Kerala Kayaking, Alappuzha

The experience was wonderful, great to see the backwaters from the kayak. We were picked up on time for the morning sunrise trip and taken to the location for the activity. We felt safe with Sam, he is very experienced and knowledgable of the local area. He provided good nuggets of information of the areas we kayaked around, wildlife and plants/trees. We would recommend this activity for those who want a more personal experience of the backwaters compared to doing the houseboats and for those who aren’t afraid of doing some exercise. It is a better environmentally friendly way to experience the backwaters too! Improvements: their website could be updated, a quick health and safety talk prior to jumping in the kayaks may have been useful & that gentle arms stretches prior to starting the activity would have been useful :)

The tour itself is a good idea if you want to catch a glimpse of the more intimate life of the locals inhabiting the backwaters. Indeed the smaller canals cannot fit the abominable houseboats and are so much quieter. A shikkara boat will follow you around and there will be snacks and lunch provided. The tour guide himself, Samson, is very knowledgeable about the surroundings and open-minded who can easily hold a quality conversation on any topic regarding Indian culture. Would 100% recommend!