Kerala BackwatersPrivate Kettuvallam Houseboat

A kettuvallam is a traditional Kerala rice barge, built from planks of wood tied together with coir rope and roofed with bamboo and palm thatch. For centuries, these boats carried rice, spices and goods through the backwaters, the maze of canals, rivers and lagoons that runs parallel to the coast. Today, many have been converted into houseboats with bedrooms, a lounge and a deck, and a night on board is one of the most relaxing experiences in India.

The journey begins at a jetty near Alleppey, also known as Alappuzha, around midday, where your crew, a captain and a cook, welcome you with a fresh coconut. The boat sets off through the backwaters, gliding past paddy fields, coconut groves, small churches, temples and villages built along narrow strips of land between the water. Life goes on along the banks: women washing clothes, children rowing to school, farmers tending rice fields below the water level, and ducks herded along the canals.

Lunch is served on board, freshly prepared by the cook: rice, fish curry, thoran, a dry vegetable dish with coconut, sambar and pickles. In the afternoon, the boat continues through quieter channels, with stops to walk through a village or buy fresh fish or prawns from fishermen, which the cook can prepare for dinner.

Houseboats are required to stop cruising and moor before dark, and the boat anchors for the night at a quiet spot along the bank. Dinner is served on the deck as the evening falls and the sounds of the backwaters, birds, frogs and distant temple music, replace the engine. The bedroom is air-conditioned at night, which is welcome in the humid climate.

Sunrise on the water is the reason to stay overnight rather than take a day cruise: the backwaters are misty and still, fishermen cast their nets, and birds, including kingfishers and egrets, feed along the banks. Breakfast, often appam with vegetable stew or puttu, is served before the boat returns to the jetty in the morning.

The backwaters around Alleppey can be busy with houseboats, especially in peak season. Your captain chooses routes that avoid the most crowded stretches when possible.

The best time to visit is from October to March. The monsoon, from June to September, brings heavy rain but also lush landscapes and lower prices.

The stay lasts around twenty-four hours. Exclusive hire of a private houseboat, all meals, non-alcoholic drinks, an air-conditioned bedroom and an experienced captain and cook are included.