Kerala House Boats

Houseboats in Kerala are floating palaces which float over the labyrinth of canals and estuaries that connect small and remote villages of Kerala with the rest of the world. These houseboats mostly run on the backwaters traversing a large number of small canals. In earlier times these channels and traditional boats were used as the only mode of transport from one remote town to another. With the introduction of the latest means of transport, these house boats became obsolete. However, later on, these house boats were used as a means to bring the tourists more close to the native traditions and Kerala's culture.

The traditional houseboat of Kerala is called ‘Kettuvallam’. These boats are made up completely with wood, bamboo and coconut fiber ropes. Even the mats which are used inside the boat are made up of bamboo fiber. The size of these gigantic boat houses can vary from 95 feet in length and 13 feet in breadth to 107 feet in length and 19 feet breadth. The main wood which is used in the making of the boat is "Anjili", which is a strong but light tree. The boats were modified and re-modified to suit the need of the tourists and visitors. These boats slowly caught attention of the visitors. Today, these have become a hit amongst the visitors from India and abroad alike.

Houseboats combined with the gurgling backwaters form the major attraction of Kerala. At Kerala backwaters, you are taken back to the days when the things were simpler and the traditions used to be a part of the lifestyle of the people. During the tour, you can sit back and relax or languish in a lounge chair, while your house boat silently sails through winding pathways beautifully fringed by the swaying coconut trees, idyllic villages, paddy fields, natural harmony, melodious waterfalls filling the gap of the air and terrific ancient temples. These floating houses are equipped with all the amenities that can be found in a well furnished hotel like. These may include spacious rooms well furnished with eco friendly fixtures, attached bath, clean kitchen, dining room and sun-deck thatched by palm leaves so that tourists can enjoy the pretty view of the attractive surrounding of the backwaters of Kerala.