Yesterday we went for the boat ride from Alleppey to Quilon, enjoying the real beauty of Kerala backwaters...

That was a really nice trip. We started from Ernakulam by around 6.30 a.m by car, and reached Alleppey by around 7.45 a.m. which was too early for the boat ride from Alleppey to Quilon, which starts at 10.30 a.m in the morning. So went for the Sunday morning mass at the Church opposite to the Leo Thirteenth High school (Alma mater) and then proceeded for breakfast. It was very difficult to find a decent, budget hotel for break fast at Alleppey. May be becuase we do not know the place well. Initially our plan was to take the boat service by DTPC, and unfortunately they only rent out boats, they do not have regular trips. One guided us to the Government boat jetty, and we booked the government boat service operated by SWTC, which starts at 10.30 a.m during the season (season ends by the end of May and starts again in August). So, if you are planning a trip, please check in advance. The charges were Rs.300/head (6 USD), for this wonderful 7 hours 30 minutes boat ride through the backwaters, which is a feast for the tourist. Do not miss it. Given a chance, I will again go for it...

The crew was very friendly. They doubled up as guides. We started from Alleppey, Government boat jetty exactly at 10.30 a.m. Since it was almost the end of the tourist season (August to May), the number of passengers was very less. It was a big double Decker boat. The photo above is taken from the upper deck. At the beginning of the journey, both sides of the canal was full of parked house boats. After a while the canal joined the river. Our course comprised of narrow canals, rivers and very wide lakes. By around 1.30 p.m, we stopped at a resort for lunch. We opted for vegetarian food, which was priced at Rs.100/person. Non vegetarian dishes were also available.

Since the number of passengers were less, it was a very friendly atmosphere inside the boat. We never felt tired. It was never warm, as the cool breeze kept the temperature down. We were taking pictures of everything, as everything around us seemed really beautiful. By the time, it was noon, I exhausted one battery of my camera (Canon), where the Nikon fan (Rosanna) kept clicking on till evening without changing the batteries. I do not know whether the poor battery life of Canon is because of the camera setting I was using (AF-Servo).

No moment in the long 7 hours journey is dull, because the route provides us with glimpses of the rural life as well well as the vast expanse of the lakes, it's flora and fauna....

By around 3.30 p.m, we had the tea break. By this time, we had completed our journey through the narrow canals, and the next phase was through the vast lakes. The evening sun added to the glory of the sights around, and slowly we were approaching the golden hour of the photographer.

By 6.30 p.m, we reached Quilon (Kollam). Your visit to Kerala will be incomplete, without this trip. If you are coming from the Trivandrum side, Quilon-Alleppey boat service is recommended (again starts at 10.30 a.m). If you are coming from the Kochi (Ernakulam) side, the Alleppey-Quilon boat service is ideal (starts at 10.30 a.m). During off season, they may even cancel the service, so it is always recommended to verify with the Kerala state water transport department, before proceeding. Here are their contacts : 0477 2252510 (Alleppey) (0091 477 2252510, if calling from outside India), 0474 2741211 (0091 474 2741211), Kerata State water transport department.

Here is the link to Rosanna's facebook album of this trip, which captures life of coastal Kerala

Here is a related link www.greatbackwaters.com