While we’re not quite done with Kerala yet, we’re ready to move on from Alleppey. We’re going to take the Alleppey to Kollam Ferry as we make our way further south, we’ll actually end up in the beach resort of Varkala tonight, but first, we’re taking our last backwaters boat trip. This boat is run by the Kerala State Government, although it’s only for tourists. There are no local stops on this boat. Here’s our guide to using the Alleppey to Kollam ferry.
NOTE: One of the canals on the route is currently blocked (April 5th, 2024) and this route is not operating at the moment. I will update this post and remove this notice when the route runs again.
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#1 WAY TO SEE THE KERALA BACKWATERS
Visit the Kerala Backwaters and Fort Kochi
Explore the backwaters of Kerala by houseboat. Enjoy lunch aboard the boat in Alleppey, and then visit Fort Kochi to see the famous Chinese fishing nets.
The first thing that points out to you that this is a tourist boat rather than a local ferry like the one we took yesterday when we went from Alleppey to Kottayam, is the cost. When we took the ferry it cost 400 INR per person. (It’s now 600 INR in 2024) Compare that to the 15 INR we spent yesterday and it is a huge difference. But it’s a useful mode of transport and it definitely rounds out our Kerala backwaters experiences. We now have the trifecta of backwaters trips under our belt. First, we took a no-engine overnight houseboat trip, which was an excellent experience (I wrote about it here), and then we took a day trip on the local ferry from Alleppey to Kottayam (that’s here). And now. Well, now we’re leaving the backwaters via the backwaters.
As a note, this ferry that goes from Alleppey to Kollam only usually runs from December to March, although every year the timetable is pretty much the same, give or take 10 minutes or so. There’s no online ticket booking for this ferry, you’ll need to go to the office and buy a ticket there on the day you want to travel.
Practical Information about the Alleppey to Kollam Boat
This ferry from Alleppey to Kollam is a “just for tourists” boat, as it makes no stops at local places, and it is priced accordingly. Here are the details of where to catch the boat, how to buy tickets, and what you can expect on the boat from Alleppey to Kollam.
Why take the Boat from Alleppey to Kollam?
If you’re looking to explore Kerala’s backwaters, but on a cheaper basis than taking a houseboat trip, then this is a good way to see a lot of the backwaters. The boat is an alternative mode of transport to get further south, you could also take a bus or a train from Alleppey to Kollam (here are the options for those). It is MUCH quicker to take a bus or a train on this route and certainly, if you’re going, as we did, on to Varkala, then taking the boat is a slightly painful route, as you’ll read later in this article.
Where to Catch the Alleppey to Kollam Boat
You’ll catch this boat from the Boat Jetty Road, the government office. It’s moored alongside the same office where the Allepey to Kottayam boats leave from.
Timetable for the Alleppey to Kollam
The boat leaves Alleppey every other day at 10:30 and takes around 8 hours to get to Kollam. There’s also a boat that leaves in the opposite direction, going from Kollam to Alleppey that leaves at 10:30, again on alternate days. The boat only usually runs from December until March, but this can change. Check with your hotel or guesthouse in Alleppey, or you may find further information on the Kerala State Water Transport Department website here.
NOTE: the boat is not running at this time – there is a blockage in one of the canals.
Buying Tickets for the Alleppey to Kollam
You’ll buy either in the Water Transport Office or on the boat on boat jetty road. The ticket conductor comes around once the boat has left the jetty. It’s cash only.
Cost of Tickets for Alleppey to Kollam Boat
The tickets for the boat that goes from Alleppey to Kollam cost 600 INR per person. The tickets do not include food or drinks at the two stops that the boat makes along the way. You’ll pay around 100 INR for a vegetarian lunch thali and around 50 INR for tea and snacks at the second stop.
How long does the boat take from Alleppey to Kollam?
The boat takes about 8 hours to go from Alleppey to Kollam and you’ll get into Kollam sometime after 18:00.
Our Experiences on the Alleppey to Kollam Boat
This time our Kerala Backwaters experience is on a “purely for the tourists” ferry, that will take 8 hours to sweep us down to Kollam, where there will be a series of buses to get us to the beach resort of Varkala.
The ferry leaves from the same place as the one we took yesterday goes from. It’s somewhat more expensive, at a whopping 400 INR each. (Note in 2024 it’s now 600 INR). We bought our tickets from the conductor after the boat had left the jetty (he comes round).
It’s a bigger, more seaworthy boat with two decks, although it’s impossible to stand up on the top deck. The seats are more comfortable, so long as you manage to get one that has air from the window but no sun. You’ll get better views from the top deck, but the seats are more comfortable on the lower deck.
There are only Western tourists on this ferry. Almost all have backpacks, although there are a few huge wheelie cases that look as though they could house entire families. Bags have to be stored in a specific place, don’t worry you’ll be told where that is depending on the size of your bags.
This is for us, in the backwaters, perhaps one trip too many. The backwaters all look pretty similar to me now.
Although I’m supremely glad we took the first trip (the one without the motor), as here in Alleppey, there are hundreds if not thousands of boats. It must be hell in high season and I wonder if you can see the backwaters for the sheer number of boats around.
There’s a lunch stop, at a single-tied restaurant, where we’re served a thali on a banana leaf for 100 INR. It’s not great and the food is simply fuel, little more and with zero taste. Designed I suspect for a Western audience who have nothing else to eat. There’s a further stop about 30 minutes later for “tea” and snacks that cost 50 INR, however, after the miserable lunch, we don’t bother with it.
Further south, increasing numbers of Chinese fishing nets bring opportunities for photographs and at the end of a long bum-numbing day, we arrive in Kollam. The bus station is right across the road from the ferry stop and there’s an information booth there too that will help with onward travel.
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Final Words on Taking the Boat from Alleppey to Kollam
We left Kerala’s backwaters on yet another boat, this time a tourist boat that specifically plies the route from Alleppey to Kollam. It’s an interesting trip, and the backwaters are somewhat different from what we’ve already seen, it’s a long old day – this is an 8-hour trip, whereas a train could get you there in about an hour!
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