Marvel Cruise
Houseboat trip on the Alleppey Backwaters
Have you ever gone houseboat cruising on the backwaters of Kerala? If you haven't, make sure you do. This one's really an absolutely wonderful, unforgettable experience!
The houseboats of today - huge, slow- moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips - are the reworked kettuvalloms of olden times. The original kettuvalloms were used to carry tons of rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. A standard kettuvallom can hold up to 30 tons.
The kettuvallam or 'boat with knots'- is so called because the entire boat is held together with coir knots alone. Not even a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a kettuvallom can last for generations.
A portion of the kettuvallom was covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. The tradition is still continued on the houseboats of today and typical Kerala cuisine is served by the crew on board, who themselves come from Kuttanad, the heart of the backwaters.
When modern trucks replaced this system of transport, a new way was discovered that would keep these boats, almost all of which were more than a 100 years old and still in good condition, in the market. By constructing special rooms to accommodate travelers, these boats cruised forward from near- extinction to enjoy their present great popularity. Now these are a familiar sight on the backwaters and in Alleppey alone, there are as many as 120 houseboats.
While converting kettuvallams into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the arecanut tree are used for the roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and the wood and coir of coconut trees for beds. For lighting solar panels are used.
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Today, the houseboats have all the creature comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. While some boats are poled by local oarsmen, most are powered by a 9 HP engine. Boat trains - formed by joining two or more houseboats together - are also used by large groups of sight-seers.
What is truly magical about a houseboat ride is the breathtaking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala that it offers , while you float!
Now, wouldn't that be something?
Classification
The houseboats are certified by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala in two categories - Golden and Silver. The Golden category houseboats have more spacious rooms, tiled toilets, hand - shower, kitchen, sit out and better service.
The Houseboats are certified Golden Catagory Houseboats use only Eco-friendly products for the construction as well as maintennce. Solar energised fans and lights, bio septic plumbing etc are also another facet of the Golden Category Houseboats
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Features of Houseboat Tourism
Trip and stay is from 12.00 Noon to 10.00 am on the following day in case of a standard one- night booking.
The houseboats are be manned by 3 men - a captain, an engine driver and a cook. All the staff are from in and around Kuttanad with some training in hospitality aspects. They speak the local language - Malayalam, but can understand English because of their experience in this field.
The food is normally prepared on a fixed menu - if individual preferences are not intimated in advance. Fish during lunch and chicken during dinner is the norm practice. The simplicity of the meals had by the boatmen of the past is still maintained today.
Solar energized lighting is available on the houseboats.
Most of the products used for the conversion of the Kettuvallam into a houseboat are traditional and eco friendly - bamboo mat for roofing, coir mat on floors, bamboo ply for the walls etc.
Most of the houseboats have 2 twin bedded rooms, with attached tiled toilets (with WC, hand - shower, wash basin), kitchen with LPG stove, sit-out with chairs and a sundeck.. Honeymooners would be attracted by the one-bedroom houseboat during the full moon days.
The houseboats which are powered by small outboard engines are allowed to move in the canals, lakes and rivers only till 5 pm, after which they are anchored in a safe lake. (5 pm to 6 am is the time used by the local people for fishing, in their small country boats).
The houseboats are certified by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala in two categories - Golden and Silver. The Golden category houseboats have more spacious rooms, tiled toilets, hand - shower, kitchen, sit out and better service.
You are free tip the crew as this will help to supplement their income earned during the 6 month season.
