A small cozy town in the heart of Kerala is a must visit for all the romantic and nature travellers. Here, we bring you the experiences from the diary of a romantic who spent few days in Alleppey.
Evening’s reign was about to end and the sun started to set in the most alluring shades of the sky, when I was sitting in my boat, listening to the soft melody that the ripples in water played for me!
As I looked up to soak in the ambience above, I thought, this is the best canvas I have ever seen, this is Alleppey.
This magical land of Alleppey, also known as Alappuzha, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. Technically speaking, it is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha District.
They say that Alappuzha is considered to be the oldest planned town in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the town is the first of its kind along the Laccadive Sea coast.
I loved this fact already.
Lighthouses and I have a deep connection somehow.
Where Is It?
Alleppey sits charmingly at a distance of 62kms (39 mi) to the south of Kochi (Cochin) and 155Kms (96 mi) north of Trivandrum. The reasons I love this little wonder are endless. Some of those are the picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons. A real kind man during British Empire in India, called Lord Curzon, did us a great favor and called it “Venice of the East”. And I found out why.
What It Does to Me?
Well for me, the backwaters of Alleppey are that serene experience, that I quietly get transported to paradise, drenched in the dreams of love. The hunched palm trees, sparkling rice fields, fertile countryside and warm smells of coastal cuisine wafting through the air, welcome me with arms wide open. Whenever I wished to run away from the tyrannies of tiring life, I landed here, seeking an ultimate tropical experience.
Meandering through the heart of Alleppey’s lushness, I have often fished for Karimeen (pearl spotted fish), I have incarcerated the beauty of this heaven on canvases and camera lenses. I have also got lost in the perennial beauty of the serene surroundings. To discover these pristine experiences of this town, are the memories for a lifetime etched on my mind forever.
What All I Got Here?
Ok let me tell you for a fact, if you are a boat ride lover, that the Kettuvalloms (Houseboats) of Kerala are one of the most coveted boat rides. Kettuvalloms are superior specimens of the indigenous techniques and savoir faire. The Kettuvallom or ‘boat with knots’ is so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only.
Designed originally for transporting rice and spices from Kuttanad to Kochi, Kettuvalloms are also used for leisure trips today and are the most coveted experience for die-hard romantics like me. So you like luxury? Don’t worry at all, these serene water dwellers have revived themselves as luxurious entities, and promise to give you the comforts that you could never imagine were possible on a boat! A whole new grand experience welcomed me through my Kettuvallom stay. And so I was mesmerized.
These extravagant Kettuvalloms took me across the network of the backwaters of Alleppey. For a few precious hours, Alleppey gifted me the nature’s best on a small cherish able voyage.
The backwaters lined by palm trees and small villages, bustling with hush hush things, the Chinese fishing nets standing as constant reminders of the historic trade links, keep me in my dreamland and I fall in love again and again. Venice is just a name to me, Alleppey became an experience.
For traders, you must know that Alleppey was known to be a central trading point on the Malabar Coast south of Mumbai. The richness of the coastal waters of Alleppey is proven every time with the constant deposit of fish and prawns on the coast. Good opportunities for real world dwellers, unlike me a day dreamer!
Food I loved in Alleppey
On a random day, I noticed a mundu-clad achaayan (man) and an ammachi (old lady) with kunukku earings, rushing off for the morning mass. Malayalees eagerly tried to chat with me in a personalized form of English, and told me about the best food served in the little town on friendly prices. In a toddy bar, or in a ‘thattukkada (small eat out joint),’ I heard men with bare chests, debating communism and politics over a steaming cup of milky tea. I ordered one typical Alleppey tea for me too along with ‘puttu and kadala’ curry on a small price that I could not believe. The taste is still lingering in my mouth. Alleppey is the place you want to be in for a lazy lazy time and some authentic foodie treats for a die-hard food lover like me, and that too at almost negligible cost.
Yes, I loved the Architecture Too
While on the trip to Alleppey, I could also go about exploring the magnificent architecture of Kerala in Ambalapuzha at the Sree Krishna Temple, Karumaadikuttan, statue of the Buddha and St. Mary Forane Church in Champakulam. Some knowledge to boast about and the travel tales to write, all seems worth it.
A Tranquil Massage for the Rejuvenation and Remembrance
I know that you know for the fact, Kerala holds the authority, when it comes to Ayurvedic massages. I headed for The Coir Village for that one day of pampering and got myself dipped in the pool of heavenly treatments, all day long. I was a new person altogether! Marari Fishermen Village Beach Resort is also quite an option for massage and therapies.
Are You Planning to Go Already?
Well let me tell you, Alleppey has a typical tropical climate. But during winters, the temperature takes just the perfect dip, and it is then, that Alleppey unfolds at its best. Plan your visit between October to March.
Cochin International Airport is the nearest, being 75kms away and is connected by almost all international and domestic flights. The other airport is the Trivandrum International Airport which is 159km from Alleppey.
Alleppey Railway Station receives traffic from almost all the cities of the country and is a good option to land in the town.
I am waiting for your “Tale of Alleppey”. Do share with me what you received and what piece of heart you left there.
