On the Water
4 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
₹6,000
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Canoe Kerala
Canoe Kerala
5
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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About
We dream of a time when every inquisitive traveller on this planet can connect with local communities insanely effortless, enabling them to understand and appreciate the local culture, cuisine, lifestyle and more wherever they go! By fostering meaningful connections between travellers visiting the backwaters and the local population, our team helps promote responsible and sustainable tourism. We love spending time with travellers from all over the world who would like to involve themselves in the most fascinating water world on the planet in the most authentic way possible!
Kumarakom, India
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Dining Experiences
5 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
₹6,000
per adult
Private Sightseeing Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
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₹5,000
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
330 reviews
Excellent
323
Very good
7
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Suraj S
Mumbai, India15 contributions
Aug 2021
We had a wonderful experience with Canoe - The whole tour was well planned out and executed flawlessly. We were picked on time from the resort and Sanu EV (our guide and tour operator) took us through the backwaters of Kumarakom. We also witnessed the beauty of nature as we sighted a variety of birds while we crossed Aimanan Village. Our cruise started around 330 in the afternoon and around 5 pm , we were treated with some snacks and tea. Our experience was further elevated at Vembanad lake, where we looks loads of photographs of the picturesque sunset. Our cruise ended around 645 PM and were dropped back to the property safely.
We would definitely recommend Canoe to everyone who wants to experience a sunset cruise at Kumarakom
We would definitely recommend Canoe to everyone who wants to experience a sunset cruise at Kumarakom
Written 29 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you so much for your review. This means a lot to us:) Happy Travelling!
Cheers,
Tony Joseph
Written 15 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Trivedi P
New York City, NY5 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Me and my mom took an afternoon shikara ride with Sanu at Kumarakom. We got his contact info from trip advisor. We had an amazing time in the shikara ride with Sanju.
We book 3 hours of shikara ride. We started around 3:30pm and went towards canals and ended up in the lake for sunset. I personally think sunset was one of the best part of the boat ride along with the canal rides and natural beauty. Sanu guided us throughout the trip. He wasn't in a rush and wanted us to enjoy the ride. His calm and peaceful nature was very impressive.
His shikara is in extremely good condition and cover(to protect from sun). Sanu also played music to go with the ride. Sanu played flute music during the sunset which my mother extremely enjoyed.
The shikara experience we had in Kumarakom was the best part of the Kerala trip. If you guys had to choose between Alleppey and Kumarakom shikara ride. I must say go with Kumarakom shikara ride. Alleppey is more commercialized and you would not get the experience to connect with Nature.
Call Sanu on (±91- 9633351519) to get the really amazing experience in Kumarakom. You will not regret it. 👍🏼
We book 3 hours of shikara ride. We started around 3:30pm and went towards canals and ended up in the lake for sunset. I personally think sunset was one of the best part of the boat ride along with the canal rides and natural beauty. Sanu guided us throughout the trip. He wasn't in a rush and wanted us to enjoy the ride. His calm and peaceful nature was very impressive.
His shikara is in extremely good condition and cover(to protect from sun). Sanu also played music to go with the ride. Sanu played flute music during the sunset which my mother extremely enjoyed.
The shikara experience we had in Kumarakom was the best part of the Kerala trip. If you guys had to choose between Alleppey and Kumarakom shikara ride. I must say go with Kumarakom shikara ride. Alleppey is more commercialized and you would not get the experience to connect with Nature.
Call Sanu on (±91- 9633351519) to get the really amazing experience in Kumarakom. You will not regret it. 👍🏼
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your review! We are delighted to hear that you had such a great experience with the canoe cruise:)
Thank you so much once again!
Cheers,
Tony
Written 25 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anant K
Bangalore15 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
It was a wonderful canoe ride, celebrating the onset of 2020, in the backwaters of Kumarakom. Starting at 6:30am, just when the sun was rising. We could capture beautiful shots of the sun in all its glory behind the beautiful palm trees. At a distance we could see pink rows of lotus flowers and green petals strewn across the beautiful backwaters of Kumarakom. Haven't seen so many birds at any one place. The canoe waded through the canals across the village with trees on either side of the canals. Words cannot describe the scenery that we witnessed. Sunil, the courteous boatman, managed the canoe very well. Would highly recommend Canoe Kerala for their service.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your review! We are delighted to hear that you had such a great experience with the canoe cruise:)
Thank you so much once again!
Cheers,
Tony
Written 25 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Modita v
3 contributions
Jan 2020
Me (Modita from the Netherlands) and my Indian friend had such a beautiful sunrise canoe trip in the very silent non motorized canoe of Sanu. With excellent south Indian breakfast in the beautiful house of his sister.
In the evening we had the sunset boat tour on his boat with roof. The boat is so clean and has so much beauty. Sanu is an artist with the music he chooses for the sunrise... happy music first and during sunset silent flute music.
He is a silent caring person, full of attention for details. He is born in Kumarakom and knows all the birds. Dinner after thesunset in his sister's house was marvellous! And we were welcomed with candles in a copper stand and incense.
I can recommend this experience to everyone!
Modita
In the evening we had the sunset boat tour on his boat with roof. The boat is so clean and has so much beauty. Sanu is an artist with the music he chooses for the sunrise... happy music first and during sunset silent flute music.
He is a silent caring person, full of attention for details. He is born in Kumarakom and knows all the birds. Dinner after thesunset in his sister's house was marvellous! And we were welcomed with candles in a copper stand and incense.
I can recommend this experience to everyone!
Modita
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Thanks a lot for the review!
We are delighted that you enjoyed your service provided by Mr Sanu. It is always a pleasure to know the guest enjoyed our service. Looking forward to hosting you again.
Cheers,
Tony
Written 25 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
vid
1 contribution
Dec 2021 • Family
It was an excellent boat ride cruising through the backwaters, villages and Vembanad lake. We also got to see the sunset, they put nice soothing music during the sunset which is quite nice. These guys are absolute professionals. There was some confusion on my payment and I had ended up paying 300 Rs more which they took the initiative of refunding it back to me (simply amazing). Definitely worth going for it
Written 27 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rajesh M
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Couples
The best backwater experience. This was organised by Ray and facilitated by Sanu.
The ride meanders across some really beautiful channels and provides a glimpse of the backwater’s beauty in all its glory. A quick stop over for a refreshing tender coconut, followed by a village tour and a coffee break We took the sunset ride and it was worth very penny and time.
Sanu is one of the best facilitators we have come across. Absolutely polite and always attentive to any questions or requirements we had. Though the ride was on a cloudy day, Sanu was patient enough to keep the ride on so we least get a glimpse of a sunset. He even apologised for the weather which reflects the high quality of hospitality.
Highly recommended.
Rajesh
The ride meanders across some really beautiful channels and provides a glimpse of the backwater’s beauty in all its glory. A quick stop over for a refreshing tender coconut, followed by a village tour and a coffee break We took the sunset ride and it was worth very penny and time.
Sanu is one of the best facilitators we have come across. Absolutely polite and always attentive to any questions or requirements we had. Though the ride was on a cloudy day, Sanu was patient enough to keep the ride on so we least get a glimpse of a sunset. He even apologised for the weather which reflects the high quality of hospitality.
Highly recommended.
Rajesh
Written 15 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review. We are happy that you had a great time in the backwaters! Thank you so much for your visit and mentions about Mr. Ray and Mr. Sanu.
Keep Travelling,
Tony Joseph
Written 25 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
garethandsara
London, UK21 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We made the effort to get up at 5.30am for the trip starting at 6.am which was well worth it, as we saw the sun rise, and we seemed to be the only ones on the water. We sat on very comfortable seats, and Mr Sanu, in charge of the canoe, was friendly, informative and able to answer all our questions. He pointed out various species of birds as we drifted through the water lilies and passed dwellings on the banks. Whole experience was rounded off by seeing a Kite swoop in front of our boat taking a fish out of the water! After the tour we were driven back to our hotel. Cannot recommend highly enough - a very honest and professional company, ask for Mr Sanu.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Thanks a lot for the review!
We are delighted that you enjoyed your service provided by Mr Sanu. It is always a pleasure to know the guest enjoyed our service. Looking forward to hosting you again.
Cheers,
Tony
Written 25 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
shoelady2015
World62 contributions
Feb 2023
Six of us boarded this unbelievably lovely covered canoe at 3:30 in the afternoon to float through the river of water lillies, egrets, kingfishers and other birds on one of the most pleasant sojourns of our wonderfull 3+ week trip.. We relaxed back on cushioned mahogany deck chairs while our host and captain, Sanu, piloted the boat upstream and back down, into the middle of the lake for sunset.
The river trip took us through a long village built on both sides of the river, with rice paddies beyond. We waived to kids, moms, dads as they busied themselves with life along the river. Samu answered questions about birds, the community and more.
As we turned back into the river after sunset, we saw a remarkable sight... three trees on the right bank filled with what looked like white balls.... storks settling in for the night!
We docked at Sanu's house, very lovely, new (and available for homestays) which he'd built himself during "covid". His wife and mother lhad prepared one of the most delicious dinners of our entire trip. His two small sons, played outside while we ate.
Anyone going to southern India should make a point of booking this trip.....one of the most pleasantly memorable and relaxing events we enjoyed in our whole India stay!
The river trip took us through a long village built on both sides of the river, with rice paddies beyond. We waived to kids, moms, dads as they busied themselves with life along the river. Samu answered questions about birds, the community and more.
As we turned back into the river after sunset, we saw a remarkable sight... three trees on the right bank filled with what looked like white balls.... storks settling in for the night!
We docked at Sanu's house, very lovely, new (and available for homestays) which he'd built himself during "covid". His wife and mother lhad prepared one of the most delicious dinners of our entire trip. His two small sons, played outside while we ate.
Anyone going to southern India should make a point of booking this trip.....one of the most pleasantly memorable and relaxing events we enjoyed in our whole India stay!
Written 18 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for such a vivid review! We were delighted to host you and share the canoe experience with you. Wish you safe and wonderful travels in future!
Written 15 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paulina
Spain9 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
One of my favourite experiences in my two months of travelling through India. I booked the sunrise cruise with local village life, followed by a cooking class. We paddled out in the canoe for sunrise, catching the quiet hours on the backwaters lit up in soft, golden sunlight. We slowly made our way through the pond of pink water lilies to reach a small local village nearby. Jes made sure to point out all the different birds flying around us and explained in detail about the local village life happening here. Our walk through the village painted a beautiful picture of how the life of locals looks like in Kumarakom. On our return to the cottage a delicious breakfast was prepared, which we all throughly enjoyed. The following cooking class was so fun and left me with a lot of Kerala style recipes to take home with me. I ended up spending all day at their beautiful cottage on the backwaters (a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a slow paced day) and was lucky enough to catch a spot on the sunset cruise that evening. Left with a full heart and special memories of my time in Kumarakom. 100% recommend any of their tours as the whole team really goes above and beyond to create a unique experience for you. Big thank you to everyone I got to enjoy this day with!
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for such a wonderful review! We are thrilled to know that you have fully enjoyed the experience here with us!
Written 14 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wanderer for life
4 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
For us traveling is all about having new experiences, meeting local people & trying local cuisine.Canoe Kerala provides a perfect blend of everything. From the time you arrive, the hosts make you feel at home. It started with a lovely boat ride in the backwaters through the villages, followed by coffee & snacks on the boat watching the sunset. The highlight of the evening was the food consisting of Appam, chicken stew, wild caught prawns & to top it all the passionate stories of the hosts about their journey of ditching a 9-5 life & following their passion to represent their state & culture in the best possible way.
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review. We are happy that you had a great time in the backwaters! Thank you so much for your visit.
Keep Travelling,
Tony Joseph
Written 25 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is this company still operating as I have tried emailing, online form request form, and via their chatbot but am not getting any response.
Written 4 May 2022
We are operating now. We were in the process of revamoing the website after the COVID break. Now everything is sorted out. Happy Travelling!
Thanks,
Tony Joseph
Written 15 May 2022
I would like to share the photos we took with Sanu. This trip was probably the highlight of our one month trip to India back in January & February. Here is the link to the site where I have posted the pictures. They are reasonably high resolution and can all be downloaded.
Sanu was spectacular!
Please send me an email address so that I may pass along the photos which are posted on Smugmug and are downloadable..
Written 16 May 2019
Hello,
You could post the photographs in any platform of your interest.
Thanks for your great words. Sanu is the backbone of our team.
Please do send us the photographs. I will inbox you the email address.
Best Regards,
Jose Nibin Uthup
Written 16 May 2019
Varies according to day and time of the yr dec-jan peak time rs 10000 u can expect better ones ..
Written 16 December 2018
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