When I think of Kerala, just two thoughts cross my mind...more than 90% literacy rate and backwaters. Backwaters always fascinate me. I have experienced them in Chilika, Orissa, but they are not that famous. The Chilika Lake is the largest lagoon of Asia but its because of the laziness of Odisha Tourism that people don't know about it. Moving on, I was pretty impressed by the backwaters of Goa. Again people don't think of backwaters when in Goa. However the mangroves and the houseboats are equally good. Therefore, I was not new to backwaters. But still my travel history felt incomplete till I experienced them in Kerala.
The backwaters of Kerala start from Kochi and extend till the South. Allepey is the place where they are of utmost importance. Basically these are brackish lagoons which lie parallel to the Arabian Sea. They contain fresh water from the rivers mixed with water from the Arabian Sea. As a result, its ecosystem is unique as the flora and fauna are mixture of marine and freshwater.
We were on a very short trip. Just 5 days for Kerala is not enough. That too when the anchor destination was Kochi. However we tried to squeeze two day trips along with exploring Kochi: Alleppey and Munnar. Alleppey was on our second day.
Our port of call was just around 60 kms from our hotel and our cab driver assured that we would reach withing 2 hours because of the morning traffic. Thankfully we made it before noon and just after that the sun was at its best.
We earlier had plans of spending a night on a houseboat but then we changed our minds. Firstly we had already booked 5 nights in Kochi. Secondly the houseboats are really expensive. Thirdly we had heard too many negative reviews like the air con is not efficient and the lagoon stinks etc etc. So we just decided to explore the backwaters on a shikara.
Since the backwaters are an amalgamation of flora and water, the humidity is intolerable. However as soon as you step into the boat, the pleasant breeze wins you over. The place is quite commercialised as every boat owner tries to woo you. We did not book the shikara from the main place...they were quite expensive. Instead, we went to a lesser known area and sealed the deal. We booked the shikara for two hours of ride. As soon as we got into the boat and started rowing, the weather and the views got better and better.
Green has been my favourite colour since childhood and I could not be happier with the surroundings. Also numerous houseboats here and there enhanced the beauty of the place. As we rowed farther, all the boat to ourselves, me and daughter had the time of our lives while hubs photographed every little detail he could.
Dress: Globus
Sunnies: Fastrack
