“A boat ride in God's Own Country.”
The shikara boat ride in the backwaters of Alleppey was one of the
highlights of our Kerala trip. After having lunch at Aaryas restaurant
we went to the Alleppey boat jetty where our rickshaw driver introduced
us to this Shikara boat operator who took us around the backwaters of
Alleppey for 2 hours in just Rs.1000.
It was a very pleasant two hours. There were two settees in the shikara where we could lie down and watch the scenery pass by as if in a dream. In addition there were half a dozen cushioned cane chairs, and the three of us had the whole boat to ourselves.
One does not necessarily have to hire a big house boat in Alleppey to do the backwaters. A shikara boat is much more environmentally friendly than a house boat, though it is also motorised. We passed by many large air-conditioned house boats with huge generators on board, and wondered at the pollution caused by them to the fragile ecosystem.
The boatman Mr. Anil Kumar was very courteous and showed us many attractions. We saw the rice fields of the Kuttanad which are said to lie below sea level. He took us to the entry point of the huge Lake Vembanad where we saw a lot of house boats taking tourists around. We saw how the local people live their daily lives next to the gentle waterways, instead of a noisy roadside.
We stopped mid-way at a small eatery and had some coconut water and coffee before returning back refreshed.
Now we know why Alleppey is also known as the ‘Venice of the East.’
It was a very pleasant two hours. There were two settees in the shikara where we could lie down and watch the scenery pass by as if in a dream. In addition there were half a dozen cushioned cane chairs, and the three of us had the whole boat to ourselves.
One does not necessarily have to hire a big house boat in Alleppey to do the backwaters. A shikara boat is much more environmentally friendly than a house boat, though it is also motorised. We passed by many large air-conditioned house boats with huge generators on board, and wondered at the pollution caused by them to the fragile ecosystem.
The boatman Mr. Anil Kumar was very courteous and showed us many attractions. We saw the rice fields of the Kuttanad which are said to lie below sea level. He took us to the entry point of the huge Lake Vembanad where we saw a lot of house boats taking tourists around. We saw how the local people live their daily lives next to the gentle waterways, instead of a noisy roadside.
We stopped mid-way at a small eatery and had some coconut water and coffee before returning back refreshed.
Now we know why Alleppey is also known as the ‘Venice of the East.’
Ask EkMusafir about Sreekrishna's Shikara Cruise - Day Tours
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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