Your Tour 
Backwaters and Houseboats Kerala
Duration : 6 Days
Places Covered : Cochin - Periyar - Kumarakom - Mararikulam - Cochin
1 Backwaters and Houseboats Kerala
Kerala backwaters are a unique nature and are found nowhere else in the world. Backwaters are a network of lakes, canals and estuaries and deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Backwaters of Kerala are a self-supporting Eco-system teeming with aquatic life. The Canals connect the villages together and still used for local transport. Over 900 km of this labyrinthine water world is navigable.
2 Houseboats in Kerala - A Unique lifetime experience
"KETTUVALLAM" means stitched boat. They are 70 feet long, made with wooden planks, joined and stitched together with coir (coconut Fibre) ropes and painted on the outside with cashew nut shell oil or fish oil. A distinctive feature of the Kettuvallam (Houseboats) is the design suggesting the possible Chinese influence. These Kettuvallams (Houseboats) were used for transporting huge quantities of heavy materials from one place to other. In certain areas Kettuvallams (Houseboats) are still used for transferring Coconut Husk, Sand and other goods. In earlier days since all places were not well connected by roads, Kettuvallams (Houseboats) were the main source of transportation through the Kerala backwaters. It took long journeys ranging from 5 to 6 days, sometimes weeks even to transport things. Boatmen rarely stopped along the waterways for meals. Their diet consisted of freshly caught backwater fish, like Karimeen (pearlspot) and Kalangi. Non perishable staples such as lentils, local large grain "red" rice and inexpensive spices like coriander, ginger, dried chillies, turmeric and black mustard seeds were packed by them before embarking on a journey. Boatmen used to stay in the Kettuvallam which had all the basic
facilities.3 Houseboats Kerala
Kettuvallams equipped with all modern facilities and requirements are called Houseboats. The houseboat has a living room, a sunbathing deck, and bedrooms with attached European style bath and a kitchen. The boat has solar lamps and fans. Without experiencing and enjoying a houseboat cruise, the trip to Kerala will not be a complete one.
Talking of a Kettuvallam ride, The National Geographic Traveler says, "It is astonishingly romantic to watch the sunset from one kettuvallam among several, while the three boatmen hang lanterns and a pearly glow fades behind the scrim of palms... Waking at dawn, we find ourselves surrounded by hundreds of fishermen's skiffs on immense Vembanad Lake. It`s like time travel into a quiet morning of another century."
No Television, No Phone to disturb you, and Natural AC for you to relax and enjoy the beauty of God's own Country.
4 Backwater Cruise
The boat moves by an outboard engine of 25 HP (which does not make much noise), enroute visiting villages to see coir making, local tea shops, paddy fields, temples, beaches etc. till sunset. At night the boat is anchored at a beautiful and quiet part of the lake.
5 Kerala Cuisine
Sumptuous and lip smacking Vegetarian as well as Non Vegetarian Kerala dishes are prepared onboard.
6 Routes
1) Aleppey round 2) Aleppey-Kumarakom 3) Aleppey-Kottayam 4) Aleppey-Thottapally
5) Aleppey-Allumkadavu 6) Aleppey-Quilon
