Lost in Alleppey: How a Solo Weekend in Kerala Taught Me to Live Slower

 

🛬 Introduction: When You Plan Nothing, Magic Happens

Sometimes, the best trips are the ones you don’t plan at all. In March 2023, feeling drained from back-to-back meetings and the chaos of urban life in Bangalore, I impulsively booked a sleeper train to Alleppey, Kerala.

No hotel booked. No itinerary saved. All I had was a small backpack, a power bank, and the hope that a change in scenery might reset my mind.

What I didn’t expect was a weekend so calm, so surreal, that it would completely shift my approach to travel — and to life.

🛶 Chapter 1: The Morning I Floated Through Silence

I reached Alleppey at sunrise. Stepping out of the station, I followed a local rickshaw driver’s suggestion and walked toward the backwaters instead of the beach.

Within an hour, I was on a small canoe, gliding through narrow canals framed by coconut trees, birdsong echoing in the background, and the occasional “good morning” from villagers washing clothes or picking flowers.

It was dead quiet, and somehow, exactly what I needed. My phone was on airplane mode — not because I had planned to detox, but because I had no signal.

That was the most peaceful hour of my year.

🏠 Chapter 2: The Unexpected Homestay That Felt Like Family

I found a homestay on the banks of the river — not on Google, but thanks to a handwritten sign that read: “Stay with us. Clean, peaceful, home food.”

The hosts, an elderly couple named Shaji and Mini, welcomed me like a long-lost cousin. They served me authentic Kerala meals on banana leaves, with dishes I’d never tasted before — like karimeen fry and avial.

That night, I sat under a sky full of stars, sipping herbal tea on the porch, listening to crickets and the sound of oars in the distance. I wasn’t in a resort. I wasn’t in a luxury houseboat.
And yet — I’d never felt richer.

☀️ Chapter 3: The Kind Stranger and the Sunrise Cruise

The next morning, as I wandered to the dock for a walk, a fisherman named Ajith offered to take me on his early morning round. His boat wasn’t fancy — just wood and motor — but it offered me the best seat to watch the sun rise over the backwaters.

He pointed out birds, temples, and even told me about a local toddy shop hidden among the palms. When I asked why he offered rides to travelers, he smiled and said, “When you share what you see every day, you learn to love it more.”

That sentence stayed with me.

📌 Travel Guide: How to Experience Alleppey Like a Local

• Best time to visit: November to February (cooler weather), or March for fewer tourists

• How to reach: Train to Alleppey (Alappuzha), or fly to Kochi and take a cab (2 hrs)

• Where to stay: Look for family-run homestays near Kainakary or Punnamada

• What to do:

  • Canoe ride at sunrise

  • Local spice market walk

  • Kerala cooking class with your host

  • Visit the ancient Ambalappuzha Krishna Temple

  • Skip luxury houseboats — opt for eco-tours or real-time with locals

• What to eat:

  • Karimeen Pollichathu (Pearl spot fish)

  • Appam with stew

  • Banana chips and jaggery-based desserts like unniyappam

📸 Instagram Captions From My Trip

• “I traded traffic for tranquility and deadlines for backwaters.”

• “Kerala showed me how beautiful slow living can be.”

• “Not all getaways have Wi-Fi. Some have soul.”

• “Houseboats are great, but village life is unforgettable.”

🧠 Lessons I Learned in 48 Hours

• Detaching isn’t running away — it’s coming back to yourself.

• Hospitality doesn’t need five stars, just a warm heart.

• Every stranger can be a story, if you take the time to listen.

• The slower you go, the more you notice.

• You don’t need a plan to find peace.

🎯 Final Words: The Escape I Didn’t Know I Needed

I went to Alleppey to escape work. But I left with something far better — perspective.

I didn’t check off a bucket list. I didn’t chase Instagram photos. I just let the place carry me, like the backwaters carry the canoes — slow, steady, and in tune with nature.

If you're looking for a break that doesn’t just take you away — but brings you closer to who you are — Kerala might be calling.