In continuation to my previous post where I have shared my experience of visiting the backwaters of Kerala, here are a few places to look after if you have couple of days in your itinerary.
Why Alaphuzza?
Referred as the Venice of the East in the state of Kerala, this place has a fascinating charm to look into. That experience of staying in a houseboat or spending hours on a rental boat ride is what most of the tourists go for. Also, the very famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held every year as per the schedule of the Malayalam Calendar. The boats can be as long as 100 feet and huge number of tourists gather to witness this amazing race which has been one of the prominent traditions of Kerala.
Things to Do / Places to Explore
1. Exploring Backwaters:
A serene boat ride will is all you need in the backwaters while staying on a house boat or booking a rental boat ride on hourly basis. To know more about exploring the backwaters please go through the Part One of this blog.
2. Alleppey Beach & Lighthouse:
The beach is clean and well maintained. Also, there is a lighthouse present near by which I could not visit. The sunset looks beautiful and lots of local stalls are present there selling coconut water, tea, coffee, banana chips and other local snacks. You can also sit and relax on the chaise which are available on beach for a nominal rent basis.
3. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
If you are a bird lover and enjoy bird watching then must visit this sanctuary for a memorable experience. I had a limited time to explore places therefore I could not visit this sanctuary dedicatedly. However, you can spot a number of varieties of birds while passing through the sanctuary in backwaters.
4. Visiting Local Markets
The charm of the tourist destinations lies in their local markets. A number of items like spices, banana chips, handicrafts etc are available to buy from these local markets. The famous Red Bananas are available in the market areas and are very delicious to eat. The Alleppey market is full of shops selling different kind of banana chips in multiple flavours to choose from. The chips are freshly prepared and have a freshly fried crispy texture which makes them super famous. I bought a few small packets of Kerala Chips as a souvenir for my colleagues.
The other things which can be bought was fresh whole spices as Kerala is famous for its spice plantations as well. The whole spices retained their aroma for a very long period when stored properly. Grounded spices tends to loose their aroma over a period of time. Therefore, Its always better to ground the spices only before you start cooking.
5. Ayurvedic Spa /& Therapy
Experience the Luxurious Ayurvedic Therapy/Spa in various Centres situated across the town. You can enquire from your hotel/homestay and get recommendations about the centers which offers a range of therapies to choose. These are on a bit expensive side but will give you a relaxing and memorable experience.
I opted for 'Shirodhara' which is a classical and a well-established ayurvedic procedure of slowly and steadily dripping medicated oil or other liquids on the forehead and 'Abhyangam' which is a massage that's done with warm oil. The oil is applied on the entire body. These services comes under various packages and The rates start from INR 4000/- approximately.
It's advisable to carry a separate set of daily use clothes as after the procedure the entire body will become oily. Also, it is recommend to have a lukewarm water bath 2 hrs after the procedure so that the body absorbs the medicated oil in that time.
6. Exploring Local Cuisines
As mentioned earlier, the Karimeen is an absolute delicacy to have when you are visiting Alleppey. Apart from that, you can enjoy the traditional dishes such as Cabbage Coconut Thoran, Iddiyappam, Dosas, Idlis and Vadas. There are various eateries available across the town however I chose to stick to my foood options in the home stay only. The reason was simple as I was getting home cooked traditional food in affordable rates and with the luxury of dining in a natural ambience.
Also, I would like to mention that while travelling in the backwaters, you can visit the nearby villages in the Kottayam District (Famous for its Paddy Fields) where the traditional thali is being served in eateries running in the form of small shacks or huts. Initially coconut water is served followed by the the meal which consists of Rice, traditional curries with the choice of your fish (raw) which is brought to you in the form of a platter to choose from (to be fried later and served with the meal), papadam.
Summing up, you can plan your itinerary for 3-4 days if you want a relaxing trip. Hotels, Homestays, Houseboats etc. are available in plenty and as per your choice you may opt which is best suitable for you. People travel in boats from different jetties of the villages and boat timings are quite frequent. Other than that Autorickshaws and Buses are always available. Dedicate one full day only for expoloring the backwaters, the lake and the adjoining villages nearby. The more time you spend, the more relaxing it is. One day can be given for exploring the local markets, local cuisines and visiting the beach. Finally to give an ultimate relaxation touch to your trip, on the concluding day you can plan an Ayurvedic Spa to go for.
Please visit this paradise whenever you get an opportunity and do let me know your experience in the comments.
Thanks for reading !
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