Exploring Alleppey : Here is why you HAVE TO visit Alleppey!
Kerala is synonymous with backwaters as the backwaters are with Alleppey. Alleppey is famous for its vast network of waterways and hence is also called the ‘Venice of the East’. But apart from its grid of canals and backwaters, Alleppey is also known for its fresh greenery, tiny villages, and coddy shops. Alleppey can be enjoyed both as a tourist and a traveler. If you are there as a tourist, take a tour of the backwaters in a peaceful houseboat, admiring the sceneries around you at your own pace. Travelers, however, take the local boats playing between two points to enjoy the backwaters like a local. Any which way, Alleppey can be the most relaxed experience you have ever had, along with being a delightful treat to all your senses.
Backwaters-
Anyone visiting Alleppey cannot stay away from the charm of the backwaters. If you’re visiting the backwaters for the very first time, prepare yourself to be mesmerised by the sheer beauty they seem to emanate and propagate to everything around them. The most common way to explore the backwaters is by hiring a houseboat, either for a few hours or for staying an entire day. It is quite a costly affair both ways but it gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and in peace.
Imagine sailing the backwaters, sitting on a houseboat, sipping a hot cup of coffee, and leaning to touch the backwaters and seeing the reflection of yourself emanating a calm you always wanted- if you are looking to visit the backwaters for peace, houseboat is your best bet!
However, if you don’t wish to spend as much on a houseboat, there are other ways you can enjoy the backwaters. One of the most common such ways is by taking a ride on one of the tourist ferries. It costs way less than the houseboats (approx Rs 100 per person for a 2 hour ride) but it also has a lot of other tourists with you. It mainly traverses through major canals and you get to watch villages only from a distance. If mingling with the locals is something you look forward to, you would be best off by taking a public ferry, which is used by the locals to commute around the town. You will find some schoolchildren completing their homework along the way sitting with people going to work in the morning.
Another, although fairly-priced way is to explore the backwaters on a shared Shikara boat. If you wish to stray away from the major routes of the ferries and explore the smaller backwater canals, hiring a Shikara is the perfect option.
Food-
Whenever you’re on the Malabar coast, you will never find yourself in a dearth of delicacies to try. Every city on the coast has a special dish of its own, apart from the tastiest seafood you will find throughout India. Although the coast is abundant in seafood, the charm of backwater dishes is exclusive to Alleppey. Don’t miss the backwater shrimp, fried or grilled, cooked with multiple local spices. Karimeen is a fish found in the backwaters and is baked inside a banana leaf. Hence, it is also low in calories! Apart from this, if you are craving something in the evening, Ela Ada is the perfect snack for you. This tea-time snack is made from rice, jaggery, flour, and coconut and you will definitely want to take some of it back for your friends and family.
Karimeen- the backwater fish
Ila Ada
So don't wait any longer and go out and experience this all by yourself. Let us backpack the backwaters together. Do make sure to book yourself an authentic experience