Kerala which is also known as God's own country is a major tourist attractions in India. It has been ranked as one of the ten paradises of the world by the national geographic traveler and 50 must see destinations of a lifetime by Forbes. The tourism industry of Kerala is a major contributor to the state’s economy. Kerala is known for its beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountain ranges, waterfalls, ancient forts, palaces, religious institutions, festivals, culture and wildlife sanctuaries. It is a popular tourist destination for ayurvedic tourism. These, in turn, make it an ecotourism tourist destination. There are a number of tourist destinations to visit in Kerala. It is well known for its natural beauty, Ayurveda and Kerala backwater houseboats. Alleppey or Kumarakom is the most preferred option by the visitors when it comes to the backwater houseboat tourism in kerala.
One of the best ways to visit Kerala and enjoy your visit is with the help of houseboat day cruise. It is because of the fact that Kerala backwaters are an extensive network of interlocking rivers, beaches, lakes, canals, and lagoons. Alleppey and Kumarakom are known for its beautiful landscapes. These form the starting-points of boat cruises in the backwaters. Alleppey houseboat to Kumarakom houseboat distance is a mere 32.6 km as these are the two corners of Vembanad lake. You can also visit Kumarakom to Alleppey by boat as well. Both Alleppey and Kumarakom provide different experiences to the users due to the variation in the location. Alleppey is a town based tourist destination whereas Kumarakom is the collection of various islands.
Alleppey is known for its luxury resorts whereas the Kumarakom is known for its houseboats. Various new visitors often wonder: Alleppey or Kumarakom houseboat which option to choose? Before going into the comparison between the two, it becomes necessary that you have a proper idea of both of these so that you can decide for yourself.
Alleppey lies on the coastline of Arabian sea and is well known for its beautiful Alleppey backwaters, beaches, tropical village life, temples, and boat races. It is also known for its Ayurvedic spas and wellness centers. Alleppey provides you with the town views. It is one of the cleanest and oldest planned backwater towns of Kerala and is often referred to as the Venice of India. There is a range of houseboats available for people with different budgets. The prices also depend on the route you select, and duration of your stay as well. You can either choose the budget class, deluxe class, premium class, first class package, and honeymoon packages. These can be either the luxury houseboat with air-conditioned rooms, music, tv with satellite tv, lounge on the deck, and other such facilities. The premium water boats provide you with five-star services like swimming pool, health club, food, and beverages. You can also select a houseboat based on the duration of your stay. Here you can also enjoy Alleppey backwater day tour and get to know about the natural beauty of the region. Houseboats in Alleppey start from Nehru trophy finishing point that goes through backwater resorts and boat building yard. These further continue through sndp thode where you can see the paddy fields houses aside backwaters, churches, temples, watermills in and finally reaches Kuppapuram. Here you can also enjoy ghee roast dosa and Malayalee paratha along with appams and idlis. Toddy is an alcoholic beverage that is fermented locally from the palm tree and coconut palms. If you are planning to visit Alleppey in monsoon, you can also enjoy famous snake boat races.
Alleppey also offers a breathtaking view of the Laccadive sea, Krishnapuram Palace, St. Andrew’s Basilica, and Haripada Sri Subrahmanya Swamy temple. It also offers the breathtaking view of the paddy fields that are interspersed with coconut trees and is drained by 4 major rivers Pampa, meenachil, achankovil, and manimala. Here you are also provided with a relaxing and comfortable cruise experience and will provide you with a rejuvenating experience. It is also a wonderful place for romantic outings which makes it a honeymooners’ paradise. Here you are also provided with village tours, canoeing sessions, and fishing expeditions. Alleppey has water in level with that of land which provides the visitors with a closer look at the village life on shore.
Kumarakom is another popular tourist destination that is well known for its backwater tourism. It is located in the backdrop of the Vembanad lake, which is the largest lake in the state of Kerala. It is well known for its bird sanctuary, mangrove forests, paddy fields, coconut groves, etc. Here you are provided with a wide variety of options like flora, exotic sightseeing, boating, and fishing experience. Here you can enjoy bird sanctuaries along the shores and experience the village life. Here also you can watch the snake boat race. You can enjoy various cuisines like appam, rice bread, kappa, karimeen i.e. Exotic freshwater fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, and squids. The Kumarakom houseboat trip starts from the Vembanad lake, after which you are taken to Chitra and rani area where you can also continue to venattukadu and other places. Here you can also enjoy the sunset in the Kumarakom route of the backwaters.
Now coming back to the question Alleppey or kumarakom-which is the best option for a Kerala houseboat? These can be decided based on various factors like budget, the luxury you wish to avail, regions you wish to visit, etc.
If you are low on budget and wish for an affordable budget houseboat, it is a wise decision to choose Alleppey as your tourist destination. However, if you are looking for a luxurious stay you can choose top places to visit in Kumarakom . There are various luxurious houseboats in Alleppey as well. Alleppey backwater day tour is cost effective and affordable.Alleppey provides you the facilities of a town whereas the Kumarakom provides the look and feel of that of a village. Hence if you are looking for the peace of mind during your stay, Kumarakom is the best choice for you as here you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere and rejuvenate yourself. It offers silent and scenic natural beauty as it is a cluster of small islands that consists of lagoons covered in lagoons. Here you can enjoy the quieter side of life with the help of canoe boats and visit places where the houseboats cannot go. Kumarakom bird sanctuary is also a peaceful place where you can see a number of rare migratory birds. Along with the same, Alleppey to Kumarakam houseboat trip can turn out to be quite pleasant. Alleppey has a number of places of interest near its surroundings. Hence if you are a traveler type, Alleppey houseboats are the advised option for you. Here you can enjoy visiting temples, churches, national parks, lighthouses, and other tourist spots. If you are on a honeymoon trip, Kumarakom backwaters is a perfect destination as it is quite enchanting and relaxing. For the newlyweds, the overnight trip on Vembanad lake is a quiet romantic experience. The number of houseboats in Alleppey is much larger than kumarakom. Here you can easily avail the houseboats at quite affordable rates.
However, if you are planning for a long stay, both the places are worth visiting and are amazing in their own right. Various houseboats provide Alleppey to Kumarakom houseboat packages that can help you to visit both the places so that you can enjoy the luxuries of both the places during your stay. Motorboat and speedboat services are also available for Alleppey or Kumarakom houseboat day cruise where you can enjoy cruising and fishing in the lakes, enjoy its scenic beauty and green surroundings, watch snake boat races and its practice, Kumarakom bird sanctuary, fish sanctuary, Thanneermukkham salt water barrage, coconut plantations, etc. Here there are certain areas where farming is carried out below sea level. It can turn out to be an inspiring and learning experience. If you are not planning to avail the houseboat cruise packages from Alleppey to Kerala and vice versa and are planning for a relatively long stay, it is better that you choose the option to visit both and enjoy your stay.
If you are planning to go during monsoons, it is advised that you have rain-jackets to prevent yourself from the rain. During the winters, you must equip yourself with sunscreen, headgear, swimwear, and sunglasses.
ToursinIndia is one of the best tour operators in India to offer reliable and customized tour packages especially Alleppey boathouse. For more details and to make your trip a memorable one contact us.