Houseboat Bed - Memorable stay in Houseboat in Kerala

Houseboat Bed - Memorable stay in Houseboat in Kerala

The backwaters act as a vital waterway for the transport of goods, people and their produce and are more often than not the only link between isolated villages and crowded towns. Stretched over a total expanse of 1500 kms, the backwaters have a network of 44 rivers, lagoons and lakes from north to south. As you sail along on a houseboat you drift into a land that time forgot and watch picture-book towns and ancient trading posts float by. You can see the sky shimmer through a coconut canopy and hear the wind to bring you the oarsman’s song. You can sail a cloud and dream a dream in the tranquility of the backwaters. When you wish to get away from it all and set your soul free, the one place which will surely soothe your soul is the backwater of Kerala. It is the best way to rejuvenate your mind and body. So if you are really looking for peace of mind, take a break at the backwaters of Kerala.

Kettuvallams, the House-boats of Kerala, offer a rare treat while you sojourn in the God's Own Country. You can cruise in it through the tingling backwaters, throughout a night in waxing moonlight. The lullaby of the waves and the dazzling delights of the moon-lit night can be experienced by spending a couple of nights in Kettuvallam which anchored in a undisturbed spot in the Vembanad Lake. The traditional house-boat of Kerala is one of the most enduring images of the backwaters. These house boats are converted version of the "Kuttanadan Kettuvallams". 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.

Enjoy The Backwaters of Kerala: A sojourn in Kettuvallams, the Houseboats of Kerala, offers a panoramic view of one of the most picturesque aspects of the God's Own Country. One can cruise in it through the palm-fringed backwaters, throughout a night in waxing moonlights. The lullaby of the waves and the dazzling delights of the moonlit night can be experienced by spending a couple of nights aboard the Kettuvallam. The traditional houseboat of Kerala is one of the most enduring images of the backwaters. These houseboats of Kerala are converted version of the "Kuttanadan Kettuvallams".

Houseboat Bed

A portion of the Kettuvallam 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. Today, the tradition is still continued and the food from the local cuisine is served by the Kuttanad localities, on board. When the modern trucks replaced this system of transport, some one found a new way that would keep these boats, almost all of which were more than 100 years old, in the market. By constructing special rooms to accommodate travelers, these boats cruised forward from near- extinction to enjoy their present great popularity. 

Now these are a familiar sight on the backwaters and in Alleppey alone, there are as many as 120 houseboats. 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 creature 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

KERALA KETTUVALLAM HOUSEBOATS, HOUSEBOATS, KERALA HOUSEBOATS

KERALA HOUSEBOATS ( KETTUVALLAM )

Kettuvallams, the stitched boats provide the best way to experience the colourful backwaters of Kerala. The Kettuvalloms of Kerala are giant country crafts, measuring up to 80 feet in length.

The traditional houseboat, the indispensable part of the picturesque backwaters of Kerala, was mainly used in Travancore and Kochi and in the Minicoy Islands in olden times.

The wood commonly used to make Kettuvalloms is 'Anhili', which is found in abundance in central Travancore area. Large planks are tied together using hand made coir ropes and beaten coconut fibres.

This gives the Kettuvallams enough strength to withstand heavy waves in the sea. These long cargo boats are a familiar sight on the backwaters. These traditional houseboats undoubtedly form one of the most abiding images of the backwaters in Kerala.

Today, these goods carriers have been adapted to make the most exciting tourism product in India, the luxuriously furnished houseboat. Kettuvallams or the 'house-boats of Kerala' dot the serene palm-fringed backwaters of Kerala.

Witness The Making Of the Traditional Kettuvallams
At a quiet spot just outside the small town of Karunagapally, 23 kms north of Quilon, it's possible to watch the construction of traditional Kettuvallams. Kettuvallams are built entirely without the use of nails.

It requires great skill and adroitness to construct these giant boats by tying huge planks of jack wood together. The boats are applied with fish oil and cashew nut oil and left to cure for days.

Oil is simultaneously applied atleast three times before the boat is set on water. Each jackwood plank is joined to the next with coir rope, and then the whole is coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, they last for generations.

Enjoy The Backwaters of Kerala 

A sojourn in Kettuvallams, the House boats of Kerala, offers a panoramic view of one of the most picturesque aspects of the God's Own Country. One can cruise in it through the palm-fringed backwaters, throughout a night in waxing moonlights.

The lullaby of the waves and the dazzling delights of the moonlit night can be experienced by spending a couple of nights aboard the Kettuvallam. The traditional houseboat of Kerala is one of the most enduring images of the backwaters.

These houseboats are converted version of the "Kuttanadan Kettuvallams".

The Luxury In Water - Kerala Houseboats
Kettuvallams, the large traditional houseboats are converted into floating luxury dwelling units.

These house boats are available in all sizes and shapes, the most popular accommodation type being a suite, having one or two bath attached bedrooms, one living room, kitchenette, an open lounge, deck and a crew comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide.

The houseboats are generally powered by a small outboard engine, allowing one to cruise along the backwaters. A recent innovation is a small conference room in a houseboat.

Price For Comfort
A 24-hour stay costs somewhere in the range of Rs. 6000. There are cheaper ones including dormitories and one bedroom. About 250 boats operate along the backwaters.

Cheaper boats are available for much less but it is a cheaper experience too. At the dockside, called Finishing Point at Alappuzha, the town of houseboat operators and the starting point for backwater journeys, the boats are available for even Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per day.

Kerala Travel Tours - Kerala means "land of coconuts". Many call the beach at kovalam the best in India. Emerald Kerala Backwaters, lush hill stations, ayurveda and health resorts, enchanting beaches of Kerala, and exotic cuisine... all of which are a part of Kerala Travel and Tourism Guide

Kerala (Keralam), the land of Coconut, Sun Blanched Beaches, Kettuvallams , Enchanting Backwaters

Kerala (Keralam), the land of Coconut, Sun Blanched Beaches, Kettuvallams , Enchanting Backwaters

Kerala (Keralam), the land of kera or coconut, is a never-ending array of coconut palms…sun blanched beaches…kettuvallams over enchanting backwaters… magical monsoon showers…silent valleys vibrant with flora and fauna…misty mountains of the Western Ghats…fragrance of spices…evenings reverberating with the rhythm of a thousand artforms...fairs and festivals... Welcome to Kerala benign and beautiful!

Origin of Kerala has been linked to a legend dating back to Satya Yug. According to this legend, Kerala rose up from the sea when Lord Parasurama threw his axe into  it and the sea receded to bring up this narrow strip of land from underneath. Lord Parasurama, believed to be the sixth avatar of Lord Mahavishnu, threw his axe from Gokarnam southward across the ocean in rage and in repentance for his actions of killing Kshatriyas. The land of Kerala emerged from the waters  of the Arabian Sea with the blessing of Varuna-the God of Oceans and Bhumidevi- the Goddess of Earth. The sobriquet “God’s own Country” thus bestows itself on Kerala.

Kerala lies along the coastline, to the extreme south west of the Indian peninsula, flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the mountains of the Western Ghats on the east. This land of Parasurama stretches north-south along a coastline of 580 kms with a varying width of 35 to 120 kms. Cascading delicately down the hills to the  coasts covered by verdant coconut groves, the topography and physical characteristics change distinctly from east to west. The nature of the terrain and its physical features, divides an east west cross section of the state into three distinct regions- hills and valleys, midland and plains and the coastal region. Located between north latitudes 8018' and 12048' and east longitudes 74052' and 72022', this land of eternal beauty encompasses 1.18 per cent of the country.

The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap. The average elevation of the Ghats is about 1500 meters above sea level, occasionally soaring to peaks of 2000 to 2500 m. From the Ghats, the land slopes to the west on to the plains, into an unbroken coastline.

The strip of hills and valleys on the eastern edge, close to the Ghats, comprises of steep mountains and deep valleys, covered with dense forests. Almost all the rivers of the state originate here. There are 44 rivers in the state, of which 41 originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards west into the Arabian sea. Only three tributaries of the river Cauvery originate in Kerala and flow east into the neighbouring States. These rivers and streams flowing down from the Western Ghats either empty themselves in to the backwaters in the coastal area or directly into the Arabian Sea. As the Western Ghats are nowhere more than 120 kms from the sea, all these rivers are comparatively short.

In the Midland Plains of central region, the hills are not very steep and the valleys are wide. The valleys have been developed as paddy fields and the elevated lands and hill slopes are converted into estates of rubber, fruit trees and other cash crops like pepper , arecanut and tapioca.  Tea and  coffee estates have cropped up in the high ranges during the last two centuries.

The Coastal Belt strip is comparatively plain. Extensive paddy fields, thick groves of coconut trees and picturesque backwaters, interconnected with canals and rivers, are the features of this region. No wonder, Alappuzha an old sea port town of this region is known as the  'Venice of the East'. In the southern and northern parts of the state, the coastal belt also has some small hillocks.

Backwaters & Rivers
The backwaters are a peculiar feature of the state. Canals link the lakes and backwaters to facilitate an uninterrupted inland water navigation system from Thiruvananthapuram to Vadakara, a distance of 450 kms. The Vembanad lake stretching from Alappuzha to Kochi is the biggest water body in the state and is over 200 sq.kms. in area. Kuttanad in Alappuzha district alone has more than 20 per cent of India's total length of waterways.

The important rivers from north to south are; Valapattanam river (110 kms.), Chaliar (69 kms.), Kadalundipuzha (130 kms.), Bharathapuzha (209 kms.), Chalakudy river (130 kms.), Periyar (244 kms), Pamba (176 kms), Achancoil (128 kms.) and Kalladayar (121 kms.). Other than these, there are 35 more small rivers and rivulets flowing down from the Ghats. Most of these rivers are navigable up to the midland region, in country crafts.