Kollam to Alleppey - National Waterway 3

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Varkala: Maybe the most popular among foreign backpackers, Varkala is attracting more crowds than Kovalam in the last 10years, though the beach is very narrow and surrounded by cliffs. There are many options for accommodation and restaurants, catering to the needs of backpackers. At the south cliff, SaMudra (Tel 9847184462, dbl Rs1500) offers trees and peace! Yoga classes/meditation/reiki/ayurveda –you name it, you get it here. German Bakery near the parking lot offers masala tea, croissant, used books and almost everything. Friendly owner Binu Joseph ( 9846348943) can arrange accommodation. His brother teaches Yoga at McLoedGanj, Dharamasala, Himachal Pradesh. Surf boards are available on rent Rs 50 or 100 depending on the demand. The waves are strong and the seabed is not even, be careful and follow the instructions of the life guards. Varkala train station is just 2km away, and you can get frequent buses to Kollam, it takes 1.5hrs by road. Avoid weekends and holidays if you intend to get sun tanned in a bikini to stay away from gawkers.

Kollam: 70km away from the state capital Tiruvananthapuram, Kollam is famous for fishing harbours and cashew factories. With Arabian Sea at west and Western Ghats at east bordering Tamil Nadu, this bustling district offers a lot to travellers- less hurried backwater cruises and beaches. Be sensitive in dressing at the beaches, not so bikini-friendly.

When you reach Kollam by KSRTC buses, walk to DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council) office next to the boat jetty (docking station for boats). DTPC offers well organized backwater cruises at different price levels. Cruising through Ashtamudi Lake, named after the eight channels leading to Arabian Sea, in a houseboat is a pleasant experience. The advantage is that, you don’t need to haggle with the agents. A single bed room boat for a 22hrs See-Sleep cruise will cost Rs 7000 and a two bed room will cost Rs 9000. Check in at 11am and checkout next morning at 9am. Lunch, dinner, breakfast included. A cheaper option will be to go for a 4hr cruise to Munroe Island, Rs 400 per person- there are two trips 9am and 2pm, knowledgeable guide will be accompanying you. Contact Arshaj Dev 9847090111 for more details, he works for DTPC as a guide. For a shoestring budget traveller, taking a local mass transport boat for less than Rs 10 will be ideal, less touristy and more real life.

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For an approved homestay near Thirumullavaram beach for Rs 600, the friendly staff at DTPC office can make bookings (Tel 0474 2745625/2750170, www.dtpckollam.com). Avoid staying inside the town, mosquitoes and noise permeate to keep you awake. Unlike the auto drivers in North Kerala, a bit og haggling and fixing the price upfront is required at Kollam. Ask the staff to hire an auto for you, you will not be charged double the normal price.
The light house at Thangassery is 15min from bus station and open to visitors till 5:30pm. Strolling up to Residency Bungalow built by Lord Munroe and walking around sprawling Ashraamam grounds is ideal for an evening. Adventure park behind Residency Bungalow offers backwater views in the cool shade of green trees. Mermaid statue at Kollam beach is impressive; otherwise there is nothing to see here except the fishermen and filthy fish market.

Kollam-Alleppey Boat : The most comfortable mode of transport for us is a boat. No turbulence, potholes, jolts. One of the oldest trade route and inland waterway, Kollam-Alappuzha was a bustling route until circa 1940. KSWTD (Kerala State Water Transport Department) runs two double decked boats between Alappuzha and Kollam – starting at 10:30am reaching the destination at 6:30pm. Call 0477 2252510 (Alappuzha) and 0474 2741211 (Kollam) for advance booking, 8hr trip costs Rs 300 per person. The service comes to a halt during peak Monsoon- July and August. The boat stops for lunch and evening snacks, a major stop en-route is at Amritapuri, 3hrs from Kollam- the abode of Amritandamayi, the cuddling mother. Known as National Waterway 3 and West Coast Canal the route is Ashtamudi Lake-Valiyavila-Kayamkulam Lake-Thottappally-Karumadi-Pallathuruthy, cruising through narrow canals choked with water hyson and sea-like vast lakes. You can spot many birds on the less inhabited shores of the canals. We were thrilled to watch the jelly fish of different sizes and turtle, which we had seen only on Discovery channel and the colourful animated movie - Finding Nemo. The friendly staff and very comfortable seats ensure you have a pleasant ride.

Alleppey: When you reach Alleppey, you will be surrounded by unscrupulous auto drivers. For accommodation, you can shop around the road on the other side of the canal opposite to the bus station. Behind bus station, Lemon Dew is handy (Tel 0477 2238495, 9895108332 dbl Rs 500), beware of mosquitoes. By the end of our boat trip, Andreas and Anette from Germany had become our good friends, thanks to our common interest in travel and Megha’s fluent German. They wanted to stay near the beach, so we hired an auto to Sea View Ward adjacent to the beach with many home stays. . An auto from the bus stand to the beach should cost no more than Rs 60. To reach here, head towards west from Finishing Point (houseboats are parked here) until you reach the beach. Sea Shore near Munnody Temple, run by Faizal and wife is backpackers’ favourite (Tel 9387812427/9605929988, dbl Rs 500). Shop around if the rooms are full, almost every house until Vijaya Park is a home stay. If you are not a beach person, you can stay near the backwaters. From Alleppey boat jetty, take a local boat to the jetty called Punchiri (Rs 3, 15min) and stay at River Side home stay.

After an elaborate dinner at Panoramic View resort south of the sea bridge, we bid adieu to Andreas and Anette. On Sunday, we met them for a guided tour to Kainakary to watch a houseboat built by my friend Babu. Relishing tea and masala vada at the local shop, we shared our travel stories, followed by dinner at the Toddy Shop (Kallu Shappu). We were amazed at Andrea’s in-depth knowledge about photography - www.alluminati.de  – a professional but humble photographer. Anette hails from a smalll Island in Sweden and multilingual –Danish, French, German, English... Strangers are friends we have not met yet!

A weekend in Alappuzha

Alappuzha (Alleppey) is known as Venice of the East, with its planned canals - the doorway to the famous backwaters. What can be done in Alappuzha over a weekend? Here are a few things I can think of in this well-planned town, a tribute to Raja Kesavadasan's visionary architecture. The most common touristy attraction is the houseboat cruise. You check in to a larger than average apartment sized houseboat and stay for 23hours. Typically you can check-in on Saturday morning 10 am and check-out by Sunday morning 9 am. While you enjoy your lunch, evening tea, dinner and Sunday morning breakfast, don't forget to carry a book or movie DVD. The houseboats start from 'Finishing Point' named after the legendary Nehru Trophy Boat Race. Finishing Point is 10min walk from the Alappuzha KSRTC bus stand, you need to take a newly-built bridge across the canals or Rs 20 by auto-rickshaw. If you are reaching by a train, you can hire an auto-rickshaw to Finishing Point by paying Rs 40 from the train station, 4km southwest of the town center.

There are more than 1000 houseboats in the 900km network of backwaters across the farmlands in Alappuzha and neighboring districts of Kottayam and Kollam. Long before the network of the roads were built, these canals were the main transport channels and even today some of the far inlands are connected by KSRTC boats than buses. The houseboats are the biggest tourist business in Alappuzha post the former prime minister A.B Vajpayee's famous vacation in Kerala. There are differently sized houseboats suitable for any number of people- up to seven bedroom boats are available. When you reach Alappuzha town, you will be surrounded by many travel-agency reps offering houseboat trips. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not possible to travel by houseboat between Alappuzha and Kollam or Alappuzha and Kochi. The quality of the food and infrastructure varies broadly- from old sinking vessels to palatial ships. It is strongly recommended to check your boat before agreeing for a price, make sure the toilet taps and air-conditioner are working fine.

 

 

 

For a couple, one bed room house boat will cost approx Rs 4500 to Rs 7000 for 23hours. The houseboats will be parked by 5pm in the evening next to the farmlands fringed by coconut trees in the far interior backwaters and coming out of the houseboat and going to the town or beach is not practical. If you want to reduce the cost, but experience the houseboat there is an alternative package. You can check- in the night around 8pm and stay overnight in the boat until 9am. This will cost Rs 3000 for two -dinner and breakfast are included. There will be two staff on board- a driver and a chef to cook the food of your choice. Don't forget to let them know your choice of food before hand, as they need to store the food in advance. You will cough up approx Rs 9000 for a two-bedroom houseboat and Rs 11000 for a three-bedroom. Note that this rate will escalate during the peak season -especially during Onam and Nehru Trophy boat race- Aug 2nd week of every year. Book your tickets through KSTDC for a pavillion seat away from the local crowds if you are planning to watch this mega event with thousands of cheering spectators. Carry food,drink and an umbrella as you have to stay there from 10am to 5pm.

Call Sabu (Cell 9446005514) of Goodwill tours for houseboat booking. His experience travelling all around India while he was in army will help to cater the guests' needs-familiar with food choices and conversant in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English.

Once the boat is parked, you can swim in the backwaters or fish using a bamboo pole and a string machine. Set on foot to visit the nearby villages to watch farming, boat building, coir making, toddy (palm beer) tapping and fishing which makes the backwaters so exquisite. Kuttanadu -the region with the lowest altitude in India, and one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level- 300ft below MSL. Kainakary, 10km from Alappuzha by road and 45min by boat is a nice place to see the real Kuttanadu life. You may be lucky to see chundan vallam (snake boat) or canoe construction. If you are adventurous with food, try fizzy toddy and KFC(Kappa Fish Curry) from the local toddy shop. Not everyone's taste buds will tolerate the hot and spicy fish curry or 'kappa' (tapioca) at the toddy shop (Rs 60 for a bottle of toddy and Rs 50-100 for dishes). Ask for 'kallu shaap' if you would like to go on this trails. Consider staying awake in the night for a while gazing the galaxy of stars or waking up at 6am to catch a glimpse of the sunrise reflecting in the huge lake.

If you are on a frugal budget or if you think houseboats are too cheesy, there are some alternatives to watch the backwaters at a cheaper cost. Take a public KSRTC boat from the boat jetty next to KSRTC bus station. The boat jetty is hiding inside the Mangalore-tiled ferry opposite to a swanky jewellery shop on the main road to KSRTC bus station. Hop on to any boat that goes to Nedumudi, Kavalam, Champakulam and you are assured a good experience of backwaters at the cost of Rs 10 for more than 2 or 3 hours. Another option is a long 3hour trip to Kottayam crossing Vembanad Lake and coming back by either boat or bus.

Near bus station along the canals, rented canoe boats are available for a non-guided laze through the canals on a small, covered canoe for up to four people for two hours (Rs 600-1000) - this is another way to run through your Sunday tranquil afternoon before boarding the bus or train. I strongly recommend wearing a life-jacket on these canoes as they can topple easily when unfamiliar feet try to balance. Knowing swimming is not essential but is an added advantage.

If you are not staying in the houseboat, consider staying at a home stay near the beach for an early morning beach experience. Alleppey Beach Holidays Home stay (d Rs 750, with AC Rs 1000), Near Collector's Bungalow, Sea View Ward is an excellent option. Call Jose (0477-2241649, Mob: 9447103852) and book your rooms. From this home stay, walk for 5min passing the railway level cross, you are welcomed by the white sanded beach of Alappuzha and get close to the erstwhile sea bridge ruins and the lighthouse. This sea bridge was used for transportation of food supplies from the vessels to the FCI (Food Corporation of India) warehouse and you will find the remains of the rails along the bridge. Checkout if the boating in the lake near the beach is functional and lay your hands on a paddle boat or a rowing boat. Visit Sree Krishna Ayurveda (0477-329728; http://www.krishnayurveda.com/), near Finishing Point, unwind taking one-hour rejuvenation massage for Rs 600.

Train/Bus to Alappuzha: Taking a train or bus directly to Alappuzha is the easiest way to reach there. If not available, take a train or bus to Ernakulam and board a KSRTC bus from bus station to Alappuzha which will take less than two hours. There will be plenty of buses at the bus station heading south on the NH 47. Waiting for a train to Alappuzha from Ernakulam railway station is not recommended. An auto from Ernakulam railway station to bus station will cost you Rs 20.

Environmental issues - pollution from the houseboat motors and biological waste tfrom houseboat toilets hreaten the backwaters and the community life on their banks. Kerala govt. is enforcing a 'Green Palm Certification' for installing solar panels and sanitary tanks for the disposal of waste. If you are eco-conscious, please try to use the manually sculled boats or public boats to visit the backwaters instead of motorized boats.