Boats of Alleppey

Alleppey, in the state of Kerala, is sometimes referred to as the Venice of India due to the seemingly endless maze of canals and lakes in and around the surrounding area.  I have not been to Venice, but I think the similarities must end there.  Though more laid back than other places, this is still definitely tropical India with it's rice paddies, banana plantations and the streets full of crazy, honking traffic and the occasional cow in the road. 

Because of it's charm and beauty, Kerala has become a very popular tourist destination. They come to view the wildlife in the sanctuaries, trek in the hills or just relax on some of the best tropical beaches in India. One of the main attractions however is a cruise in the canals and backwaters around Alleppey and Kochin.

We were surprised and a little disappointed when we first saw the boat that had been scheduled for the three of us.  We had hoped for a smaller, more intimate traditional boat with a thatched sunroof.  It turned out however, to be a good choice, with our very friendly Captain and the ability to sit or stretch out under the shaded rooftop.

The ultimate cruise is an overnighter on one of the picturesque houseboats which range in size from this modest one to three story floating luxury mini hotels, where you have A/C bedrooms, and are pampered and treated to a freshly caught fish dinner.

The traditional wooden boats come in all sizes, from the big floating houseboats to the small canoes like this one docked under a magnificent Banyan tree, though more often than not they did not have outboard motors attached. Because the only access to many of the houses is by foot path or water, people who live on the canals use these canoes as their main mode of transport.  There are also the public ferries which are always packed with people, though I have to say some of these boats did not look very seaworthy.

We saw quite a few of these medium sized working boats loaded down with everything from cooking gas tanks, to bricks and sand, some loaded down with so much that it looked as though the slightest wave would sink them.  These boats typically did not have motors, but were propelled by human pole power.