I stay at Gowri guesthouse in Alleppey and go for houseboat overnight
I stay at Gowri guesthouse in Alleppey and go for houseboat overnight
In Alleppey I stayed at the Gowri guesthouse. This guesthouse is a historic bungalow and has quite a bit of atmosphere. The room cost 400 rupees (nine U.S. dollars) for a roomy double with bathroom. I ended up really liking the guys running the guesthouse. There was a constant stream of travellers arriving and leaving the guesthouse, mostly couples, and I met some nice people there. The food is also very good; as good or better as the couple of restaurants in the center of town.
Gowri Guesthouse
The group of people I found ended up hiring a houseboat from another guesthouse. If I were to do it again, I would hire a houseboat from Gowri guesthouse. They own their own houseboats, so you are not paying a middleman for his cut of the deal. Also, they have been doing it for five years, they have two bedroom and three bedroom boats, and I believe they will deliver what they promise, whereas we had to really push the agent with the other boat that we would get everything promised and get him to put it in writing.
Bedroom at Gowri Guesthouse
As it was we did have a very nice trip on the houseboat; the old cook was a former pilot with the armed forces and cooked up three large delicious meals. We bought some tiger shrimp from a passing canoe and that was cooked up for dinner. All seven of us were from English-speaking countries: the U.K., Australia, South Africa, and of course the U.S. The trip seemed to be mostly sitting around a coffee table on the bamboo-enclosed foredeck of the boat, watching the scenery slowly pass by, drinking beers, having coffee and tea, and telling stories all day long. Clouds came in at sunset, making for a dramatic sight. We passed across a lake, through rice paddies, and up a river.
Pet eagle in the front of Gowri Guesthouse
On the river banks people were going about their daily lives, doing their laundry in the river and walking to their neighbors. The kids went to school by boat, and waved at us as we passed by.
Downpour by the back porch of Gowri Guesthouse
I stay at Gowri guesthouse in Alleppey and go for houseboat overnight
