Memorable Houseboat view of Allepey District
The district Alleppey
Alappuzha district in Kerala, located 70kms to the south of Cochin is also known as Alleppey. Lord Curzon on visiting Allepey got mesmerized by its beauty and claimed it to be "Venice of the East". It has been nicknamed as such since then. The entire town is a plain area without any mountains or hills with a mesh of canals. On one side is the Vembanad Lake and to the west of the district is the Arabian Sea. Owning to the fact, the district is surrounded by water; the average high temperature doesn't rise above 30°C.
How to reach the city
Accessing the city is possible through all means. The nearest airport is the Cochin International airport to the north and Thiruvanthapuram International Airport to the south. It is also well connected through the rails. Four trains originate from this district to Chennai, Dhanbad, Tatanagar and Kannur and also trains from other important cities pass through Alappuzha. NH 47 passing through this city connects it to other cities such as Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Trivandrum.
Watching from the water
The best view of the entire district can be obtained by taking a cruise in the houseboat. The houseboats known as Kettuvallams or rice boats were earlier used to transport goods like rice and spices. When roads, bridges and trucks were introduced to the transport system, these boats became useless and they were put to use in tourism. The entire boat is made of jack wood planks and they are tied together using coir. Care has been taken to use only natural products for the boat, even the bed is made of wood from coconut tree. The boat has all comforts like bedroom, toilet, kitchen and living room similar to that of a suite at a good hotel and even a separate room for the crew members. The crew mostly comprises of a chef and two oarsmen. Some boats are poled by oarsmen and some do have engines. The entire lighting for the boat is being provided through solar panels and traditional lanterns.
Places nearby to roam around
The cruise on the houseboat can never be complete without the sightseeing of the following places.
There is a small island in the district named Pathiramanal meaning "Sands of Night". It is the largest island on the Vembanad Lake and it serves as home to many migratory birds. The beauty of the island surrounded by the lake is breath taking. Also visit Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary situated on the banks of Vembanad Lake.
Thaneermukkom Bund, the salt water barrier was developed by the Kuttand Development scheme to prevent tidal action and salt water from entering the low level areas of Kuttand. The barrier offers the view of the lake being divided into two equal parts one with brackish water and another with fresh water from rivers which get drained into the lake.
One can just have a cruise through the canals of the Alleppey and have a glimpse of fish net making and coir making. There are lots of churches and temples in Alleppey if one is into deity worship.
Relaxing body and mind
Both body and mind can be relaxed a lot with a tour to Kerala. With the tantalizing trandiontal food of keralaand cool breeze from the lake, one can forget about all the tension in life and relax. Many places nearby also offer Ayurvedic massage to get rid of the body pain which is also soothing for the mind. The view of coir making, boat building and fish farming will be entertaining and will transform you into another world which is worth to be experienced.
Alappuzha district in Kerala, located 70kms to the south of Cochin is also known as Alleppey. Lord Curzon on visiting Allepey got mesmerized by its beauty and claimed it to be "Venice of the East". It has been nicknamed as such since then. The entire town is a plain area without any mountains or hills with a mesh of canals. On one side is the Vembanad Lake and to the west of the district is the Arabian Sea. Owning to the fact, the district is surrounded by water; the average high temperature doesn't rise above 30°C.
How to reach the city
Accessing the city is possible through all means. The nearest airport is the Cochin International airport to the north and Thiruvanthapuram International Airport to the south. It is also well connected through the rails. Four trains originate from this district to Chennai, Dhanbad, Tatanagar and Kannur and also trains from other important cities pass through Alappuzha. NH 47 passing through this city connects it to other cities such as Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Trivandrum.
Watching from the water
The best view of the entire district can be obtained by taking a cruise in the houseboat. The houseboats known as Kettuvallams or rice boats were earlier used to transport goods like rice and spices. When roads, bridges and trucks were introduced to the transport system, these boats became useless and they were put to use in tourism. The entire boat is made of jack wood planks and they are tied together using coir. Care has been taken to use only natural products for the boat, even the bed is made of wood from coconut tree. The boat has all comforts like bedroom, toilet, kitchen and living room similar to that of a suite at a good hotel and even a separate room for the crew members. The crew mostly comprises of a chef and two oarsmen. Some boats are poled by oarsmen and some do have engines. The entire lighting for the boat is being provided through solar panels and traditional lanterns.
Places nearby to roam around
The cruise on the houseboat can never be complete without the sightseeing of the following places.
There is a small island in the district named Pathiramanal meaning "Sands of Night". It is the largest island on the Vembanad Lake and it serves as home to many migratory birds. The beauty of the island surrounded by the lake is breath taking. Also visit Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary situated on the banks of Vembanad Lake.
Thaneermukkom Bund, the salt water barrier was developed by the Kuttand Development scheme to prevent tidal action and salt water from entering the low level areas of Kuttand. The barrier offers the view of the lake being divided into two equal parts one with brackish water and another with fresh water from rivers which get drained into the lake.
One can just have a cruise through the canals of the Alleppey and have a glimpse of fish net making and coir making. There are lots of churches and temples in Alleppey if one is into deity worship.
Relaxing body and mind
Both body and mind can be relaxed a lot with a tour to Kerala. With the tantalizing trandiontal food of keralaand cool breeze from the lake, one can forget about all the tension in life and relax. Many places nearby also offer Ayurvedic massage to get rid of the body pain which is also soothing for the mind. The view of coir making, boat building and fish farming will be entertaining and will transform you into another world which is worth to be experienced.
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