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Kerala Tourism Destinations -
Houseboats |
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About Kerala Houseboats
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Kerala Houseboats (Riceboats)
or kettuvallam are country boats that were used in the early days for the
transport of goods from the isolated interior villages of Kerala Backwater
area to the towns like Alleppey, Kollam, Cochin and Kottayam. With the
advent of roads, bridges and ferry services, gradually the kettuvalloms
went off the scene. Now these kettuvalloms are back again as a major
tourist attraction as a modern moving boat house that is kerala houseboats
. kerala houseboats size vary from, about to 95 feet feet in length and a
width of around 13 feet to in the middle for one bedroom houseboat and ,
big houseboats with up 107 feet long and up to 19 feet wide. The materials
that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles,
coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is
"Anjili".Kerala house boats have fully furnished single double triple and
five bedrooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs,
kitchen and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room.
Houseboats in Kerala have a three member crew - a chef, driver &
cabin assistants. The cuisine is traditional Kerala flavor with the local
specialties; delicious local fish. There are single bedroom houseboats for
two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people.and 3 bedroom
houseboat for 6 , and 5 bedroom houseboat for 10 People.The spectacular
beauty of Kerala's backwaters needs no introduction. A Kerala Houseboats
cruise along the palm-fringed waterways of Kerala in luxury houseboats is
the most enchanting holiday experience in India today. In this world of
simple pleasures, you will skim past ancient Chinese fishing nets, water
lilies, lush paddy fields, coir villages, rustic homes, temples and
coconut groves. A guided tour down the backwaters would provide you with a
complete and most enchanting experience on the back waters of Kerala and
will also reveal to you some interesting facts about the life of local
village people. This month's lens view takes you to the backwater stretch
of the Vembanad, where one can go for a leisurely cruise on a multi deck
boat, allowing you enjoy the scenic backwater life.
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Houseboats In Kerala
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House Boats Kerala - We offer
Kerala House Boats to Backwater lovers. We can arrange House BoatsTours to
Kerala, Kerala House Boats Backwater Tours, Kerala House Boats Tour
Packages,Kerala House Boats Reservation,Kerala Houseboats and Backwater
Tour Packages etc. Enjoy the scenic backwater life on the houseboats
orkettuvallam. The houseboats are called Kettuvallam, which means a boat
made by tying together pieces of wood ....
The spectacular beauty of Kerala's backwaters needs no introduction. This
month's lens view takes you to the backwater stretch of the Vembanad,
where one can go for a leisurely cruise on a multi deck boat, allowing you
enjoy the scenic backwater life. Traditionally, the houseboat was called
Kettuvallam, which means a boat made by tying together pieces of wood.
Unbelievable as it may sound, not a single nail is used in the making of a
Kettuvallam.
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Houseboat Industry
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Alappuzha, A decade after an
innovative entrepreneur at Alumkadavu in Kollam district converted a
traditional boat used for transporting goods ('kettu vallam') to a
houseboat with facilities for the stay of tourists, the industry has come
of age. From two boats in the early Nineties, the number of houseboats has
now gone up to about 200.Meanwhile,the small single - room houseboat has
been replaced by large houseboats with several rooms. Many of the present
houseboats are air - conditioned . In no time, Alappuzha has emerged as a
hub of the house boat industry with a majority of them operating from
here.
Recounting the growth of the industry, the Houseboat Owners Association
secretary, Tomy Pulikkattil, says it is only natural that Alappuzha has
become the nerve center of the industry because of the potential of the
Vembanad lake and canals of Kuttanad as venues for boating. "At first,
traditional boats used to be converted into houseboats, but now very big
ones are specially built as houseboats", Mr. Tomy says. While most of the
houseboats of the initial days used to be poled, the present ones are
fitted with engines. The earlier outboard engines have been replaced with
inboard engines which use diesel as fuel.
Mr. Tomy says that the concept of rooms of houseboats has undergone a
revolutionary change over the last few years. The small dingy rooms have
been replaced by spacious air-conditioned rooms which could match the
comforts of a hotel room. Some of the houseboats operating from Alappuzha
have even five bedrooms. The latest innovation in the industry is a very
big houseboat with a conference hall having a seating capacity of 150 and
several bedrooms. The boat will be launched soon.
According to Mr. Tomy, the industry provides direct employment to around
500 persons now. "The number of persons being provided indirect employment
is more than 2,000".He says that more than new 10 houseboats are launched
every year. During the season, which extends from December to March , the
number of tourists exceeds 500.The number is around 100 during off-season.Earlier
a majority of the people who hired boats were foreign tourists, but now
tourists from North India exceed them. The number of Keralites who hire
houseboats has steeply increased of late.
The Tourism Department has introduced ratings for houseboats last year
based on the facilities offered. According to the association, around 25
houseboats have been awarded 'golden star', the highest grading. And
efforts are on to raise the standards of more houseboats.
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Houseboats Basic Structure
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The hull is a series of wooden planks, long cut
and carved by the expert hands of the carpenter, tied together using coir
with coconut fibers stuffed in between. Kettuvallam /Kettuvallom
(Houseboats in Kerala) is steered by two persons in deep waters by means
of oars. Long bamboo poles or 'punts' are used to propel in shadow areas.
Bamboo beams sprouting off on the sides are used as foot holds for the
same a senior oarsman and a helper control the houseboat by singing songs
and chants for inspiration. A box of sand, a few bricks in interior
facilitate cooking on lower racks, with storage on the upper ones. Food
and necessary items are stored in shelves sleeping quarter is on the
uppermost racks, which have the best ventilation and accessibility. The
interior space can also be used for the same when there is no cargo. Fresh
water is stored in earthenware pots.
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Colour Of Houseboat
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The colour of houseboats
Valavara is yellowish brown, which is the colour of the natural materials
like panambu, coir and bamboo. It is a warmer colour comparing to the
colour of the surrounding atmosphere. This gives a nice feeling of being
inside the Vallam. Bamboo is used for the framework of the roof and splits
of Bamboo are used for weaving mat for roofing. Bamboo poles are used for
punting the Vallams. It is strong fiber and absorbs more carbon. Latest
houseboats have modern interiors.
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Eco Friendly
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Our houseboats Keeping bio-septic
tank (eco friendly toilets), tested and certified by the Central Research
Laboratory (CRL), fitted to collect the effluents thereby avoiding
pollution to the backwaters.
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