Kerala backwaters: houseboat, homestay, or both
Guides · · 2 min read
The backwaters are a network of canals, lakes and rivers behind the Kerala coast. How much you enjoy them depends almost entirely on which water you are on.
Houseboat or homestay?
A houseboat is a converted rice barge with a bedroom, a deck and a cook. One night is the right amount: you board at noon, drift, eat an enormous lunch, moor before dark and leave after breakfast. Two nights on the same boat gets repetitive.
A homestay on a canal costs a fraction as much, puts you in a village rather than on a boat, and lets you take a small punt into the narrow channels a big barge cannot enter. Many travellers prefer it.
The best answer is often both: a night on a boat for the experience, two on land for the place.
Alleppey or Kumarakom
Alleppey has the most boats and the widest lake; it can feel like a parade at peak season. Kumarakom is quieter, with the bird sanctuary nearby. For genuine quiet, ask for a boat that moors away from the main channel, or base yourself further south around Thottappally.
When
October to March is the comfortable window. April and May are humid. The monsoon is beautiful, but boats keep to sheltered routes.
Practical notes
- Choose a boat with an engine that is switched off while moored; the generators are the noise that ruins the evening.
- Fish is bought at the water's edge and cooked on board. Say beforehand if you do not eat it.
- Mosquitoes arrive at dusk. So does the smell of the canal in some spots - moor where the water moves.
Fitting it in
Two nights around Alleppey pairs naturally with Fort Kochi before it and the Munnar hills after, which is the classic week in Kerala and still one of the best.