Alappuzha, aka Alleppy, is a city located nearly 55 km from Kochi in the south Indian state of Kerala. My husband and I landed in the morning hours of late December 2021 at Alleppy. This was my first time traveling to Kerala. We started heading to a homestay to freshen up in the morning. The pavement to the roadways was filled with coconut trees. After staying there for a bit, we went to the houseboat arena.
A number of houseboats floating in the backwaters is a treat to the eyes. We got to know from the locals that there are more than two thousand houseboats anchored there in the backwaters of Alleppy. Then, we started cruising through the backwaters of Alleppy in the houseboat. Gliding with the views of lush green paddy fields, coconut trees, birds, and bent mangroves was a magnificent experience.
The houseboat was manned by an oarsman and a cook. The staff served us delicious local Kerala cuisine for lunch. We went to a local market, where the houseboat halted for a while. People were buying prawns and crabs from there. Then we started cruising again. The houseboat was equipped with facilities for the night stay. Then in the morning, we started sailing again and finally ended our journey with a breakfast on the houseboat.
The next day we went there kayaking. There were around 15 people gathered for kayaking. We started our journey from there with a guide giving instructions meanwhile. The sight of sunrise from the backwaters was mesmerizing. We went kayaking for around two hours which was a bit exhausting. But again, it was a memorable experience. In the end, I can say the two days travel to Alleppy was worthwhile.