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Our last stop before returning to Cochin at the end of our two-month trip around southern India was Alleppey, ‘Venice of the East’, or at least I thought it was!  As is our wont, I went on Trip Advisor and booked two nights in the number one rated bed and breakfast in Alleppey.  Arriving in town from Kollam, we discovered that the place I’d booked was actually 20 kilometres out of Alleppey and it was going to cost us a small fortune to get there!

Our Accommodation

This photo shows our accommodation at Lovedale - an individual cabin in the grounds with a steep pitched roof
Our cottage at Lovedale Homestay

Once at Lovedale Lakeside Homestay, though, we realised that it was lovely and the perfect place to reflect on the journey that was about to end.  It was situated right on the lake and had a cabana where we could sit and watch all the activity – birds, fishermen, houseboats, boats delivering goods, and lots more.  Our wooden cottage in the garden afforded us attractive and comfortable accommodation.  Our hosts were very welcoming and served us delicious food throughout our stay – albeit in portions that were far too large!

This photo shows the traditional fishing nets which we could see from the veranda at Lovedale
Fishing nets on the lake

A Colourful Local Festival

On our first evening, our hosts told us about a festival at the local temple, so we went to have a look.  The procession of elephants, dancers and drummers was quite a sight!

This photo shows local men dressed in white sarongs leading an elephant to the temple
Temple festival procession
This photo shows elephants with highly decorative head covers
Elephants waiting to join the procession to the temple
This photo shows local people dressed in white and carrying lit candles
Local people heading to the temple
This photo shows a group of four local boys smiling and playing up to the camera
Boys enjoying the festival

Backwater Boat Trip

We did yet another boat trip whilst we were in Alleppey.  This time, our boat was very, very low in the water and had no seats – we had to recline on the bottom of the boat.  Getting on and off at each stop was a bit of a mission, especially for Mark whose back was playing up that day!

This photo shows our boat with its sun canopy to protect us from the strongest rays
Our boat
This photo shows the island home of our captain
Santosh’s house
This photo shows Santosh's living room with photos of his children
The inside of Santosh’s house

Our ‘captain’ for the day, Santosh, took us to his waterside home to meet his wife and have a meal.  It was very interesting to see how he and his family lived.

Alleppey is busier and more populated than the other places we’d had boat trips, so there was certainly a lot more to see, not least the hundreds of houseboats we had to negotiate our way past to get to the narrower backwaters!  It was fascinating to see village life up close and personal.  We had several stops for refreshments and, on one occasion, for a walk to a paddy field.

This photo shows an elaborate houseboat
One of the hundreds of houseboats in Alleppey
This photo shows a black boat moored in a backwater. The water is very still and the boat is reflected perfectly in the water
Boat on the backwaters
This photo shows gas bottles piled up in the middle of a boat
Gas delivery boat
This photo shows a lady kneeling on the banks of a backwater washing her cooking pots
Washing up
This photo shows a lady sitting at the side of a backwater preparing fish
Preparing fish
This photo shows a lady doing her washing in a backwater. She is bashing an item of clothing on a stone to get it clean
Doing the laundry

As much as we thoroughly enjoyed our time in the backwaters, we were looking forward to getting back to Cochin for a couple of days before our flight back to the UK.

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1 Comment

  1. Very nicely written! Beautiful place and beautiful post..Thanks for sharing

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