Stay In A Houseboat

No trip to Kerala is complete without a houseboat in the picture. It is almost mandatory for everybody to experience a day or two gliding through the backwaters and spending an entire day in one.

Why Not Houseboat is a budget friendly company that runs many houeseboats in Allappey. I came across them via a quick Google search and was quite satisfied with what I found; a one bedroom boathouse just for me!

Have the best local food prepared by the Chef onboard:

The chef prepared some delicious food for lunch 😋 The best part about this meal was how a man climbed a tree to cut fresh banana leaves in order for me to experience how the locals eat. It’s the little details that make all the difference👍🏼

Glide through the backwaters and enjoy the view:

The idea to stay on a houseboat was to get some downtime, which I did. I watched how the locals commuted via boat to buy food, groceries, or even go for a massage and glide through the mangroves.

Relax on the upper deck:

I spent most of my time here enjoying the weather and the view 🤩

A very important note:

If you’re a drinker, please buy alcohol and mixers BEFORE you get on the boat from a liquor shop. I found one in Marari before I drove down to the houseboat. The reason being is that the locals don’t drink anything else apart from strong beer and aren’t even aware of what tonic water is. So even if you do stop at a convenience store, chances are they won’t have what you’re looking for. You will only find them at Relience Fresh or any of the big super marts. Only aerated drinks like Coke and Sprite will be available. So STOCK UP and then get on the boat!

Catch your dinner:

You can stop at the local fish market where you'll find a range of seafood at amazing prices! From fresh tiger prawns at INR300/- and fresh crabs at INR400, how could I resist? I told the chef how I wanted them to be cooked and he did an outstanding job!

Walk around the village:

Just before sunset, the boat stops for the night. I decided to hop off and walk around the village. I came across lush green sites, women and children walking back home, lots of palm trees and cute houses. It’s the little things that I appreciated. There was beauty in simplicity over here❤️

And lastly, see the beautiful sunset:

No wonder it's called "God's own country."