Kerala Houseboats,Kerala India Houseboats,Luxury Houseboats Kerala,Houseboats in Kerala

Kettuvallams, the stitched house boats provide the best way to experience the colourful backwaters of Kerala. The kettuvalloms (houseboats) of Kerala are moving masterpieces of the majestic country crafts, measuring up to 80 feet in length. Usually the traditional houseboats are 60 to 70 feet high and 13 feet wide in the middle. It took great skill and meticulousness to construct these giants by tying huge planks of jack wood together along with the use of eco-friendly materials like the bamboo poles, coconut fiber, ropes, bamboo mats, carpets etc,. The entire structure is strong enough to carry a truckload of material and withstand the enormous waves in the sea. The original kettuvalloms used to carry tonnes of rice and spices - a standard kettuvallom can hold up to 30 tonnes - from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. The panoramic nature surrounding the houseboats is clubbed with the equally well-furnished interiors. A Kettuvallom usually has one or two bath attached bedrooms, an open lounge, deck, kitchenette and a crew comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide.

The backwaters of Kerala have a fleet of over 250 houseboats. When onboard one may savor the traditional delicacies of Kerala. The cuisine is captivating owing to the local specialties in the menu. The food is generally fresh as the material is purchased on the way.

Houseboat, Kerala

Earlier these "Kettuvallam" were traditionally used to cargo tonnes of goods across kingdoms, with portion covered with bamboo and coir serving as a rest room and kitchen for the crew. A familiar sight on the Backwaters, these vessels are built entirely with out nails. Plants of jackwood are joined together and coir rope coated with caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kenels.

Today widely called Luxury Houseboats, they carry furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. As one cruises down the canal one can see the morning newspaper and mail delivery by boat, vendors in boat paddle from house to house selling everyday provisions like rice, vegetables, oil, kerosene etc. with hundreds of quacking ducks around. Also you can see village activities, fisherman's activities and see old beautiful temples, churches and old fashioned Kerala.

The wood commonly used to make Kettuvalloms is 'Anhili', which is found in abundance in central Travancore area. Large planks are tied together using hand made coir ropes and beaten coconut fibres. This gives the Kettuvalloms enough strength to withstand heavy waves in the sea. These long cargo boats are a familiar sight on the backwaters. The slow yet steady sail along shallow, palm-fringed lakes and narrow canals is mesmerizing. The boats cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilevered Chinese fishing nets and travel along narrow shady canals, where Coir, Copra, and Cashews are loaded into the boats. As it is the strong yet smooth sailing houseboats form one of the most abiding images of Kerala.

Kerala Houseboats (Kettuvallams)