The Alleppey backwaters: houseboat or homestay?

Alleppey — officially Alappuzha — is where most people first meet the backwaters, and the question everyone asks is the same: is the houseboat worth it?

Sometimes. Here is how to decide.

What the backwaters are

The backwaters are a network of lakes, rivers and canals running parallel to the coast, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land. Much of the surrounding farmland, around Kuttanad, lies below the water level and is farmed behind embankments. Villages, churches, temples and small shops line the canals, and for many people here the water is still the road.

The largest body of water is Vembanad Lake, the biggest lake in Kerala, with Alleppey on one side and Kumarakom on the other.

Houseboats

The houseboats, kettuvallam, are descended from the long wooden barges that once carried rice and spices along these waterways. Today they have bedrooms, a bathroom, a deck with chairs, and a crew that includes a cook.

• Overnight: usually boards around noon and disembarks around 9 am the next day.
• Day cruise: a few hours around midday, with lunch, and no night on board.
• Boats range from simple one-bedroom boats to large luxury ones, and the difference in comfort — and price — is considerable.

A houseboat day, honestly

You board around midday and cruise out onto the lake. Lunch is cooked on board, usually a Kerala meal with fish curry and often karimeen, pearl spot, the local fish. The boat moves slowly through the afternoon and stops once or twice.

Then, by rule, it moors for the night by dusk, usually around six o'clock. Houseboats do not cruise after dark, so that local fishermen can work the water. Dinner, a still evening on the deck, and sleep.

What people are not always told: most of the time is on the large, open lake and wide channels, because the boats are too big for the narrow canals. It is peaceful, and the sunset is lovely, but the village life you picture is mostly on the smaller waterways. The air conditioning on many boats runs only at night. And popular stretches can have a lot of other boats in sight.

It is a good experience. It is not the only one, or necessarily the best.

Homestays and shikaras

A homestay by the water gives you the backwaters in the morning and evening, which are the loveliest times, a family meal, and a quiet night — usually for much less than a houseboat.

A shikara is a small canopied boat hired by the hour. It can go where houseboats cannot: into the narrow canals past people washing, children going to school by boat, and ducks being herded along the water. Two or three hours on a shikara in the early morning is, for many people, the best of the backwaters.

A homestay plus a morning shikara is the combination we most often hear people recommend afterwards. There are also public ferries across the waterways, which cost very little and show you the backwaters as the people who live there use them.

What to check before booking

• Licensed operators. Book through an operator approved by Kerala Tourism, or through your homestay.
• Private or sharing. Some boats take several groups.
• Air conditioning hours, if you are going between March and May.
• What the route is, and whether any of it uses the narrower canals.
• Meals and dietary needs. Vegetarian food is easy to arrange if you ask in advance.
• What is included — drinking water, transfers, and taxes.

When to go

From November to February the weather is best and demand is highest, especially over Christmas and New Year, so book ahead. March to May is hot and humid. The monsoon, from June, is green and dramatic, with some cruises affected by heavy rain.

If you are there in August, the Nehru Trophy Boat Race — the long snake boats with dozens of rowers — is usually held on the second Saturday of the month on Punnamada Lake, and is one of the great sights of Kerala.

Alleppey is about two hours from Fort Kochi, so it works as the last stop before flying home. There is a full route in a seven-day Kerala itinerary, and ideas for the rest of your time in things to do in Fort Kochi.

Common questions

Is a houseboat in Alleppey worth it?

It is a pleasant, restful experience, but houseboats are too large for the narrow canals, so most of the time is on the open lake. Many people prefer a homestay by the water combined with a few hours on a small shikara boat.

What time do Alleppey houseboats check in and out?

Overnight houseboats usually board around noon and disembark around 9 am the next morning. They must moor by dusk and do not cruise at night.

What is a shikara boat?

A small canopied boat hired by the hour. Unlike houseboats it can enter the narrow village canals, which is where much of the everyday backwater life is.

How far is Alleppey from Fort Kochi?

About two hours by road, which makes it an easy last stop before flying out of Kochi.