Alleppey and Varkala (04-Weekend Getaways from Bangalore)

All that’s good and glorious is found in Kerala. 600 miles of interconnected rivers, lakes and lagoons lined with tropical flora, fierce lapping waves on one and eclectic markets on other, make for an atmospheric melange.

The praise for Kerala in movies, texts, art and elsewhere is endless, and we wanted devour all that beauty and vibe and assert if the veneration is up to snuff. If you are located in the south, it makes for an ideal long weekend getaway.

An early morning flight from Bangalore to Kochi followed by a cab/bus/self-drive rental car from Kochi airport to Alleppey and you are there even before you know it!

Alleppey Backwaters - The good bits and the disappointing ones

As you approach the city, the landscape on the face of it is extremely pretty - backwaters fringed with tropical flora glowing in the radiant sun! But a closer examination of main canal and you realize that there is nothing mesmerisingly beautiful as has been generally sworn. It does seem that the canals are being over exploited in this part of the state. We generally try to take an approving stance wherever we go, but it's hard not to be appalled watching overcrowded canals and filthy waters with plastic junk floating around.

The first look

Checking in to our gorgeous hotel came as a respite and we decided to head to the Ayurveda massage first. For the uninitiated, Ayurveda massage is the masterpiece of a visit to Kerala - a vast array of wellness centres has sprung up over the years, with hordes of visitors travelling thousands of miles to India exclusively for this elite experience.

We have been suckers for wellness treatments and picking a centre with a great ambience is as important to us as the treatment itself. For Nupur, the one who's sensitive to smells - the spa experience begins as soon as we enter the premises filled with

The houseboat experience is, in our opinion, not worth the money. we decided against taking a houseboat. We decided to take a canoe trip rather than a house boat so we could get down some of the smaller canals.  preferably hand rowed so its not noisy and go for a small tour through the waters. it ruined the magic for me. Vast network of canals and lakes where many people live with no road access at all. We saw every aspect of daily life happening in the canals!! Washing of clothes, crockery and the people themselves. Teeth cleaning. Fishing, and even washing out a chicken and vegetables prior to cooking! It makes you realise all the things we take for granted. boat can be filthy.