Kerala Houseboat Packages which offers a unique backwater cruise experience in waters of Alleppey and Kumarakom is one of the most appealing holiday experience in India today according to travel reviews. In this world of simple pleasures, you will skim past ancient Chinese fishing nets, water lilies, lush paddy fields, coir villages, rustic homes, temples and coconut groves. A houseboat cruise offers you a chance to learn about the life of local village people through a Kerala Village tour and chance to know about that part of Kerala which lives along these backwaters throbbing with its own unique culture .For you, as a visitor to Kerala it can be incredibly different experience just floating this backwaters in a country craft and absorbing unusual representation.
About Kerala Houseboat & Backwaters
A Kerala houseboat, locally known as Kettuvallam, was used to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters to towns in ancient days. Kettuvallam means a boat made by tying together pieces of wood. Not a single nail is used in the making of a Kettuvallam and it is built by are joining together anjili wood panes with coir ropes and then by coating with black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. The houseboat raw materials for building consists of eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc.
Todays houseboats originated from traditional commercial boats were used as the mode of transport in the early times from the interior villages in Kerala to places like Alleppey, Kottayam, Cochin and Kollam.Later these boat services became extinct with the introduction of modern transport services between towns and villages. In these days houseboats of kerala have become the symbol of Kerala tourism. No tourist experiencing in Kerala is complete without a kerala houseboat cruise.
About Backwaters
Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways.In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises.The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Rooms, Facilities & Staff
Kerala house boats have fully furnished single double triple and five bedrooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet. There will be three crew members comprising of two oarsmen and a cook . It takes great skill and meticulousness to construct and navigate these giant Houseboats by tying huge planks of Anjili tree and the staff has been trained properly. All Houseboats have adequate safety measures and Kerala government and tourism department conducts periodic audits and inspections to ensure safety of tourists.
Food & Dining
When you book a Kerala houseboat cruise for one night all meals will be served inside the boat and the Kerala Houseboat Menu is continental, south Indian, North Indian or traditional Kerala flavored with the local specialties; delicious local fish.
How to select a Kerala houseboat package?
Starting point of a Kerala Houseboat Cruise is Alleppey / Kumarakom. Houseboats of Kerala are available for rental from prices starting from Rs.3500 for a Non A/C to Rs.40000 for a super luxury houseboat with butlers. Select a single bedroom houseboat for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people, 3 bedroom houseboat for six people and a 5 bedroom houseboat for 10 People.
Ask for special arragements like candle light dinner , flower arrangement etc if you are coming for a honeymoon or a romantic cruise. Food preferences (Vegetarian/ Non Vegetarian) has to be specified before the boat leaves from the shore. Fishing Arragements and canoeing in a traditional Kerala boat can also be arranged on request
While many Kerala Houseboat Cruises take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake,two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara,and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta.There are numerous such cruises which we arrange for our guests on special request.
About Kerala Houseboat & Backwaters
A Kerala houseboat, locally known as Kettuvallam, was used to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters to towns in ancient days. Kettuvallam means a boat made by tying together pieces of wood. Not a single nail is used in the making of a Kettuvallam and it is built by are joining together anjili wood panes with coir ropes and then by coating with black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. The houseboat raw materials for building consists of eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc.
Todays houseboats originated from traditional commercial boats were used as the mode of transport in the early times from the interior villages in Kerala to places like Alleppey, Kottayam, Cochin and Kollam.Later these boat services became extinct with the introduction of modern transport services between towns and villages. In these days houseboats of kerala have become the symbol of Kerala tourism. No tourist experiencing in Kerala is complete without a kerala houseboat cruise.
About Backwaters
Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways.In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises.The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Rooms, Facilities & Staff
Kerala house boats have fully furnished single double triple and five bedrooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet. There will be three crew members comprising of two oarsmen and a cook . It takes great skill and meticulousness to construct and navigate these giant Houseboats by tying huge planks of Anjili tree and the staff has been trained properly. All Houseboats have adequate safety measures and Kerala government and tourism department conducts periodic audits and inspections to ensure safety of tourists.
Food & Dining
When you book a Kerala houseboat cruise for one night all meals will be served inside the boat and the Kerala Houseboat Menu is continental, south Indian, North Indian or traditional Kerala flavored with the local specialties; delicious local fish.
How to select a Kerala houseboat package?
Starting point of a Kerala Houseboat Cruise is Alleppey / Kumarakom. Houseboats of Kerala are available for rental from prices starting from Rs.3500 for a Non A/C to Rs.40000 for a super luxury houseboat with butlers. Select a single bedroom houseboat for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people, 3 bedroom houseboat for six people and a 5 bedroom houseboat for 10 People.
Ask for special arragements like candle light dinner , flower arrangement etc if you are coming for a honeymoon or a romantic cruise. Food preferences (Vegetarian/ Non Vegetarian) has to be specified before the boat leaves from the shore. Fishing Arragements and canoeing in a traditional Kerala boat can also be arranged on request
While many Kerala Houseboat Cruises take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake,two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara,and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta.There are numerous such cruises which we arrange for our guests on special request.
