The houseboats of today - huge, slow moving, exotic barge used for leisure trips - are the reworked kettuvalloms of olden times. The original kettuvalloms were used to carry tonnes of rice and spices - a standard kettuvallom can hold up to 30 tonnes - from Kuttanad to the Kochi port.
Kettuvalloms or Houseboats (Riceboats) are country boats that were used in the early days for the transport of goods from the isolated interior villages to the towns. With the advent of roads, bridges and ferry services, gradually the Kettuvalloms went off the scene. Now these kettuvalloms are back again as a major tourist attraction. A ride on a Kettuvallom is a fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters.
HOUSE BOATS
A
house boat is about 67 feet in length and has a width of around
13 feet in the middle. The materials that go into the making are
all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo
mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is "Anjili".
The house boats have fully furnished single and double rooms with
sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen
and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room
for the crew. Traditional lanterns are used as lights. The crew
includes a chef and two oarsmen. The cuisine is traditional Kerala
flavour with the local specialities; delicious fish and prawns.
There are single bedroom houseboats for two people and two bedroom
houseboats for four people.The kettuvallam or ‘boat with knots’- was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a kettuvallom can last for generations.
A portion of the kettuvallom was covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. Food from the local cuisine is served by the Kuttanad localites, on board.
Our craftsmen have created a unique atmosphere on board, a luxurious, self contained world from which to observe rural Indian life flowing gently by. The experience will be quite different from any other holiday.
One couple has the exclusive run of the entire boat ensuring privacy for honeymooners - and guests are attended to by a personal cook and two boatmen.
While converting kettuvallams into
houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats,
sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir
mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees
and coir for beds. For lighting though, solar panels are used.Today, the houseboats have all the creative comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. While most boats are poled by local oarsmen, some are powered by a 40 HP engine. Boat-trains - formed by joining two or more houseboats together - are also used by large groups of sight-seers.
Besides gliding in the houseboats you may try exploring, swimming, dining, fishing, bird watching or just lazing in the sun. The houseboat holiday in Kerala promises to be a great escape. Cruising aboard the houseboats tourists are left spellbound by the beauty of the Kerala. The private houseboat trip indeed makes the trip to Kerala complete. For the budget tourists seeking to enjoy Kerala there are dormitories. The entire enchanting experience of the houseboats in Kerala ranges in duration and tariff.
BACKWATERS
900 km of dappled, green waters. Fringes of dense tropical greenery. Clear skies shimmering through coconut canopies. Kerala is a labyrinth of lazily meandering backwaters. Sprinkled with traditional houseboats, country crafts, rural lifestyles and Tranquility. It's an intricate network of innumerable lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Over 900 km of this labyrinthine waterworld is navigable. The largest backwater stretch in Kerala is the Vembanad lake which flows through three districts and opens out into the sea at the Kochi port. The Houseboats are available in Vembanad and Ashtamudi Kayal only.
The tourists on the houseboats may relive the authentic life in the villages of Kerala. These houseboats or the taxis on the backwaters of Kerala pass through several towns and villages of Kerala. You may enjoy Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kollam and Kochi on the houseboat while enjoying backwaters of Kerala. Alappuzha is often referred to as the "Venice of the East". At Alappuzha you may check out the art of coir making by the local people. Simply put houseboats in Kerala are great options for short breaks and getaways.
For Booking Information / Reservation, please Contact Us
Email: priyadasm@hotmail.com