House boats and cruises

A trip to South India is incomplete without a journey on a traditional house boat. Locally known as ‘kettuvallam’, these traditional rice barges are made by tying jackwood planks together with coir rope and then coating them with black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. Today these giant 80ft long crafts have been converted into comfortable, furnished houseboats with one or two en-suite bedrooms, an open lounge and eating area, a deck, a kitchenette and a crew comprising captain and cook. Cold water showers are available but the crew can provide a bucket of hot water on request and the bedroom air-conditioning can be switched on at night. You will board your houseboat for lunch and cruise the backwaters until the boat moors just before dusk. If you are looking a bit more luxury there are luxury cruises like the Oberoi Vrinda or the Malabar Discover  that unlike the usual Kerala houseboat have been blended with the traditional hull of a wooden rice barge with contemporary tropical architecture, creating the space for an air-conditioned suite. The Cabins are elegantly designed with timber flooring. Each has its own private and well-appointed bathroom with shower. They have a sundeck above that becomes your grandstand as the fascinating life along the waterfront passes by.  For the ones who want to cruise for a longer duration, the Assam Bengal Navigation company operates boats on the Brahmaputra and the Hooghly River. These are twin-engine steel hulled passenger boats with 12 cabins with en-suite facilities.  From the wildlife reserves in North East to the historic Ganges their journeys take you to the little-known but fascinating and culturally rich part of India.