Think of Kerala, especially districts like Alappuzha, the first picture that a travel-savvy gets will be of a majestic houseboat slicing through the serene, picturesque backwaters.

Houseboats, the refurbished forms of old country boats called kettuvallams, have now become a symbol of Kerala’s rich cultural variety. These boats have a length of about 67 feet and a width of around 13 feet in the middle.

There are houseboats with fully furnished single room, double room and triple rooms. All of them have sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet. In addition there is a separate rest room for the crew. Traditional lanterns are used as lights. The crew includes a chef, and two oarsmen. The cuisine is of traditional Kerala flavour.