Kochi, a city inWest India, is famous for its backwater alley, where travelers would go for a boat ride in the backwaters to relax and enjoy the nature. It was the only city I had visited in India, where I took a 1 day tour to the backwaters of Kochi called Alleppey backwaters. The backwaters is a network of interconnected lagoons, canals, rivers and lakes.
One of the unique experiences in the backwaters is riding in the traditional boat, called kettuvallams. The kettuvallams are mostly made of bamboo with decorative interior. Our journey began with around 2 hour ride on the road before we reached the pier in Alleppey.
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| Kettuvallam |
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| A cloudy initial boat ride |
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| Our boatman using bamboo stick to row the boat |
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| Peaceful ride |
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| More and more coconut trees |
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| Lovely greeneries |
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| The journey continues |
The boat ride in the backwaters was about 4 hours. We passed by some villages and farmland along the back waters of Kochi, with coconut tress fringing along the banks. There was also a pit stop to in a local village to see how a coconut husk could be turned into a useful biodegrable string. It was a peaceful relaxing boat ride.
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| Approaching a local village |
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| Turning coconut husk into a string |
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| The process of making a coconut string |
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| The end product |
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| A houseboat |
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| Another tourist kettuvallam |
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| Passing by another local village |
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| Washing at the riverbank |
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| Toward the end of the journey |
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| Bye bye Allepey backwaters |
The next day, I spent half day exploring Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. I visited Mattancherry Palace, a historical building and a Jewesh shopping street. I walked along the beach in the hot sunny day and passed by St Francis Church in Port Kochi. It was also a rare opportunity to see ancient Chinese fishing net near the pier, the icon of Port Kochi.
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| View from Mattancherry Palace |
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| Jewesh Street in Port Kochi |
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| Beach at Port Kochi |
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| A hot sunny day |
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| A Chinese fishing net |
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| St Francis Church |
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| Fishing port |
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| Iconic Chinese fishing nets |
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| Fresh fish for sales |