Renting a houseboat designed like a kettuvallam(rice barge) could be one of your most expensive experiences in India, but it's worth every rupee. Drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously authentic Keralan food, meeting local villagers and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars- it's a world away from the clamor of India. Kumarakom is a centre for houseboat cruises. In a land as water bound as Kerala it wouldn't be an unusual sight, but for a visitor to God's Own Country a houseboat gliding along the vast green expanse of the backwaters is the most amazing spectacle in the world.

The Houseboats are a means to explore the fascinating beauty of the back waters of Kerala, a land gifted with meandering backwaters. From your daybed in the bows of the boat you can watch the traditional life of backwater and can enjoy the morning, Kerala continue on this much as it has done for centuries: women washing from the ghats before their houses, farmers shepherding thousands of ducks, paddy fields being flooded and washed or the night fishermen fishing by their lights. The houseboat has a living room, a sunbathing deck, and bedrooms with attached European style bath and a kitchen. The boat has solar lamps and fans. Houseboats can be chartered through the DTPC in Kollam or Alleppey, or one of the multitudes of private operators. The boats come in a range of qualities, from veritable rust buckets to floating palaces- your safest bet is to lay eyes on the boat you'll be travelling in. Without experiencing and enjoying a houseboat cruise your trip is incomplete in Kerala.

It is possible to travel between Alleppey and Kollam, or Alleppey and Kochi, by houseboat over 24 hours but only on larger boats that have an outboard motor, which not only cost more but aren't as environmentally friendly, nor as peaceful. Those that are propelled by punting with two long bamboo poles obviously don't allow you to cover as much distance, but are cheaper and a wonderfully relaxing way to travel. The tourists can choose from a wide variety of Houseboats, from a one roomer to two, three and four bedroom Houseboats with or without Air Conditioning. A ride on a kettuvallom (Houseboat) is a fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters.