It was our long cherished dream to enjoy the scenic beauty of the backwaters of Kerala on a Houseboat. I wonder why all these years we could not go for such a thrilling journey that has become so popular among the tourists, both foreign as well as domestic!
Moreover, so many people here nowadays spend their weekends in houseboats experiencing the cool breeze, savoring delicious dishes prepared onboard l
istening
to their favorite music while the modified traditional ho
useboats of Kerala originally called 'Kettuvallam' smoothly glide along the backwaters powered by powerful engines.
We went for the cruise at Alleppey
(Alappuzha
), in Kerala, South India. Alleppey is said to be the 'Venice of the
east'!
I was told that there are about a thousand houseboats here alone and sometimes during the peak season there will be difficulty in getting one if you do not have an advance booking!
There are many categories of houseboats like Luxury, premium
, deluxe etc.
and some of the luxurious ones are furnished with almost all amenities like a five-star suite.
Aircon, well
...we might not need it because of
the so
othing breeze all throughout, still, they have it. Some
prefer to stay overn
ight an
d that w
ould be wonderful!
Imagine spending the night on a traditional boat in the middle of still waters far and wide enjoying the
moonlight getting reflected, the blue sky and cool breeze!
This is a 'snake boat' we spotted while cruising. Snake boat race (Vallamkali ) is another tourist attraction in Kerala. Such very long boats will compete during Onam, the festive season, in many places in Kerala. The most famous is the Nehru trophy boat race at Alleppey, the very same place where we go for a houseboat cruise.
Safety standards are excellent; staff extremely polite, courteous, professional and well behaved. The industry is well regulated by the authorities and all necessary certifications like periodic maintenance and environmental impact control etc.
are taken care of. In the olden days, such huge traditional wooden hull boats (Kettuvallams) were used mainly as rice barges. I remember watching huge rice barges with thatched roofs sailing along the rivers and canals during my childhood. There was a time when these barges became a big liability to the owners with the advent of modern ways of transportation of goods. Then someone thought of converting Kettuvallams like this for tourism and it clicked in a very big way. Thus began the huge demand for old houseboats and nowadays people are 'building' such vessels. Some corporate companies conduct their meetings and conferences on houseboats these days!
Some high-end hotel properties also have come up here. Many are having their own private pier for houseboats. Enjoy in style!
A honey
mooner's delight :)
It is easy to book a cruise. There are plenty of online portals offering attractive deals. Or if you prefer to book one on the site then use this pre-paid counter. There is a comfortable waiting room also.
The backwaters of Kerala are a chain of lakes, canals, and rivers that connect with the
Arabian sea. There are small villages, towns, and lagoons all along these strips of water. Vembanad lake, the largest, borders Alleppey, Kochi, and Kottayam districts. Our cruise was at the Punnamada lake at Alleppey.
Look at those huge boats waiting for passengers!
This is the 'finishing point' area of Nehru
trophy boat race. From here we boarded our vessel.
A must enjoy boat trip
! Very popular
among honeymooners😊
Yummy!
Lobst
ers, fresh catch...
.the che
f onboard will cook this in any style you like! There are plenty of vendors en-
route who will be happy to sell you such exotic fishes :)
The
se are
Karimeen (green
chromide) fried in coc
onut oil, a very
popular fish he
re! One
thing I am sure
n
o one will disag
ree
. The yummy
dishes that y
ou get o
nboard thes
e boats pr
epared by expert chefs!
The
ric
e, curries
etc. etc .wow...!
What you see above is a dangerous fruit called 'Odallum'. Never ever eat these, it is fatal. They are poisonous. Sometimes boats stop at areas of lagoons for lunch where you will find these plants. They look like mangoes; be careful!
An unforgettable experience!
Google tells me there are wonderful boat cruises similar to this in other parts of the world too. Please share your experience😊
Watch the videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3myBZWL0g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ED9_XNKwrE
Enjoy!
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