One of the most iconic experiences in Kerala is cruising through the Alleppey (Alappuzha) backwaters on a traditional houseboat. It ended up being one of the most relaxing parts of our trip and one of my favourite experiences from two weeks travelling around southern India. In this guide, I’ve broken down everything you need to know about choosing a houseboat and what you can expect from the experience.
Which Alleppey Houseboat Should You Book?
The best option really depends on the kind of experience you’re looking for. We booked an overnight private houseboat, checking in at 12pm on the first day and checking out at 9am the following morning.
There are also cheaper shared day cruises, as well as smaller kayaking and rowing tours that take you through the narrower parts of the backwaters. We actually had a small boat tour included with our trip as well, which meant we got the best of both worlds.
Personally, I’d recommend booking a private houseboat if your budget allows. The shared boats we saw passing by looked extremely crowded, mostly with domestic tourists, and didn’t seem nearly as peaceful or relaxing.
What Is Included on an Overnight Private Alleppey Houseboat?
Our houseboat came with its own small team of staff, and we had access to most of the boat. There were two large seating areas. We spent most of our time upstairs enjoying the views, then headed downstairs to the dining area for meals.
The boat also had a private bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, including a toilet and shower. The air conditioning only worked at night while the boat was moored, but honestly, that was completely fine, even in March when temperatures were very hot. Fans were available during the day, which kept things comfortable enough.
All meals were included: lunch, dinner, and breakfast, all freshly cooked by our private chef onboard. We were also given water, tea and some other soft drinks. One thing we did notice was that we weren’t given a huge amount of bottled water, only a small bottle each with meals. Since the weather was so hot, we were glad we’d brought extra water with us. You could probably ask for more, but it’s worth being prepared just in case.
As part of the experience, we also had a smaller boat tour for around an hour, taking us into the narrow backwaters that the larger houseboat couldn’t reach. This ended up being my favourite part of the entire trip. It was incredibly peaceful, with hardly any other boats around, and it gave us a glimpse into everyday life for the people living along the backwaters.
How to Find Your Alleppey Houseboat
No matter which company you book with, the instructions for actually finding your boat tend to be fairly vague, and there are literally hundreds of houseboats docked in the same area.
We didn’t have a driver during our trip, which became a recurring challenge throughout India (looking back, we’d probably hire one next time!). Luckily, our Uber driver was incredibly helpful. He called the boat company for us, figured out exactly where we needed to go, and essentially found the boat on our behalf. Honestly, we probably never would have found it without him.
If you’re planning a houseboat trip, I’d definitely recommend arriving by car if possible, even if it’s just for the help navigating the harbour area. Also, make sure you leave extra time before check-in because finding the correct boat can take longer than expected.
Other Ways to See the Alleppey Backwaters
Before booking this trip, we were completely set on spending a night on a houseboat. After all, the houseboats are one of the most iconic images associated with Kerala.
However, while researching the trip, I discovered that many of the larger houseboats are actually quite harmful to the environment. The worst offenders are the huge boats carrying large groups of tourists, but even private boats aren’t exactly eco-friendly.
After weighing everything up, we still decided to go ahead with the experience, but I did feel slightly conflicted about it. I wanted to mention this because, if you’re trying to travel more ethically, you may prefer to choose a smaller canoe, kayaking, or rowing tour instead.
The downside is that these tours aren’t overnight experiences. The upside, though, is that when we did the smaller boat trip ourselves, it was actually the highlight of my time in Alleppey.
How Much Time Should You Spend in Alleppey?
When planning our trip, we decided to spend an extra night in Alleppey after the houseboat so we could explore the town itself. We imagined wandering around, spending time at the beach, and maybe doing another smaller backwater tour. In hindsight, this was probably one of the biggest mistakes we made during our two weeks in southern India.
You really don’t need extra time to explore Alleppey itself. The area around the backwaters is mostly a busy built-up city, and there’s a reason most people don’t visit the beach here. Although the beach itself has lovely golden sand, it’s overshadowed by two huge flyovers built right alongside it.
That said, the extra day wasn’t a total waste. We wandered further along the beach and eventually found a small café serving some of the best home-cooked food we had during the entire trip! Still, if I were planning the trip again, I’d skip the extra night completely and head straight to the next destination after the houseboat experience.
Details
We booked this 21-hour Houseboat Tour through Alleppey with Viator, which starts at £130 for 2 people. I’m usually a Get Your Guide girl but it was hard to find any tours on there not leaving from Kochi. In this case, if you’re going from Alleppey itself, Viator has the most options. It is such good value for what you get and I highly recommend the experience.