Cast nets with local fishermen at dawn or operate the iconic Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi
Kerala's fishing culture is 2,000 years old — and still thriving. The coast, backwaters and lakes support hundreds of fishing communities using techniques unchanged for centuries. The most iconic are the Chinese fishing nets (cheena vala) at Fort Kochi — giant cantilever nets that take 4–6 men to operate, using a counterweight system introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan in the 14th century. Beyond the tourist nets, you can join working fishermen in traditional wooden vallams for dawn net-casting in the backwaters — buying and cooking your fresh catch at waterfront cafes.
Operate the giant cantilever nets at Fort Kochi alongside the fishermen. The nets weigh 1,000kg and require 4 people to lower and raise.
Join fishermen in a wooden vallam (dugout canoe) before dawn — cast throw nets and drag nets through the still backwater channels.
5AM departure into the mist — the most atmospheric time on Kerala's water. Silence, birds, the slap of water on the hull.
Whatever you catch or buy from returning boats, take it to the adjacent restaurants who cook it your way — Kerala fish curry, grilled, or fried.
The Alleppey fish market at 6AM — witness the chaotic, fragrant spectacle of the daily catch being auctioned and sold.
Kovalam and Vizhinjam offer chartered deep-sea fishing boats — tuna, kingfish, barracuda. Half-day trips with equipment included.
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