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Once popular with the hippies only throughout the 1970's, Kerala swept into worldwide limelight to be recognised as one of the world's 10 paradises by Traveller, National Geographic's magazine and is listed among the top 100 destinations for this century by Travel and Leisure.
Originally used to transportation tonnes of rice and spices, Kerala's huge and sturdy out-dated kettuvalams or houseboats were turned into exotic barges for leisure retreats by using natural products entirely.
The kettuvallam is uniquely calculated and can last for centuries; it's made of jack-wood, joined with coir knots without using any nails, and coated with a caustic resin made out of boiled cashew kernels.
Wood from the areca nut tree, bamboo mats and sticks make the roof; wooden planks and coir mats are used for the flooring; there are coir beds with coir matting; and solar panels provide lighting.
The Kerala Tour Package is a unique experience: some of the houseboats are air-conditioned; there are 1-bedroom houseboats to 4-bedroom houseboats, which are equipped to provide every modern amenity to the discerning traveller.
Cosy living rooms, sun-decks and balconies provide scenic views during the day and night as you float through the backwaters, touching the heart of Kerala, seeing its rustic charms and unapproachable small villages in the interior, which are part of this magical experience.
Some of the houseboats have oarsmen, while some have high-powered motor engines, and some are linked together to form boat trains! Meals are cooked on board and fish caught from Kerala's backwaters is part of the fare served! The cuisine is conventional Kerala fare, vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
The Kerala Houseboat Tour Package can last for days or just one day.
Picturesque Alleppey with pretty canals, beaches, lagoons and backwaters decorated with pretty water lilies is oft called the 'Venice of the East'; it has a lighthouse, hosts the famous 'snake boat race' every August, and is known for its ayurvedic therapies.
Though there are other places offering houseboat packages through Kerala's vast network of backwaters, it is Alleppey and Kumarakom that are beset with tourists who want to explore Kerala's lakes, canals, rivers and inlets, all weaving through the region ringed in by coconut palm trees, alongside lush paddy fields, rural villages, rich flora and fauna in their natural habitat, beautiful scenery, picturesque views of the sunrise and sunset over the waters as you float along at a leisurely pace, watching people working in the paddy fields or tapping toddy or fishing.
These offer a special holiday amidst natural scenery, peaceful and invigorating at the same time.
There are opportunities to sun-bathe in the houseboat, and visit nearby places for excellent ayurvedic spa therapies.
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