Our houseboat was docked in Alleppey, often known as Alappuzha.

It is a river metropolis framed by sprawling rice fields and slender canals lined with palms and pastel-colored homes.

We boarded our two-bedroom houseboat in what’s popularly referred to as the backwaters, a community of lagoons, lakes, and canals all through the Kerala area.

Our houseboat had a residing and eating space with floor-to-ceiling home windows, two bedrooms with personal loos, and a kitchen the place a non-public chef cooked us lunch, dinner, and breakfast.

We entered the boat by means of the light-filled residing and eating space — both sides had three enormous home windows. It additionally had two ceiling followers to assist stave off the Indian warmth.

After boarding, we met our two-person workers (not together with the houseboat’s driver), who welcomed us with freshly squeezed pineapple juice.

Lengthy benches snaked alongside the houseboat’s two sides, and wood lounge chairs had been positioned by the home windows for optimum views.

Each bedrooms had been off an extended hallway that led to the kitchen.

Every had a king-sized mattress, two nightstands, a mirror, a small closet, a window, and a non-public toilet with a bathe.

In December, India is dry and sunny, so I used to be additionally glad to have air conditioners in every bed room and the lounge.

Throughout the day, all of the residing and dining-room home windows had been flung open to let in a much-needed cooling breeze.

Because the houseboat’s engine got here onto a rumbling begin, I sat in a lounge chair behind the motive force for a 180-degree view of the surroundings.

The canal’s water was so nonetheless that the palm bushes and homes had been mirrored virtually completely onto its floor.

I loved crusing by the numerous temples, colleges, and homes shaded by lush vegetation and bushes of hibiscus flowers. Every waterfront home had small steps main into the canal.

I assumed it was one of the crucial stunning locations I might ever seen.

The lunch ready for us was a full-on feast.

We got a big pot of basmati rice, greens and cabbage tossed with grated coconut, and cubed potatoes drenched in a frivolously spicy sauce.

We additionally had loads of poori, a deep-fried bread, and we every bought an area river fish grilled with turmeric and masala.

Every part was scrumptious, however the star of the meal was the fish. Its meat was extremely tender, flaky, and flavorful.

Earlier than heading on our stroll, the workers advised us of an area fish stall the place we might pick our meal for the night time.

The pop-up retailer had river crabs, river king prawns with lengthy cobalt-blue legs, and different native fish.

We purchased 4 king prawns and a purple snapper for 1,180 rupees, about $14, and returned to our houseboat.

All through my two-week journey to India, I drank my weight in masala chai, a tea spiced with cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, star anise, and ginger. It is typically served with milk and sugar.

It is common to drink chai throughout breakfast and within the late afternoon and have a candy or savory snack with it — I fortunately took half on this ritual each day.

The masala chai on board was completely spiced and served alongside candy, deep-fried bananas that had been surprisingly gentle.

Because the solar set, we docked for the night time in the identical spot we boarded from earlier within the day.

We closed the home windows to maintain out the numerous mosquitos that arrived at nightfall, drew our shades for privateness, and turned on all of the AC models on the boat.

The king prawns and purple snapper we bought earlier had been cooked with garlic paste, turmeric, masala, and lime.

We had been additionally served chapati (flatbread), basmati rice, spicy cubed potatoes, and a bowl of yellow dal (a wealthy and creamy lentil soup). We washed our dinner down with a chilly bottle of Indian Grover sauvignon blanc.

Every part was bursting with taste, and it was simply the most effective meals we had throughout our journey. After dinner, we drank sizzling ginger tea to digest, performed playing cards, and returned to our rooms for an early night time.

I awoke round 7 a.m. to expertise the backwaters within the early moments of the day. Once I walked out of my bed room, I noticed that the residing and eating ares had been bathed in golden daylight.

For the following hour, I packed up my issues and sat by the home windows to absorb the views.

The eating desk was set with a big pot stuffed with rolled Indian pancakes full of grated coconut, sugar, and cumin seeds.

There have been additionally glasses of freshly squeezed pineapple juice, butter-soft omelets, and sliced toast slathered with native pineapple jam.

It was simply the perfect breakfast I had throughout my journey.

We handed by locals welcoming the cloudless day by washing their garments within the canal and hanging them throughout bushes to dry.

I noticed turquoise dragonflies and yellow butterflies flicker previous the home windows and white egrets standing on massive patches of floating water lettuce.

Though I used to be unhappy about leaving the houseboat and Alleppey, I felt extremely grateful for the expertise.

The native meals, pleasant workers, and views of town’s backwaters made the night time aboard the houseboat the spotlight of our two-week journey.

Subsequent time, I might like to remain two nights to maximise the expertise and see new areas of Alleppey’s backwaters.