Kerala Backwaters Tour from Alappuzha

We set off after breakfast from Thekkady and stop off at a tea plantation in Pattumaly on our way to the town of Alappuzha (aka Alleppey) in the Kerala Backwaters; we are going to an area of low-lying waterways, lagoons, and rivers running parallel to the Arabian Sea.

We board our Gold River Houseboat, a converted rice barge, just after 1pm and head via waterways to Vembanad Lake; we cross the bottom most tip of this to the other side and circle round more waterways and then double back the other end of the long, narrow Vembanad Lake is at Kochi). We catch glimpses of the local lifestyle, seeing houses that back directly onto the waterways.

We moor at about 6 pm, and then have a short walk locally, visiting a banana chip manufacturer and a coconut milk supplier. We return to the houseboats (there are two for the group) and eat together on the larger one, enjoying a splendid meal. There has been a lot of sitting around today, which is very tiring, but it's been another good one.

During and after breakfast on the houseboat, we do another short trip back to the Alappuzha "harbour", visit a tourist shop, and have a short walk before travelling to Kochi.Read more