House Boats, Kumarakom South India

Meandering along Kerala’s Backwaters in a traditional Kettu vallam - a rice barge that has been converted into a houseboat -- is one of the most memorable experiences any traveller could have in India. Kerala’s houseboats have now become a popular accommodation option to the hotels and resorts in the area. The most scenic stretch to explore in a houseboat is from Kollam (Quilon) to Alappuzha (Alleppey) and can be covered at your own pace with an overnight stay or even two to three nights aboard a houseboat. The drive to Kollam from Kochi (Cochin) airport is 85km and takes approximately two hours. From the airport at Trivandrum the journey is about 4.5 hours.

Kerala’s tranquil backwaters, the setting for Arundhati Roy’s Booker prize-winning novel `The God of Small Things’, offer a true experience of India’s enchanting natural landscape and rural village life. These shimmering waterways are edged with dense tropical greenery and rural villages where daily life unfolds at an unhurried pace. Views change constantly as you move along. Lush green paddy fields and coconut groves, tranquil waters momentarily disturbed by cormorants and brahmini kites diving down in search of their catch, fisherman tending to their nets, and villages passing by in canoes filled with coir and vegetables. Stop enroute and explore rural villages, Hindu kovils and churches. At night, once your houseboat is anchored in the waters, dine on the helm under a starlit sky with the sound of crickets in the background. Kerala’s houseboats are refurbished Kettu vallams which are traditional rice or spice barges that used to transport the harvest from Kuttanad to Kochi. The Kettu vallams were constructed by artisans using jackwood planks, coir rope and bamboo and has coir and palm leaf canopies. These Kettu vallams have now been transformed into houseboats maintaining its traditional exteriors and blended with modern day comforts. They offer a range of facilities to suite everyone’s budget. A houseboat is only booked by one party ensuring complete privacy.