The Kerala Houseboat Experience

INR 70,750 for 2 guests
GBP 670 for 2 guests

Overview

Our houseboat, the  Goodearth Kayal Kettuvallam, has a marvellous design based on traditional rice barges that conveyed grain from up-stream paddy fields to coastal ports. It was built in Vayalar by the village team from local materials, and is owned and crewed by the village communities. There are just two twin cabins, each with private facilities, so this is the perfect opportunity for a small group of four. 

If you’re travelling as a pair, you could book the entire houseboat for yourselves.

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Day-to-day itinerary

Each day is spent gently cruising from village to village through the much less travelled network of peaceful waterways, and you have exclusive use of our canoe that enables you to go even further into beautiful lagoons, and up intriguing tributaries, while on the banks busy daily life takes place. You may pass duck herders on a punt, buffalo grazing at the water’s edge, fishermen in dugout canoes, coir weavers, and coconut harvesters.

What's included

  • Guides for all village tours and related activities
  • 3 meals a day featuring locally grown and caught produce
  • Private cabin with twin beds, and private facilities
  • Transfer from and to the local train station

Where you'll stay

You moor each night at a different village, such as Vayalar, Chenganda, Perumbalam, Chemmanagri and Kodamthuruthu.

What you'll eat

Enjoy the real taste of Kerala’s justly famous cuisine that makes creative use of the amazing local produce, and tropical spices. Most dishes are vegetarian, but, if you wish, you can enjoy fish, prawns and mussels caught specially and freshly for you. 

Try fishing for your own supper using shore-side nets, or drift nets on hand-paddled traditional boats. You can help catch prawns, and watch fisherfolk dive for mussels – and when you’ve caught your supper, you can take a cooking lesson in Kerala style dishes.

Things to do

Wander around with your own guide, who’ll probably still be a fisherman when he’s not being a guide. They will take you around, and introduce you to villagers, their lifestyles and roles, mainly as farmers and fishermen, but including a huge range of specialist skills as well. You can participate in a range of activities, so discuss what interests you with your guide.

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Share this holiday with friends and family!

“This is an incredible experience that more people should be exposed and introduced to so they can travel the right way.”

Samyukta R