Alleppey – Where the backwaters overlook the Arabian Sea
As you gaze out over the picturesque docks of Alleppey, you see it as a sleepy little town that must shed your slippery city poses and renew yourself in the lap of brackish lagoons. But Alleppey begins to gesticulate wildly and wakes up to a whirlwind of activities when regatta season and the alluring Ambalappuzha Temple Fest knock on the door. And the sweetness of the legendary Ambalappuzha Palpayasam permeates a touch of everything in Alleppey.
Waves of tourists and soul seekers are being drawn to Alleppey for its promise of tremendous greenery and the embrace of ecotourism. Home to a hundred shades of green and a thousand sounds of tranquility, Alleppey spills over with the fairytale creation of stone-walled breweries and expansive carpets of lush green rice paddies juxtaposed against confusing water road junctions. Sleeping ‘Kettuvalloms’ (houseboats) are moored to the shores and sway serenely to the beat. Small villages covered with coconut leaves are dotted here and there. Everything there seems to compete for the attention of the palm-fringed backwaters.
A houseboat cruise is a must. Cruising along the untouched backwaters gives an otherworldly impression of Alleppey’s dizzying mix of farm life, commerce and the general hustle and bustle. Listen… the Chinese fishing nets tied to the shore gleam lazily in the sun as if telling the story of how it got here. Flocks of multicolored ducks swimming close to the shores almost deafen you with their quacking chorus.
If your houseboat captain asks if you’d like to try fresh seafood prepared on board, take the opportunity to experience the magic of al fresco dining on the boat. All the ingredients such as spices, fish, prawns etc. can be bought from the canoeing fishermen. Wait until the mouthwatering aroma fills the air and soon you’ll be gorging yourself on a typical Alleppey lunch seasoned with Kerala spices to the core! Perhaps one of these local fishermen can arrange a trip to Pathiramanal Island for you. In the middle of the beautiful Vembanad Lake, near Kumarakom, this backwater island is a pet haven for thousands of rare migratory birds from around the world.
Visit the picturesque Alleppey Beach complete with an extensive seaside garden. The crowds at Centennial Pier, including magicians, fortune tellers, peanut vendors, and many more, can pique your interest and keep you fired up until the end of the day. Vijaya Park and Sea View Park adjacent to the beach have enough rides and amusements to keep even the most irritable child busy for hours.
Alleppey jumping during the harvest time will present you an intrinsic experience of witnessing rows of women pulling the paddy fields by hand and hitting them in a funny way, humming some folk song formed long ago. Returning to your resort at sunset, the red-tiled-roofed houses seem to cast a fiery crimson against the backdrop of pearlescent waters and palm groves. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the breeze cools a bit as other people also rush home to join in the evening prayers.