Alyce from the UK recently went on a whirlwind tour of India and she’s here to help you plan your perfect trip to Kerala, based on exactly what you should do, when to do it and how to do it.
Alyce’s favourite destination in India by far was cruising the backwaters of Kerala on a traditional Indian house boat.
Alyce, worked as an India tailor made travel specialist so she has been trained to create bespoke itineraries and gap year trips to India.
Here’s Alyce’s experience and tips for visiting India’s beautiful south…
Possibly my favourite part of my recent trip to India was a night spent on a houseboat, cruising the back waters of Kerala. My sister had done this before and loved it, so I was pretty excited to try it out.
If you have been to India before and experienced the craziness of the north, then the slower pace of the south, may be a welcomed change for you, and there’s no better way to sit back, relax and unwind than some time on a house boat.
We were only on the boat for about 24 hours, however it’s possible to do a longer tour, using the boat as a mode of transport rather than just an experience.
After driving from Cochin to Kumarakom, we boarded our house boat which would take us through many of the backwaters and eventually see us arrive in Alleppey.
Kerala is tropical, so we were surrounded by palm trees and lush greenery throughout. We were also able to spot a few Kingfisher’s as we were sailing around, they’re small, but their blue is distinctive and they look amazing.
The whole point of the house boat is to relax. There is no TV or radio, just the sounds of the water and the local villages to keep you company, and it is utter bliss. They move quite slowly, so we just sat back, relaxed and watch the beautiful scenery.
We also got an insight into the lives of the local villagers and how much the local communities live off the waters. It’s used for everything from a source of food and water, to washing clothes and is constantly utilised by the locals, so this gave me the opportunity to get up close with a community, which is so different from my own, and how they operate day to day.
There are a number of main routes that can be taken where you’ll have the company of many other houseboats, however, we opted for the lake less travelled and ended up rarely coming across other tourists, which personally, I loved!
I was able to take a little side trip off the house boat in a canoe along some of the smaller canals, which I highly recommend! This is for the canals that are too narrow for the houseboat, however it gave me the opportunity to be see both nature and the community up close and the view from the canoe was awesome!
The boats themselves are relatively basic however you have options with it, depending on the kind of experience that you want. If you prefer, you can have a boat with no air conditioning and bamboo and coconut leaf shutters being the only barrier between you and the outside world, or you can go for a little more luxury and have glass windows, air conditioning etc… we went for this option, it was great!
The boats are fully self contained and the crew prepared all of our meals for us, seafood was the order of the day, as you are so close to it all, however all diets were catered for.
After a day of sun, scenery and amazing food (try the plantain pakoras), the boat parked up for the night and we were gently rocked to sleep by the calm waters. The following day there was time for a little more R&R, before leaving the boat late morning and continuing on to see more of beautiful Kerala.
Book a River Cruise in Kerala
Whether you have a short break up coming, or are lucky to have 3 weeks in India or longer, Kerala really is a special place and somewhere you shouldn’t miss.
Travelling by boat was an awesome experience and a great way to see India from a different point of view than you might otherwise have. I would highly recommend it – even just for a night!
Other Must Visit Cultural Attractions in Kerala
Including a tour to Kerala in your gap year means you can look forward to exploring one of the most exciting states in India. If you’re into culture you’ll really be in your element – but what are the top things to see while you’re here?
Ritual Theatre and Martial Arts
One of the reasons Kerala’s such an interesting place to visit is that while it’s got a reputation for being among the most modern states in the country (particularly with things like literacy), when it comes to cultural traditions it’s really conservative. Of course, this makes it one of the best places to experience India at its most authentic.
In terms of must-sees, you absolutely have to check out some ritual theatre, dance and martial arts while you’re here. It comes in lots of different forms, but traditional performances tend to be all-night affairs. You can either seek out these during your travels (if you’re in the north of Kerala, head to the beaches just south of Kannur, where dancers perform a wilder style, Theyyan, all night long) or visit shorter demonstrations designed for visitors.
These are often staged in hotels, but schools that teach the disciplines sometimes hold them too. Ens Kalari, where Kalarippayattu can be learned, holds one-hour shows every evening from Monday to Saturday. You’ll find this in Nettoor, but it’s worth bearing in mind you’ll need to give a day’s notice if you want to attend one.
Temple Festivals
There are loads of temples in Kerala, all of which will typically hold a minimum of one festival a year. When it comes to size, there can be massive differences, but generally speaking, you can expect to see ritual art performed (like the theatre and martial arts mentioned above), as well as firework displays and elephants draped in colourful cloth. If you’re keen to go to one of these, it’s well worth talking to your tour operator about what’s on where at the time you’ll be travelling.
Ayurveda Spas
Ok, on the face of it, a spa doesn’t sound like a particularly cultural thing to do. And perhaps in most cases it’s not – but that’s not so in Kerala. You see, many of the spas here use traditional Ayurveda medicine techniques, which means you get to experience a little slice of history – and relax at the same time.
Everywhere from hotels to traditional carved-wood Keralan cottages offer ancient treatments like this, which can involve things like oil massages. Again, it’s a good idea to chat to your tour operator about where the best places to visit will be near where you are, but since they’re fairly common – and can often be found in hotels – it shouldn’t be a problem to find one.
Fort Cochin
This is a great place to visit if you want to learn more about the things that have influenced Kerala’s and India’s overall culture. This is because it sits by the state’s busiest harbour and it’s packed with buildings that give clues to the European colonisation that characterised the area for roughly 500 years. While lots of these are now things like cafes and hotels, you can still look out for the old architecture, which includes Dutch merchants’ houses and Jewish synagogues.
Plan the Perfect Trip to Kerala
No trip to India would be complete without visiting Kerala and hopefully we have highlighted some of the main highlights. If it is your first time in the country view this India packing list so you remember all the essential items.