Things to do in Alappuzha (Alleppey)
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Houseboat
Renting a houseboat designed like a kettuvallam (rice barge) could be one of your most expensive experiences in India, but it's worth every darned rupee. Drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously authentic Keralan food, meeting local villagers and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars - it's a world away from the clamour of India.
Houseboats cater for groups (up to eight bunks) or couples (one or two double bedrooms). Food (and an onboard chef to cook it) is generally included in the quoted cost. Houseboats can be chartered through the DTPC in Kollam or Alleppey, or a multitude of private operators.
This is the biggest business in K…
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Tourist Cruises
The popular cruise between Kollam and Alleppey departs at 10:30 and arrives at 18:30, operating daily from August to March and every second day at other times. Many hotels in Kollam and Alleppey take bookings for one or other of these services; some offer cheaper rates but you'll end up paying the difference on board.
Generally, there are two stops: a 13:00 lunch stop (be aware that you'll pay extra for every element over the standard meal!) and a brief afternoon chai stop. The crew has an ice box full of fruit, soft drinks and beer to sell. Bring sunscreen and a hat.
It's a scenic and leisurely way to get between the two towns, but as a backwater experience the cruise is …
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Thaff
An absurdly popular joint that has scrumptious Indian bites, with some Arabic flavours mixed in, to boot. It does succulent roast spit-chicken (Rs90), scrumptious shawarma (Rs25) and brain-freezing cold ice-cream shakes (Rs25).
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The Backwaters
Trips through the backwaters cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, and travel along narrow, shady canals where coir (coconut fibre), copra (dried coconut meat) and cashews are loaded onto boats. Along the way are small villages with mosques, churches, temples and schools, villagers going about their daily chores, and tiny settlements where people live on narrow spits of reclaimed land only a few metres wide.
Travelling through the 900km network of waterways that fringe the coast and trickle far inland is the undisputed main attraction of a trip to Kerala. Long before the advent of roads these waterways were the slippery highways…
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Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission is the incongruously pink ashram of Matha Amrithanandamayi. One of India’s few female gurus, Amrithanandamayi is also known as Amma (Mother), or ‘The Hugging Mother, ’ because of the darshan (blessing) she practises, often hugging thousands of people in marathon all-night sessions. The ashram runs official tours at 5pm each day. It’s a huge complex, with about 2000 people living here permanently – monks, nuns, students, Indian families and Westerners. It offers food, ayurvedic treatments, yoga and meditation, as well as souvenirs from the cult of Amma, everything from books to postcards of her toes. Amma travels around for much of the …
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Village Tours
Village tours usually involve small groups of five to six people, a knowledgeable guide and an open canoe or covered kettuvallam. The tours (from Kochi, Kollam or Alleppey) last from 2½ to six hours and cost around Rs300toRs600 per person. You visit villages to watch coir-making, boat building, toddy (palm beer) tapping and fish farming, and on the longer trips a traditional Keralan lunch is provided.
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Canoe-Boat Tours
Any of the dozens of travel agencies in town can arrange canoe-boat tours of the backwaters. Rented canoe boats offer a nonguided laze through the canals on a small, covered canoe for up to four people - the ultimate way to spend a relaxing afternoon.
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Public Ferries
If you want the local backwater transport experience, or a shorter trip, there are State Water Transport boats between Alleppey and Kottayam. The trip crosses Vembanad Lake and has a more varied landscape than the Alleppey cruise.
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Harbour Restaurant
This beachside, casual Euro-style eatery is run by the swish Raheem Residency Hotel. It’s a little more casual and budget conscious than the hotel’s main restaurant, but promises equally well-prepared Indian and Western cuisine.
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Kream Korner
This relaxed place is popular with Indian and foreign families and offers a tasty multicuisine menu. The yummy cold coffee with ice cream (Rs25) beats a frappuchino any day. There’s another branch on Cullan Rd.
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Royal Park Hotel
The extensive menu at this swish hotel restaurant is heavily meat-centric, but the food is excellent. You can order from the same menu in the upstairs bar and wash down your meal with a cold Kingfisher.
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Motor-Boat Rental
The DTPC organises motor-boat rental, with several different itineraries possible in the high season (November to March). Boats cost around Rs25 per hour for up to 10 people.
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Beach
The beach is about 2km west of the city centre; it's a nice, shaded walk, but there's no shelter at the beach itself and swimming is dangerous.
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Hot Kitchen
This place comes highly recommended for veg meals and South Indian breakfasts - it gets packed at lunchtime.
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