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Available until 5pm
The morning wakens to the chatter of birds. Woodpeckers drum, kingfishers call and the first rays of light douse the shimmering water.
This is Alleppey, the gateway to Kerala’s backwaters, where besides the number of visitors, very little has changed among the watery abodes. Fishermen unload the morning catch and tend calf-deep to their palm-fringed prawn ponds. Further out on the lakes, Chinese fishing nets float on the water catching the gentle breeze as the early mist begins to lift.
Explore on kettuvalom, curvaceous barges used since Kerala’s dawn to transport rice, spice and passengers along the network of winding waterways. A canoe will punt you further into a maze of canals bloated with hyacinth and lined with colourful vessels. Drift by water-facing churches, cottages and rural temples of thatch-roofed villages. You’ll see families washing their clothes in the river and women spinning fibrous coir while children play loud games of cricket joyfully along the leafy banks.
From spice farms to paddy fields and canal explorations, Kerala’s signature destination calls for intelligent exploration assisted by our Indian experts.



Spice Coast Cruises - CGH Earth
In the early days, Keralans used kettuvallam boats to transport rice, passengers and spices between different villages, hence why they were often referred to as rice barges. In keeping with the traditional style woven with bamboo and coir and narrow enough to navigate the canals, you can spend a night or two on Spice Coast Cruise. Cruising on a traditional rice barge is a wonderful way to explore a peaceful side of India.
The boats weren’t motorised so the crew would punt them slowly along the canals stopping at all the markets. After the 1980s, Kerala saw more roads being built and slowly the dominant transport changed from water to land. Responding to the change, the locals transformed their barges into houseboats for visitors who wanted a taste of Lake Vembanad’s idyllic backwater life.
Spice Coast Cruises have two kettuvallums. They are in keeping with the traditional style woven with bamboo and coir and narrow enough to navigate the canals. They both have one bedroom for exclusive use only, so you don’t have to share the views as you sit on the open deck and watch the water world go by. The talented boatmen whose families have navigated the lake over generations, double up as private chefs and cook amazing feasts. Enjoy fish caught from the lake that same morning and cooked in a banana leaf with chilli, ginger and lime. Or the prawns picked from the ponds accompanied by red rice and locally grown vegetables. It’s always fun to buy the fresh catch of the day from a local market and ask the chef to cook it up for supper.
Stay for one night and you’ll experience a slice of Lake Vembanad’s unique lifestyle. You could go for a stroll around a village known for its coir rope making, see fishermen casting their nets and end the day admiring those melting sunsets from the deck. Stay for two nights and you can explore smaller canals and get even closer to village life where farmers work in the paddy fields, people washing their clothes in canals and children racing along the banks after school without a care in the world.
Alleppey's Ultimate Floating Restaurant
On a half-day excursion, the deluxe house boats cruise around Alleppey’s sun dappled backwaters as you soak up the scenery from the deck or through the large picture windows. Enjoy the quintessential Keralan scenes that unfold quietly under the palms and among glistening paddy fields.
Today around 300 houseboats cruise Alleppey’s backwaters. While the exteriors are traditionally crafted with local coir and bamboo, inside there’s beautiful cane furniture, jack wood panels, woven mats and a day bed where you can lounge in the sun. Mod cons include air-conditioning in the bedrooms for those overnighting and solar panels for extra sustainability. Every cruise is different.
On a half-day excursion, the deluxe house boats cruise around Alleppey’s sun dappled backwaters as you soak up the scenery from the deck or through the large picture windows. Starting at Pallathuruthy town, drift past Champakulam, a village that hosts one of the oldest snake boat races in Kerala and where you can see a docked snake boat, named after its long, thin, shape and originally used in combat for its agility and ability to hold 100 men.
Enjoy the quintessential Keralan scenes that unfold quietly under the palms and among glistening paddy fields. People wash their clothes on the river edges, children run along the banks after school. Toddy shops, ancient churches and rice barges filled with produce pass by. Locals pause their conversations to wave at you
For many, lunch is the main highlight. This is usually a deliciously spiced lentil sambar curry using seasonal vegetables like pumpkin, okra and carrots. It is served alongside Kerala’s speciality pearl spot fish as well as a chicken dish. You will travel back through a patchwork of lagoons, lakes and canals.
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