Have you ever gone cruising in a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala? If you haven’t, make sure you do. Guaranteed of a wonderful and unforgettable experience! Enjoy the truly magical houseboat cruises in Kerala. A houseboat cruise through the backwater stretches of Kerala is an exclusive experience filled with everlasting beautiful memories.
Kerala offers the opportunity of a lifetime to view the scenic beauty of Kerala by traversing the backwaters. Alapuzha (Venice of the East) or Alleppey as it is popularly known is the most prominent township in the backwaters. House boating can be the most relaxing experience for any age of people. The Boat races held on the 2nd Saturday of August attracts the visitors to Alleppey.
Houseboats are huge, slow moving exotic barges used for leisure trips, and are in fact reworked version of kettuvallams of olden times. The original kettuvallams were used to carry tons of rice and spices. A standard kettuvallam can hold up to 30 tons from Kuttanad to the port of Kochi to be exported to the various parts of the world.
The kettuvallam is held together with coir knots. Not even a single nail is used during the construction of the boat. 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 kettuvallam can last for generations.
A portion of the kettuvallam is covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked onboard and supplemented with freshly cooked fish from the backwaters.
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.
What is truly magical about a houseboat ride is the breathtaking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala that it offers, while you float!