Kerala Trip: Slept on land and water this time...

[kaushik_s]

Nice travelogue Samurai, Nice photos but expected something slightly better from you but then you were on a family trip not a photo trip ;-)
But somehow I've to confess I like the other part of Kerala more, the hilly part(Munnar,Wayanad etc) and the houseboats are kinda over-hyped then the real beauty of the hills of Kerala.But that's just my personal opinion.

[trrk]

Hi Samurai,

> Also got to meet Team-BHPian Trrk who had come there just to meet me.

Well, if I did not have to be back at my place that day, you would have been bored by me for a longer duration.

> Wife got to do some saree shopping at Kalyani Silks on the way back.

For records sake, it is Kalyan Silks.

As an aside, I am sure she must have seen a good collection.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

The mosquito coils had no effect. That one single thing turned as off from future houseboat trips. Also, we didnt really like the scenery.

I can understand the mosquitos. These pests in Kerala can be damn annoying and huge (compared to the ones in TN). And when you are amidst a waterbody, mosquitoes are inevitable.

But, you did not like the scenery ??? Now that is a first.

I have done this more times than I can remember, since I stay just 40kms from there and have many friends (from US, BE, India etc) coming in for this visit and am the guide. But I can never tire of this.

Paradise to me would be a home on the shore of this lake, some nice Kerala rains, hot kappa/fish curry and some hot tea (ok, even the inebriating stuff will do).

Another option for those who have a day to spare is to do the 1-day boat ride from Alappuzha to Kollam - the ride goes via villages along the waterway, Mata Amritanandamayi math, coir industries etc etc. Now that would be an experience and at some 200-odd rupees there is nothing that comes close.

[rjstyles69]

Oh my !! Pics again..I have rated this thread a 5 star , coz I think the real beauty of the backwaters and the house boats has been captured and displayed here.

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I've heard a lot about these house boats. How did your kids take it sharath ? Did they find a full day boring ? Were there any chances for fishing while in the boat ?

John all it takes is to buy the string,hook, get a stick and you have a crude fishing rod.Well you can fish and take dip also if you wanted to,no-one will stop you. Mind you the water ain't that clean though.

edit :

Paradise to me would be a home on the shore of this lake, some nice Kerala rains, hot kappa/fish curry and some hot tea (ok, even the inebriating stuff will do).

Biju well said, hell yeah I would die for this experience and add some karimeen also. I wouldnt mind traveling back year after year and repeat the whole thing once again.

[Sam Kapasi]

Beautiful!! Lovely pictures and a great story.

[bottle]

really nice pictures. should make it a point to visit one day

[supremeBaleno]

John, never tried fishing in the lake, though I do fish in the river behind our house and as Riju said, it takes all of maybe Rs.5 to have your fishing line ready.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

and take dip also if you wanted to,no-one will stop you. Mind you the water ain't that clean though.

We did that also one time. Took with us an inflatable rubber raft (for the non-swimmers) and the rest of us just jumped in. Nice fun.

BTW, I know someone who is in the business of renting out house-boats at Alappuzha. So if someone needs to book boats or need rate info, PM me for the person's name and phone number for you to deal directly with him.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

BTW, I know someone who is in the business of renting out house-boats at Alappuzha. So if someone needs to book boats or need rate info, PM me for the person's name and phone number for you to deal directly with him.

Prediction : your inbox is gonna be flooded.

@SB & riju... i have a semi professional fishing rod & loads of fishing experience (100% of them which i have forgotten with age). Was just wondering if there were any good catch in those waters. Would love to spend a day with my kids fishing in a houseboat.

[Surprise]

Nice photographs. Would have been more enjoyable read if GV is a part of this trip.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

But, you did not like the scenery ??? Now that is a first.

@Iam the second .

For the first 2-3 hours we enjoyed like anything, but after that it started to be a boring affair even with bottles of KF's and toddy + fresh fish/meats and include swimming too. Many of them eagerly looked at the shore with love during the return journey

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Was just wondering if there were any good catch in those waters. Would love to spend a day with my kids fishing in a houseboat.

You bet there is coz most of the local fishermen who don't venture into the sea get their catch for the day from the same waters.

[prabuddhadg]

Amazing pics as usual, Samurai. And quite enjoyed your writing style as well, matches the serene setting.

Brought back memories of the boat ride my wife and I took from Quilon to Alleppey. It was peaceful, and the scenery was breathtaking. Of course, you had to turn away from the dirty patches in the water. Your pics take care of that beautifully. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[jkdas]

Nice pix. I was expecting you to write about the drive with Steer in the Dicor.

A friend of mine mailed me this link to your travelogue. He just saw the pix but didnt read and hence was surprised when I said it was Kerala!

[deepakhon]

A very detailed account of your trip and the photos, as usual, are excellent. I really wish I had your eye for photography!

We did the house-boat at Alleppey. It cost us about 9k (AC boat) per day for the house boat. I think Kumarakkom is slightly costlier.

[Jaggu]

:( i wanna go home!

As usual excellent pictorial reporting samurai san.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by deepakhon

A very detailed account of your trip and the photos, as usual, are excellent. I really wish I had your eye for photography!

We did the house-boat at Alleppey. It cost us about 9k (AC boat) per day for the house boat. I think Kumarakkom is slightly costlier.

Price differs depending on tourist season. Dec end, New Year command the best, can go upto 50K . These boats cost 10lac up. Cheapest is at 5k per night.

@Jaggu; shall we start a thread? When are you visiting?