseboats
- A chef on board prepares traditional Kerala cuisine with local spices, organic food, and fresh seafood
- Bathrooms have shower facilities
- Rooms on individual houseboats are equipped with a fan
The Experience
We spent 4 days winding through the Kerala backwaters, admiring the rice paddies and palm trees.
It wasn’t a ‘tour’ so to speak. We just kind of cruised and kept on cruising, however, there were a few occasions where the driver pulled over and we got out to simply walk around in amazement. He was knowledgeable about the area and knew a lot about the local way of life (being local himself). It felt humbling, that somehow we were contributing to the local economy. There was a purity to life on the water.
It didn’t feel like we were in India anymore. In fact, it didn’t feel like we were on earth anymore. Just floating in some kind of green time warp. It was a much-needed pace change from the chaos of Kochi and definitely worth doing.
Everyone either smiled at you as you go past or waves in a genuine state of happiness. And It was beautifully lush. Tree-lined rice fields passed slowly around us as we drank local beers and licked the banana leaf plates for the last drop of the homemade fish curry.
Food on the Kerala Boat House Trip
The food was probably some of the best we had on our whole India trip and was made fresh each meal. We opted for the local dish, but they did have an option for a cheese sandwich or something if you wanted something “western”. But who comes all the way to India for that?
Coconut Wine
Our driver (amongst other locals we met while “on land”) offered us some coconut wine. Be ready. It’s a whopping kick of fermented juice. There’s no real telling how high the alcohol content is. Our driver estimated about 20%, but that was a guess.
If you can get past the smell. The taste is, well, not great to be honest. It does have a kick though and is cheaper than water in the Backwater area. A litre bottle cost us around USD$1. We ended up leaving most of it with the driver when we left.
Cheap Alternatives To Hiring A Kerala Boat House
Hiring a houseboat can be an expensive experience, and although there are cheaper options to do it (share the boat with others/ opt for one with no air-conditioning), there are other ways you can explore the backwaters.
Public ferry
There are several locations you can catch a public ferry to from the Alappuzha station and this is by far a cheaper way to travel (approximately $0.50 for a round trip to Kottayam). For the public boat timetable check here.
Canoe trip
A canoe can go down some of the smaller canals that the houseboats cant reach, offering a different experience. You can see the everyday life close-up, and have a slow-paced, relaxing experience. With many different packages available, this is one to negotiate when there.
Stay next to the canals
There are a number of inexpensive homestays available to stay in next to the backwaters. A popular stay on the Pampa River is Ayana’s Homestay, offering South Indian food and sunset canoe experiences.
Alleppey Beach (Allapuzah) Kerala
Alleppey Beach is known as the gateway to the “Backwaters”. There are a lot of big resorts along the southern end of the beach. We stayed up the northern end in a small shack at Mandala Beach House on the beach and didn’t see any of the touristy influence. It was quiet, low-key, cheap and had its own puppies and kittens that grabbed Viv’s attention.
Recommendation: At the northern end of the beach is a semi-sealed river entrance. During big storm events, the river will flood out into the sea and bring with it all the gross things that you can imagine build up in a polluted, Indian river basin. Be careful when swimming in the sea nearby if there has been a storm. Wash your ears out with fresh water and do not open your eyes in the water!
Things To Do In Alleppey Beach
We spent a few days there relaxing and walking along the beach. Small plywood stalls sold all the essentials and a couple of little restaurants had some trustworthy curries. We played cricket with the kids on the beach and swam in the warm ocean.
These are some good things to do in Alleppey Beach:
Ayurvedic spa therapy
- Most of the hotels and resorts in Kerala offer Ayuverdic spa therapies. Enjoy an Ayurvedic massage or another treatment to release any toxins.
Watch the sunset
- There are many beautiful places you can watch the sunset. You can rent some beach chairs at Marari Beach, or relax in the water at Pozhiyoram beach during the sunset.
The lighthouse
- Built in 1862, this is a popular tourist attraction in Alleppey.
Floating Triveni Store
- Have you ever been to a floating mall? This boat stocks vegetables, rice, toiletries, stationery and more.
Tips For Your Kerala Boat House Trip
It’s a whole other world compared to Goa, and the north of India. It’s lush, green, and hot. The food’s more vegetarian and coconut-based. The people were incredibly friendly and it felt very safe and accommodating. We went for a Kerala Boat House trip during the monsoon season, which enabled us to receive discounted prices. But even in peak travel season, we would recommend a visit.
- Explore Port Kochi. Walk around the green, seaside suburb for great food and cheap jewelry.
- Meet the fishermen and help them fish in Port Kochi. They were all so welcoming and fun to talk to.
- Stay at the northern end of Alleppey beach. Avoid the tourist resorts and stay at the north end – Mandala Guest House was great and cheap.
- Be careful about swimming in the ocean if it has been raining. River overflow (full of rubbish and bacteria) heads straight into the ocean and can give you serious ear infections. Wash out your ears and eyes after swimming in the sea.
- Do a houseboat cruise in the Backwaters. Three nights was plenty. There are a lot of boats to choose from, however, most of them offer the same thing for much the same price. We did without air conditioning which was fine.
- Try the coconut wine in the backwaters. Fermented coconut never smelt so bad. It didn’t particularly taste good either, but it had a kick and was a great way to mingle with the locals.
Eco Travel Tips for Kerala
- Say No To Plastic by packing eco friendly travel products
- Choose eco-accommodation and try eating vegetarian
- Pack eco friendly toiletries for the houseboat cruise to avoid harmful waste entering the backwaters
