<< Kerala Houseboats

Cruising along the backwaters of Kerala is an unforgettable experience. If you have not experienced it, here is a golden opportunity to do it at a fraction of its original cost. You could get in any House Boat of your liking, saunter down the cool placid waters of our world-famous backwaters, have a merry time and get back home either the same day or after spending a night as well out floating around.

House Boats are huge, slow moving, exotic barges designed for sheer leisure trips. They are the new versions of traditional ?Kettuvallams?. ?Kettu? means ?tying? and ?Vallam? means ?country boats?. These Kettuvallams were earlier used to ship rice and spices and other goods between Kuttanad and the Cochin port. It was a three-day affair those days. A standard House Boat, which could be about 100 feet long, can hold up to 30 tons, and that is as much as three big lorries can.

A House Boat (which is made of hundreds of fine but heavy-duty planks of jack-wood) is held together absolutely by coir knots (not a single nail is used). This framework is then coated with a caustic black resin extracted from boiled cashew kernels. And it lasts for generations. Ancient principles and techniques are used by the local carpenters for constructing house boats. The ?Anjali wood? is used for this purpose. Normally our houseboats are of an average 70 ft long and 15 ft width in the central section. Some of the attractive houseboat packages in Kerala are:

Aleppey Houseboats

Alleppey is the citadel of House Boats: There are some 120 of them, well maintained and perfected as luxury liners here. The crew cooks on board, and most often, their meals included delicious pearlspot fish caught straight from the water. A portion of the House Boat had bamboo roofing, and that was where the crew would rest. You will be enjoying the finest Kuttanadan delicacies when you saunter down the backwaters. You will be lounging in the best-furnished cabins with a view you cannot find anywhere else in the world, and the entire milieu is ecological. Fresh food, cooked in inimitable Kuttanadan style is the rage of the international tourists.

Kumarakom Houseboats

The premium attraction of Kumarakom is obviously the backwaters here. A ride through these backwaters will be an unforgettable experience for you. From single to multiple ? lots of packages are available and you can have your choice. You can enjoy the traditional Kerala meals while enjoying the fine trip through the gorgeous backwaters of Kumarakom. Fresh cooked meals along with the unique ?Karimeen fry? will satisfy your gourmet. 

Kollam Houseboats

The eight hour water cruise from Kollam to Alappuzha is considered to be the longest backwater cruises in Kerala. The long hour journey through the backwaters will be a cherishing memory filled with the stunning beauty of the backwaters. On your way, enjoy the beauty of Chinese fishing nets; get excited with the sights of lotuses and water lilies, which is sprouting out of the water. 

A ride in a House Boat is the most stunning experience you could ever float into, or get floated into. And, nothing like it, if it rains while you are cozy inside the luxurious House Boat. It will be the most magical moment of your life. You could watch millions of drops of water splashing and pounding on the rhythm of the falling rain like you never had in all your life.