House Boats are huge, slow moving, exotic barges adapted for sheer leisure trips. For centuries, Kerala's remote backwater communities used kettuvallam boats to transport rice from the paddy fields to market towns between Kuttanad and Kochi port. In Malayalam language Kettu refers to ‘dwelling structures’ ‘Vallam’ means boat. These boats made of bamboo, rattan, coir and wood with a thatched roof cover over wooden hulls are now favourite with tourists.
Usually measuring about 24 meters in length, Kerala's houseboats have been refashioned into stylishly furnished floating cottages. Depending on budget, options include houseboats with two floors, balconies, living rooms and even four or five bedrooms. It's possible to spend an afternoon to a few days on a backwaters houseboat, though two-day trips are the most popular. This allows travellers to lounge on deck and watch the local wildlife, scenery and world go by.
In the evening, houseboats moor, mostly in a secluded spot where you can enjoy an evening drink and traditional meal, cooked with fresh local ingredients and fish caught from the river. During the day, the main rivers are like a watery highway, so the journey won't always be peaceful. The days of being only the houseboat on the water are long gone. But the journey does provide the chance to see children playing in the water, fishermen with his daily catch and women washing clothes.
Amenities
Bar/PubConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableMultilingual StaffRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesStay House Boats are huge, slow moving, exotic barges designed for sheer leisure trips. Once used to carry goods, these giant 100-foot-long crafts are now luxuriously furnished and have one, two or three bedrooms with attached bathrooms. Most boats also have an open lounge, deck, kitchenette and a crew comprising Captain, a Chef and multilingual guide. All rooms have decent sized windows with views out of one side of the boat. Each bedroom has air-conditioning and a fan.
ChildCare Families with children are welcome to stay board houseboats but there are no specific facilities available for children. The chef can certainly tailor make his menus to suit the younger guests on board.
Dine Meals are cooked in a specially adapted kitchenette on the houseboat, using fresh local ingredients and fish caught on the river. There is a comfortable dining area where meals cooked in traditional local style are served.
Relax For relaxation, houseboats have a lounge area with armchairs, perfect for relaxing in the evening with sundowner whilst watching the Keralan life go by.
Experience Aside from the stunning beaches and waterways why not visit one of twelve wildlife sanctuaries and two National Parks, nestled in the lush forests of the Western Ghats, where you can catch glimpses of elephants, gaur, sambar, deer and wild dogs. The Kerala Hill Stations are also well worth a visit as they are home to beautiful cascading waterfalls, tea and cardamom plantations, and breathtaking scenery ideal for walking and trekking.
Location Journey round Kerala's beautiful backwaters which consist of a complex network of brackish lagoons, lovely lakes and canals.
Getting there Fly to Cochin International Airport. Cochin is the nearest airport to Houseboat, the drive from there takes around 1-hour 30-minutes.
When to go Isolated from much of India by the Western Ghats, the climate of Kerala & Karnataka is tropical. The best time to visit is from January through to April. Summer is hot and humid; the monsoon season arrives in early June and lasts till August. While September can be dry and humid. There can be a little rain in October and November, cooling off around December and lasting until February.
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