How to Visit Magical Malarikkal Water Lily Lake in Kerala

In this era of AI-created images and over-edited travel videos, it’s hard to trust what we see. I once watched an enchanting video of Malarikkal Water Lily Lake filled with bright pink water lilies and thought it was a social media gimmick.

The photos looked too magical to be real. I was convinced such a place couldn’t exist near Kochi, India.

Focusing on historical sites and great food of Kochi, we planned our four-day trip to in August without including Malarikkal ( Also spelled Malarickal) Lake in the plan at all.

But our host at the homestay in Fort Kochi insisted we visit Malarikkal Lake near Kottayam. He assured us the lake is filled with water lilies during August, Kerala’s monsoon season and is the most incredible sight anyone could ever have.

Thanks to him, if I had continued arguing, I would have missed one of the most beautiful places on Earth just 63km from Kochi in Kerala.

In this guide, we bring you all the tips and things you should know before going to Malarikkal Water Lily Lake in Kerala.

These are super important tips because the water lilies don’t bloom throughout the year; they only bloom for a few months at specific times of the day.

What is Malarikkal Water Lily?

Malarikkal Water Lily is a stunning natural attraction in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. More than 650 acres of paddy fields in Malarikkal village come alive with vibrant pink water lilies during the monsoon season.

Note that not every inch of the paddy field gets filled with pink water lilies. In August, you may find some empty patches with water or smaller white lilies at Malarikkal.

Only during the peak season, which is mid-September, does every part of the field get filled with water lilies.

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When is the Malarikkal water lily season

Although the monsoon season in Kerala is from June to October, the water lilies at Malarikkal bloom from the second week of August to October. This gives you just 1.5 to 2 months a year to see the stunning pink lilies.

Visit outside this period, and you’ll find either paddy fields or barren lands. So, if your goal is to see the water lily lake at Malarikkal, plan your Kerala trip between August and October.

You can combine your Malarikkal trip with either Kumarakom, Kochi, or even Alleppey. But just check the weather forecast for the Kerala monsoon. The rains and floods of Kerala can be terrible.

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Best time of the day to visit Malarikkal water Lily

The best time of day to visit is early in the morning from 6:30 to 9:30. During these hours, the pink lilies are in full bloom, offering the most stunning and picturesque views.

After 9:30, the flowers close their petals as the sun rises, and the magic you see in the morning fades away. Make sure you arrive at the lake early, but not before sunrise.

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How to reach Malarikkal Water Lily?

To reach Malarikkal, head to Kottayam in Kerala.

From Kottayam, you can take a taxi or local transport to Malarikkal village. It’s a scenic and straightforward journey!

If you’re flying, the closest airport is Cochin International Airport, around 85 km away.

Malarikkal Day trip from Kochi

If you’re holidaying in Kochi like we did and want to visit Malarikkal for the water lilies, you can make a half-day trip from Kochi.

The distance from Kochi to Malarikkal Lake is about 63 km, which takes around an hour to drive. You need to be at the lake by 8 am (6:30 am is even better).

Driving your own car, renting a bike, or hiring a cab with a driver from Kochi to Malarikkal is the best option. We were on a road trip with our own car. So it was easy for us to leave at 5.45am from Cochin to the lake.

Kochi to Malrikkal Lake Route

To get from Kochi to Malarikkal, you have three options, and all three take similar time.

1. First Route: Take the less scenic National and State Highway via Ettumanoor Ernakulam Road. It goes through usual towns and occasionally offers views of the backwaters.
2. Second Route: Drive beside the Arabian Sea along the Alappuzha – Arthunkal – Kochi Road. This route passes through Chappakkadavu Beach and is quite scenic.
3. Third Route: This is the best option. Take State Highway 66, which features backwaters dotted with coconut lagoons of Kumbalangi, mangrove forests, Lake Vembanad, and the Arabian Sea on the horizon. This is the most scenic route from Kochi to Malarikkal.

The last 20 km stretch, starting from Bund Road Junction at Vachoor to Malarikkal via Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, remains the same for all the 3 routes.

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Practical information about Malarikkal Village

Tourist Facilities at Malarikkal Village

Apart from some smaller stores that sell cold drinks, biscuits, and packed snacks, don’t expect much at Malarikkal village. So, pack your breakfast and come prepared.

Alternatively, you can head to Kottayam for breakfast once you finish boating on the lake.

The village isn’t set up for tourism. Malarikkal receives tourists only for two months. So every facility you see here is makeshift or temporary, created by local residents.

There are no tourist information centres or visitor centres with toilets and restrooms.

You won’t be given any life jackets for the boat rides. The water in the first part of the field is about 5 feet deep. If you go further, it reaches more than 8 feet.

I haven’t heard of any casualties at Malarikkal Lake where tourists drowned without life jackets. Unless you stand up on the boat or dance around, you won’t fall off.

A few locals convert the front portion of their houses into snack shops, selling coconut water, bottled water, and some snacks. Only a few have makeshift toilets, which are payable upon use.

You need to park your car almost a kilometre before the lake.

Local farmers make use of the water lily season by cleaning up their front yards and converting them into parking lots, charging as little as Rs. 30 for parking one car (not per hour, but for the duration of your visit).

Can I stay near Malikkal Water Lily lake?

There are no hotels, resorts, or homestays directly in front of Malarikkal Water Lily Lake. If you wish to stay closer to Malarikkal Lake, consider Luxury resorts in Kumarakom or affordable homestays in Kottayam. You can even think about staying on houseboats in Kumarakom.

How to take boat rides in the Lake?

Once you arrive at Malarikkal village, about 500 metres before the lake, you’ll find many boatmen waiting for customers from 5:30 in the morning.

If you know Malayalam, talking to the boatmen here is a breeze. Otherwise, use Google Translate. They understand numbers and speak a bit of English.

You can also learn some Malayalam phrases like “njangal randuperaanu” (We are two people) and “bottu savaariyude vila ethrayaanu” (What is the cost of the boat ride).

You don’t need to worry about pre booking. There’s a common agreement among all the boatmen to charge the same price.

The boat ride at Malarikkal Lake during the water lily season costs about Rs. 100-150 per boat, which accommodates about four people and lasts around 20 minutes in the first portion of the lake.

Being one of the rarest sights that lasts only for about two months each year, you can expect a bit of a crowd, especially by 8 am at Malarikkal Lake. However, the field is so vast that it doesn’t feel crowded at all?nothing like the crowds in Hallstatt of Austria

This spot isn’t too popular among out-of-towners. It’s mainly Keralites and a few others who know about it and come to witness the water lilies in full bloom.

Tips to avoid crowd at Malarikkal lake

If you want to avoid the crowd at Malarikkal Lake like we did, you might need to spend a bit more on the boat ride. Ask the boatmen to take you further away from the first portion of the lake. Even if you’re not doing a photoshoot, mention the word “photoshoot” to the boatmen. They’ll offer you options based on hours and prices.

Malarikkal Sunset View Point

The first option away from the crowd would be a coconut lagoon near Malarikkal Sunset View Point, about 1 km from the field’s starting point.

They charge about Rs. 800 to take you there and back, with the ride taking around 40 minutes.

The coconut farms line the field bund, and you’ll often find musicians making videos for their albums and couples doing wedding photoshoots.

Kodoor River backwaters near Sunrise View Point

The best option to avoid the crowd is to head further towards the Kodoor River backwaters. Here, you’ll see many birds and a carpet of pink lilies stretching to the horizon, meeting the river on one side and Lake Vembanad on the other.

The ride to this spot takes about an hour, and boatmen charge Rs. 1000 to 1200.

Trust me, it’s worth every penny?it feels like a heaven of pink lilies exclusively made for you, without other people around.

Did we help you plan your trip to the water lily lake of Kerala? Let us know in the comment section below.