Houseboats of Kerala
Kerala’s backwaters are an intertwined formation of brackish lagoons and lakes that lay parallel to the Arabian Sea also known as the Malabar Coast. The beautiful backwaters are connected to 1500 kilometer long canals and lakes that are both natural and manmade. These cover literally the whole of Kerala and thirty eight rivers feed the backwaters to the level of water required. The mesmerizing sight of island formations adds to the attractions on the water.
VembanadLake gains the most attention from its visitors and onlookers. The lake has offered perfect setting and backdrop for backwater cruises in Kerala. It borders Alleppey, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts. The lake has also earned a lot of crowd and sightseers especially being the hosting ground for Vallam Kali- the famous snake boat race in Kerala. The month of august sees the lake crowded with more houseboat trips and increased number of boat rides. The festival of Onam is celebrated with the start of the water splashing race. During the peak season, the houseboat makes a pit stop to let the tourist and nature lovers enjoy a good sight of the migratory birds.
A kaleidoscopic view of the backwaters will offer you an insight on how the backwaters have become an integral part and parcel of the life of the Keralites. The rural population thrives on simple lifestyle and thrives on the small economy they manage by selling goodies that are conventional and traditional. Most often the buyers are the cruising tourists. It is an experience and memory that will get captured in your mind after all seldom do you get to watch a skilled climber climbing a tall coconut tree to fill up toddy or arrack without safety harness. The canoe rides are an extended means for you to get off the houseboat and channel through the thin gullies or as a setting in Kerala is row through narrow canals to watch how the local and countryside settlement survives on day to day basis.
Alleppey backwaters and Kumarakoms amazing lagoons have become a landmark in Kerala’s tourism board. You can tour the bird sanctuaries, watch the baker bungalow converted as Taj Vivanta, watch more heritage sites and cruise around in the traditionally maintained modernized ketuvellams. The journey through the canals, lakes, backwaters and the image of the estuaries, river mouths, heart of lagoons, water sunk coconut grooves, the deltas, the canopy formed by the tall standing coconut leaves and swaying palm leaves beautify the backwater trails of Kerala.
