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The backwaters of Kerala are among the most alluring features that draw tourists to this mystical land. Located along the Alleppey coast, this mesmerizing network of lagoons is a must-visit for one and all. Apart from enjoying the charm of the backwaters, you can also have the best experience on these backwaters through numerous Kerala houseboat cruise ideas. If you are considering a trip to Kerala soon, these fantastic backwater cruise ideas might come in handy. Read on to know more!

  4 Delightful Cruise Ideas to Enjoy the Backwaters Experience of Alleppey

Depending on your convenience of visit, who you are traveling with, and your passions and interests, you can choose from these different cruise ideas on the Alleppey backwaters.

 1. Day Cruise

On a day cruise, you can enjoy a backwater experience for up to six hours in your luxurious houseboat. You can explore the captivating canal view of the Kumarakom bird sanctuary while also floating through the several smaller canals in Kumarakom. Additionally, this cruise allows you to visit exotic locations like the Pathiramanal island and R-block paddy fields nearby.

After spending a satisfying time exploring the countryside, you can retire back to your houseboat for a sumptuous meal. An exclusive cruise package that covers the backwaters in Alleppey and Kumarakom, this would be the perfect choice while traveling with your family.

  2. Lunch Cruise

Do you fancy having an out-of-the-world Kerala lunch experience on the beautiful backwaters? Then the lunch cruise idea might intrigue you. This cruise offers you an enchanting experience lying back on the luxurious boat and catching glimpses of migratory birds. The cruise usually lasts four hours, during which you can explore the lagoons at your leisure while also participating in fun activities such as fishing and strolling through the village side.

Some iconic locations you can stop by and visit include the Rani Chithira Marthandam, Pathiramanal island, and Bethlehem Church. Not to mention the main feature of the cruise: a traditional Kerala lunch cuisine with a variety of delicious dishes! This cruise idea suits the best foodies.

 3. Overnight Cruise

You can have a splendid experience of the backwaters in a luxury houseboat with the overnight cruise idea. With over 12 grand hours on the backwaters, this package provides the ultimate experience of comfort and adventure. The cruise usually begins in the afternoon and lasts till the morning the next day. During this time, you can explore the different canals and lagoons spread across Kumarakom and Alleppey.

You can also visit the countryside surrounding the canals, have a delectable dining experience, and also try out some fishing activities. Finally, you can rest peacefully, enjoying the nighttime experience of the backwaters. An ideal cruise to take with your friends, you can return with tons of pleasant memories with this trip.

  4. Honeymoon Cruise

Are you traveling to Alleppey for a romantic time with the love of your life? Then you should definitely check out the exclusive honeymoon cruise on the scenic backwaters. This private cruise provides the most luxurious amenities to ensure a delightful vacation. You can enjoy the traditional meals of Kerala on board, as well as a romantic candlelit dinner with your better half. Furthermore, you can also access the photoshoot services on these houseboats. For there is no other picturesque location on the planet as romantic as the backwaters for the ideal photoshoot with your love!

Wrapping Up

In short, you are assured of a unique vacation experience at the backwaters of Alleppey with these amazing cruise ideas. You can access all these cruise packages with Kumarakom Castle, the best luxurious houseboat service in South India. We wish you a wonderful trip!

A myth revolves around houseboats that say they’re an expensive affair. This article will convince you otherwise. The Kerala Houseboats are an experience of a lifetime, and there are budget-friendly packages tailor-made to your needs. 

Continue reading to take a sneak- peek at our most popular Kerala houseboat packages.

Lunch Cruise

This houseboat package is aimed at travelers who wouldn’t want to miss out on the experience of the houseboat cruise and have limited time to explore the places in and around the city. The 4-hour lunch cruise starts from our private jetty in the canals of Kumarakom. It allows you to explore the canal view of the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, lagoons, and village life up close. One of the major highlights of the lunch cruise is the meal served by our expert gourmet chefs of Traditional Kerala-style lunch with 3 non-vegetarian dishes. 

Day Cruise

The slightly longer 6-hour day cruise in the Kumarakom Backwaters is for travelers to experience the houseboat cruise and activities such as village walks and fishing. This more relaxed cruise involves exploring the places of attraction in and around Kumarakom such as the Pathiramanal island, the Rani Chithira Marthandam paddy fields, and the Bethlehem church. The day cruise also includes a welcome drink, a traditional Kerala-style lunch with 3 non-vegetarian dishes, and high tea. 

Overnight Cruise

The overnight cruise is the perfect houseboat package for you if you want the ultimate backwater cruise experience. You can stay along with your loved ones in our luxurious bedrooms on our Kerala houseboats. Along with everything that you’d be provided in the lunch and day cruise, you would also be provided with delectable meal spreads during your stay at the houseboat. 

Our overnight cruise has more than 6 hours of cruise timing and an opportunity to repose peacefully on our floating castles.  

Honeymoon Package

As the name says, the Kerala Houseboat honeymoon package is aimed at honeymoon couples. Book a cruise to pamper yourself and your better half with our luxurious honeymoon package. Starting with a honeymoon cake and ending with a romantic candlelight dinner, our honeymoon package also contains various other additions, such as a floral embellished bed and upper deck facilities for our photoshoot options.  

Conference Package

The conference package is for those planning for a conference in our houseboats. The conference can be held in our glass-covered conference facility, accommodating table and seating arrangements for up to 75 house guests. There are also provisions for a projector screen with an inbuilt microphone and audio system.

What to expect while cruising through the backwaters of Kumarakom?

Since I was a child, I have been fascinated with the Kerala Houseboats. I would watch them in the movies and tell myself that someday I would take the houseboat cruise. To my delight, I did that along with my family and I’m glad we chose a Kumarakom Castle houseboat. If I am going, to be honest about my experience, I would say that it was nothing short of extraordinary!

The feel of a luxurious hotel

We booked the overnight luxury houseboat cruise package with Kumarakom Castle to experience the beauty of life along the banks. These houseboats are constructed according to traditional norms yet equipped with modern amenities. To be precise, it would give you the feeling of living in a luxurious floating castle in the middle of the river. 

The overnight houseboat package

The overnight houseboat cruise package offers more than 6 hours of cruise timing. Starting with an exclusive check-in from their private jetty, the overnight cruise starts from one of the smaller canals in Kumarakom at exactly noon. From the comfort of the luxurious bedroom, I had a great view of the Kumarakom Backwaters. Cruising through the backwaters, I witnessed several villagers while they were coir making or toddy tapping. Wishing to observe them much closer, we went for a walk in the village. While on the Kumarakom houseboat, one of my favorite activities, which I would cherish for a lifetime, would be fishing. With the team’s help in the cruise, we threw the net out into the river and managed to catch some fish. 

Delicacy on the cruise

Another attraction of their houseboat cruise was the delectable meal spreads prepared by their team of expert chefs. Special dietary preferences and restrictions can be conveyed at the time of booking. 

On the first day, we were welcomed with a welcome drink and were served traditional Kerala-style lunch with 3 non-vegetarian dishes. In the evening, we had high tea, and the cooks were kind enough to cook us dinner with the specific type of fish we had requested at the time of booking the cruise. The next morning, the chefs served us an excellent traditional Kerala breakfast right before leaving. Before we left, we had to thank the team onboard because of their amazing hospitality. 

True to what the Viceroy of India once called it –  “Venice of the East”, Alappuzha is a breath-taking small town in Kerala that has stunning water bodies such as rivers, lakes, canals, rivulets, and lagoons. While the town is known for its water bodies, it’s also known as the best holiday destination because of the various sights and activities in and around the water bodies. 

Sight the water birds and the lilies!

Delight your kids by hiring a Kerala houseboat to cruise through Alleppey backwaters for sighting the water birds and lilies. The most common water bird is the duck, but you can also see birds like the egret, waterfowl, heron, migratory Siberian cranes, and white-necked storks. The dashing pink lilies spread across the river is a sight that shouldn’t be missed. 

Spell out ‘fun’ for the kids.

Give your kids a real-time experience of canoeing, an activity that they would have probably seen only in movies. The backwaters are also home to various types of fish, which, of course, calls for fishing activities that can be done while in the houseboat. In addition, fishing could be an activity that you could do as a family with the help of fishing rods and nets, assisted by our staff on the Kerala houseboat. 

A view for a lifetime

While you cruise through Alleppey’s backwaters and the palm-fringed narrow canals and lush green paddy fields, the shorelines consist of small villages and towns. You would be able to see villagers engaged in various activities like coir making and toddy tapping, an experience that is very specific to the village side of Kerala.

Farmers below sea level

During your trip to the backwaters with your family, one of the most unbelievable sights could be witnessing the farmers farming below sea level. Farmers in this land can help you and your family understand their unusual farming techniques.

Every time we hear the word ‘Alleppey’ or even ‘Kerala,’ one of the first things that come to our mind is the houseboats of Kerala. Commonly known as Ketuvallam in the regional language, these houseboats navigate through Kerala backwaters offering the tourists a tranquil journey. 

When did it all start?

Developed by Thomas Vargheese in Kottayam, the first construction of these houseboats began around 3000 BC. They were initially used to transport merchandise such as rice and spices other than passengers, as they could carry an impressive amount of goods, usually thrice the amount of a standard cargo truck. These 95 to 100 feet long houseboats connected remote villages and were used to supply nearly 30 tons of materials to the traders.  

From the nobles to tourists

A few years later, nobles and members of the royal or affluent society used these houseboats as mobile resorts. Gourmet chefs were appointed to prepare traditional cuisines. The luxury houseboats were used only by the elite community until independence. Post-independence, the traditional houseboats began to appeal to tourists and became a significant revenue for the state. Various tourist packages were made to suit the tourists’ budgets.  

The making of the “Tharavallam” Houseboat

Modern boats have now taken to a new form known as ‘Tharavallam.’ It stays true to its heritage, but these boats use brass nails to fasten the parts of the boat together for added strength and safety. The wooden hull is made out of virgin “Anjili” (Wild Jack) and is protected from wood deterioration by coating it with a protective layer of cashew nut oil. Our houseboats fall under the ‘Tharavallam’ category. 

A peek inside the boats

Keeping up with the heritage of Kerala, the interiors of our houseboats in Alleppey and Kumarakom are adorned with a rare collection of hand-carved wooden artwork. Like the palaces, the floral hand-carved wooden ceiling is also a specialty in our houseboats.

Imagine yourself in the middle of nowhere, enjoying breathtaking views of serene backwaters, listening to the chirping of birds, feeling the gentle touch of a cool breeze on your face, and enjoying a delectable Kerala-style meal- this is just a glimpse of what Kumarakom has to offer. Read More “Kumarakom”

Covering a gamut of tastes and flavors, Kerala cuisine is known for its elaborate meals. With a team of culinary experts managing our kitchen in Kumarakom Houseboats, we offer a variety of traditional dishes on our menu. Continue reading to find more about some of the star dishes in our menu that make the Kumarakom Castle dining experience a memorable one. 

Read More “All about Food “

For many travelers, a holiday on a houseboat means much more than the scenic view of the backwaters and mouth-watering Kerala-style food. We always receive requests for “an authentic houseboat experience”, “a taste of Kerala” and “the rustic vibe”. Similar thoughts? Continue reading to find out how Kumarakom Castle houseboats offer a sneak peek into the yesteryears of Kerala’s heritage. Read More “Five Elements that Make Our Houseboats Truly Unique”

You should not miss these top 7 places in Kumarakom if you have a plan to visit God’s own Country. Kerala is always on the list of most attractive tourist places in India. A small town set in the backdrop of Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Kerala.

Read More “Places to Visit in and Around Kumarakom”