There’s a version of Kerala most travelers associate with: a green sea of tea plantations, astonishing moves of Kathakali, stunning waterfalls, spice gardens, wellness retreats, and quiet backwaters, to name a few. Over the years, my visits have revealed different facets of Kerala to me, and unlike most tourists, I have learned to slow travel through each city, one trip at a time. Alleppey is the latest addition to my list – and contrary to popular belief, Alleppey is more than just a one-night stop for a backwater cruise experience.
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Day 1: Arrival – Kochi to Alleppey
Almost three hours from the Kochi airport, AB and I arrived at the Colonel’s Beach Villa in Thumpoly, with an innate desire to disappear for the week. If a sea-facing villa is not a priority, you could also book Alaya Stays Palm Dale. For those looking for a luxury-laden experience, I recommend a pool villa in Amritara. Following the exhaustion of travelling, we chose to slow down on Day 1, at the banks of Thumpoly beach. It was a beautiful slow evening with a scenic sunset basking us in its warm beauty.
Day 2: Exploring Alleppey‘s Beaches
The second day was all about beach hopping. After a quick visit to the St Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, we reached Chethy beach. Far away from the prying eyes of the tourists, the beach stands 20 kms towards the North of Alleppey. Innumerable stones layer the entrance, making way for the scenic azure blue sea.
If you would like to go further north, you could also add Andhakaranazhi Beach, and Arthunkal Beach to your itinerary. We chose to head south, to spend a quiet morning at Marari Beach. A short detour on the drive back from Marari passed a small elephant camp. What began as a passing glance turned into a few unplanned minutes. I got to touch and interact with a mother elephant as her caretakers bathed her. For reasons not known, tears kept flowing from her left eyes. I caressed her trunk for as long as I could, as she stood there without resistance. Perhaps she was expecting I’d ride on her, but all I wanted to do was make them stop forcing this gentle beast to perform for humans.
A few minutes later we headed to the famous Cafe Catamaran for a hearty lunch. Going back to my roots (as a bengali), I enjoyed a serving of prawn curry with malobar parotta, while AB stayed loyal to a serving of biriyani. The food and the ambience of this place are worth the hype. Here, the beach announces itself long before someone has visited its banks.
We spent a few hours at Alleppey beach before heading back to our villa. It was quite crowded given the sunset hour but felt like an authentic mirror to the city’s culture. Alive with the giggle of children, lovers out on an evening stroll and friends rushing to the waves to make a memory – this was the very evening when Alleppey painted a picture in my mind.
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Day 3: Cruising the Alleppey Backwaters
In Alleppey, you could book a houseboat for a night or a shikara experience for a few hours, as per your budget. Over the years, I had the opportunity of experiencing both, and a one-night stay at the deluxe houseboat by Rainbow Cruises tops my recommendation list. The moment the Kettuvalam (houseboat) takes off from Punnamada lake, the rush of your daily life fades away. What strikes you first is how an ordinary village life breathes on either side of the backwaters – paddy fields sitting in a shallow green basin surrounded by water on all sides, and wives of Kuttanad’s farmers beating laundry against stone steps.
By mid-afternoon, the canal opens up to the wider lake and Vembanad is the quietest place to be! I once asked my boatman to cut the engine for a few minutes. The boat drifted on its own as I sat on the deck and swayed with the rhythm of the backwaters. This is where I got to thinking: Nature and slow travel not only coexist but need one another. Mindfulness brings our travel experiences closest to nature, because it’s not just about what you can see, but what you feel in that moment.
Your meals are cooked fresh onboard. They usually offer a platter of fish curry, appam and vegetable stew. If you have booked an overnight stay, the sound of water lapping against the deck wood, and occasional calls of birds sing a soft lullaby for the night. We woke up next morning feeling the sheer absence of urgency.
Day 4: From Pathiramanal Island to Kumarakom
Rowing through the waters of Pathiramanal, (a tiny, lush green island in Kerala’s Vembanad lake), I closed my eyes and tried to listen to nature. No houses, no shops, just migratory birds and their occasional chirping, and the specific call of a kingfisher versus a heron. I opened my eyes to the sight of herons standing motionless in the shallows and water hyacinths pressed up against the shoreline. All of this was possible because we took a 1.5 hours regular motorboat ride from Alleppey to Pathiramanal. A speedboat covers the same route in 30 minutes, but nature doesn’t open up to you when you are speeding through.
I refused to step out of the water and take the walking trail – “this place is made for the birds, not humans,” AB and I discussed. He took his sweet time to capture a few shots of iconic birds. From there the day shifted its center of gravity to Kumarokom, another 40 minutes boat journey from the island. Upon reaching, we unpacked for the night at Vembanad House in Muhamma (an 80 year old ancestral home with 800m of private lakefront). We ordered in-house authentic Kerala food and chose to spend a slow evening at the bungalow. If you re looking for affordable options, you can consider: Lemon Tree Vembanad Lake, Vembanad Village Backwater Resort.
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Day 5: A Slow Day at Kumarakom
At dawn, we headed to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. As mist still sat on the lake at dusk, we hired a canoe and paddled along the lake’s edge for some time. This sanctuary felt like a soft exhale: herons waded through the shallows, cormorants dried their wings on low branches, egrets moved with that particular stillness-then-strike rhythm they carry so naturally. Later we walked under a canopy of mangrove. To make the best of the experience, we hired a guide to help identify the birds we spotted.
On our way back, we made a quick visit to the village market. This time, the souvenirs and gifts for my loved ones were packets full of cardamom, black pepper, and coconut oil, as authentic as the itinerary of our trip.
Day 6: Heading Back Home
Back at the bungalow, we treated ourselves to a delicious vegetarian Kerala platter and spent a meaningful afternoon wrapped in the calmness of Vembanad. Somewhere around 5-5:30 pm, we headed to the homestay’s waterfront to experience the sunset we had heard so much about. First, the sky was wrapped in the soft gold light of a beaming sun that gradually turned amber and right before its departure for the day, a deep, bruised shade of pink. It unraveled in front of our eyes like a painting – the whole width of the lake catching the light at once and fishing boats returning as small, darker strokes in the canvas.
The next morning, we took a car directly to the Cochin airport. It took us around 2 hours to get there, and was an easier route than having to return to Alleppey. If you choose to follow this itinerary, make sure you pack light, accordingly. I have been asked so many times, “why spend 5 days in Alleppey.” Honestly, my International trips gave me so many memories of places, but every time I am in Kerala, AB and I find a way to reconnect with nature.
FAQs about Alleppey Travel
Most people opt for a one night house boat stay to cover the basic. For slow travelers, I recommend 5-6 days – if you would also like to combine the backwater experience with village home stays, a beach day and bird watching in Kumarakom.
Yes, Alleppey is referred to as Alappuzha in Malayalam. Both refer to the same town and district in Kerala.
Alleppey backwaters offer a classic cruise experience. You can opt for canoe rides through Kuttanad’s narrow canals, stay in village home stays, and go birdwatching in Kumarakom. You can experience the sunset at Alleppey beaches like Marari beach and Thumpoly beach, and enjoy local food experiences.
I’d recommend booking a houseboat through trusted operators like rainbow cruises, beautiful Alleppey houseboats, or blue jelly cruises. Before paying, always confirm the boats official classification (gold star/silver star rating), check-in and check-out time, and what’s included in meals. Make sure you book in advance during peak season (November to February).
Beaches like Marari, Thumpoly and Chetty are must visits to experience the local Alleppey life. Also add the backwaters and paddy fields of Kuttanad, Vembanad lake at golden hour. And Kumarakom’s bird sanctuary and the lotus fields at Malarikkal (late August to October) to your list.
Alleppey is a 1.5-2 hours drive from the Cochin International airport. It also has its own railway station that connects to major South Indian cities.
