A cruise in the backwaters of Alleppey is a dream wish for those who plan to visit Kerala. Even the Keralites , would have thought to travel in a houseboat at least once in the lifetime. It’s obvious that the exquisite small islands, honest common men around, ripples on the lake and the rejuvenating gentle breeze have the potential to keep you interested and thrilled. Undoubtedly, such a voyage is a memorable as well as an amazing experience.
A houseboat, known as ‘Kettuvallam’
in Malayalam, is similar to an individual house with all the basic amenities
like TV, fan/AC, furniture, dining room, bedrooms, kitchen etc. But the only difference
is that it’s built upon a large boat, using wooden planks as roof. Mostly, the
houseboat works like a hotel/resort and offers a journey on the backwaters for
the fare starting from 8000 Rs. (It may vary according to the facilities
provided and season). However, this travelogue is not about a hangout in the
houseboat. My intention is to give an idea about what’s the main attraction in
Alleppey backwaters.
It’s during the mid of June 2012. I was striving for my photography project SAMABAR 300, as I really wanted to upload quality photos into my album. As my friend was from Haripad in Alleppey district, I insisted him upon my wish to visit there. Thus, we both travelled to his hometown on a weekend. The first half of the day was quite short for us because the train was a bit late. Afternoon, we went to Alleppey town.
As mentioned, our intention was to get a boat to roam around in the backwaters. So we reached the boat jetty closer to the KSRTC bus stand. It’s built on a canal connecting to the Punnamada Lake. The canal is flowing through the whole city of Alleppey. Moreover, it gives a charming look for that area , hence Allepey is called as ‘Venice of East’.
Boats anchored across the canal shore
Canal entering to Punnamada Lake
Reflections
Initially we thought of traveling
in a service boat managed by state water transport department. There were boat
services to places like Kottayam , Kollam , Kumarakom etc. But, we left that
plan because we met up a vendor who provides mini house boat service for 1000
bugs. In addition, such a kind of boat was very convenient for sightseeing. We entered into it with immense enthusiasm.
Once started the trip, we could able to see a lot of mini boats anchored on the
sides of canal. Also, there were pocket roads adjacent to it. Even though the greenery
was attractive, the canal was polluted in parts.
A typical scenery @ Alleppey Backwaters
Houseboat - closer look
Beauty of backwaters
Within a short time, we reached
the Punnamada Lake where the famous Nehru trophy boat race held in. We could
able to see a plenty of huge boats there. Some of those were on service and
some were anchored. A typical
imaginative picture about Kerala is always about the backwaters. I felt the same thing in reality. I was
irresistible in clicking whatever I observed. In fact, my photos would speak
the full story.
A footbridge above the canal
A boat in the canal
Pictureseque Punnamada Lake
We cruised through the small canals,
which flows into the Punnamada Lake. The experience was far better than while
being at lake. There were isolated small lands and countable number of people
lived there. Also, there were houses on the shore of the canals. Those lands were connected by foot bridges
above the canals; however people need to depend upon the boats to access the
town. Literally, the canals are the staple
transportation path way for them. In addition, the people, who lives in the
outskirts of Alleppey , looked amazingly photogenic , and I didn’t miss to
frame few of them.
Children playing in the lake
A fisherman
Children of heaven
After two hours of tranquil
voyage, we returned to the starting point. Our next destination was Alleppey Beach,
for which the photos and travelogue will be shared in another blog post.
Altogether the lush green lands, picturesque lake & canal, and the amazing
atmosphere were indeed mesmerizing. It’s
worthwhile to communicate with the wonderful nature in Alleppey backwaters.
Our life saver
Back to the starting point
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