Alleppey Houseboat: Alleppey has Kerala’s most scenic spots and is fondly called as the ‘Venetian Capital of Kerala’ or ‘Venice of the East’. It’s a home of clear backwaters, lagoons, canals, picturesque landscapes, beaches, Temples, churches, lakes and hub of backwater tourism. Alleppey popularly called as Alappuzha is one of the cleanest towns in India and it’s a perfect destination for Nature lovers.
The rice bowl of Kerala, Alleppey is treated as the preferred budget honeymoon destination by most of the tourists and your trip will not be complete if you miss out on taking a usual houseboats cruise in the backwaters.
The coir manufacturing hub of Kerala backwaters needs no introduction, just book a houseboat and explore greenery, scenic views and marine life very closely right in your comfortable seat. The exceptional appeal of a houseboat stay remains a lifetime experience. check out this blog on Alleppey Houseboat Stay Booking Details and more.
Alleppey Houseboat
Don’t forget to add a houseboat cruise journey on backwaters to your vacation plan and the town is best explored through the traditional Alleppey houseboat. They appear just like a small house and are equipped with all the required facilities for a stay. During early days the houseboats were used for transporting goods from different isolated villages to Kochi port.
Kerala houseboats are also called Kettuvallams which means boats tied by ropes. Mostly the houseboats are made of Anjili wooden boards and are tied up together with ropes made from coconut fiber. The interiors of the boat are made of dry bamboo rafts and bamboo mats.The houseboats in Alleppey are a modified version of Kettuvallams of olden times and they can carry around 2-150 people depending on the capacity and size of the boat.
As the houseboats are made of wood and local materials with modern amenities it gives aesthetic appeal to tourists and attracts them immediately. The Conventional houseboats have completely outfitted rooms, lavatories, sundeck, private overhang and kitchen giving you an attractive feel in the center of quiet backwaters. Each boat has 3 people to help you out, the captain, guide and a cook who are trustworthy.
Alleppey Houseboat Stay Booking Details – Price, Itinerary & Route Map
Each houseboat has 1 to 10 bedrooms and according to your group capacity you can select a boat. A 2 room houseboat price starts from 9000 to 30000 rs depending upon packages you choose. Usually, you get to check-in and board the houseboat sharp by 12pm, as your journey starts, they offer you a welcome drink and the tour guide will provide the details about the places you come across the backwaters.
Around 2pm lunch will be served and by 5 pm the ride will be stopped at shore as night cruises through the backwaters are not allowed. It’s a 5 to 6 hours trip which covers all the major landmarks on the backwater up to 50 kms. By 7 am the next day’s journey starts and by 9 Am the tour ends at the check-out point. As per your budget and requirement you can select a Houseboat cruise as the cruise is categorized into 3 types based on facilities, price and food.
Deluxe Houseboats
These houseboats come under the basic category with essential comforts. The price range starts from 7000 rs for one-bedroom and price varies according to the number of rooms you book, and it is equipped with a kitchen, living area, dining and bedrooms with attached bathrooms. The AC will be available from 9pm to 6am only and food will be served on board with veg and one non-vegetarian item for lunch and dinner, they also provide breakfast, evening snacks with tea or coffee.
Premium Houseboats
They come under the standard category, as they offer more service compared to deluxe houseboats. The price range starts from 9500rs for a one-bedroom Alleppey houseboat, and it is equipped with a kitchen, living area, dining, bedrooms with attached bathrooms and a conference hall. The boats are well furnished and maintained, AC works all the time. Food will be served on board with veg and two non-vegetarian items for lunch and dinner, they also provide breakfast, evening snacks with tea or coffee.
Luxury Houseboats
Looking at the interior and infrastructure you get a luxury feeling, the houseboats are completely equipped with all the amenities a house has. The price range starts from 12000rs for a one-bedroom Alleppey houseboat, and it comes with a 5-star ambience with a kitchen, living area, dining, furnished bedrooms with modern toilets, a conference hall, Open spaces and many more. Luxury Houseboats are highly recommended for night stays. You will be served a wide variety of food items on board throughout the trip.
Alleppey Houseboat Itinerary
One of the best Houseboat rides on the backwater will be through Alleppey and Kumarakom where you get to cover major attractions of the town. Apart from this tourist opt different backwater itineraries such as:
- Alleppey backwaters round trip with 1night stay
- Kumarakom Backwaters round trip with 1night stay
- Alleppey to Kumarakom: check in at Alleppey and check out at Kumarakom with 1night stay
- Kumarakom to Alleppey: Check in at Kumarakom and check out at Alleppey with 1night stay
- Kollam Backwaters round trip with 1night stay
Alleppey fishing point is the pickup location for most of the rides and the trip starts at 11.30 am and ends at 9am the next day at the same location. The boat ride starts at Alleppey and travels through Punnamada lake, Vembanad Lake and Kainakary villages and stops at karapuram village in the evening. The next day the ride starts from karapuram villages passing through manepalli and royal villages to drop off at Alleppey. During the trip lunch will be served at 2pm which includes veg and nonveg dishes.
Apart from just Houseboat rides there are other rides which need to be explored as they navigate through narrow canals which Houseboat may not cover. As you cannot visit all the small villages via Houseboat, take a halt and travel by Canoe boat. It’s the best option to go around the narrow canals, through this ride you get to visit Green Paddy Fields, Chavara Bhavan, Toddy Tapping (Palm Wine or Coconut Vodka) and Fishermen’s Village and will be dropped at the Houseboat halt location.
In the evening in the houseboat, they serve your snacks along with tea or coffee and during 5 to 6pm boats will be stopped at a shore as the boat rides are not permitted and this time is allocated to only fisherman for fishing and sailing by the government. At dinner they serve authentic Kerala food which includes veg and nonveg items and spend the rest of the night on the boat enjoying nature. The next morning doesn’t miss watching out the mesmerizing sunrise and the rides start at 7am along with breakfast and drop at the starting point by 9am through the backwaters.
Alleppey Houseboat Food & Snacks Menu
Welcome Drink & Fruits basket after check-in.
Alleppey Houseboat Lunch Menu:
Rice, sambar, Aviyal, Thoran, Mezhukuperatty, Curd, pappad, pickle, Green salad (Non veg -fish)
Houseboat Snacks:
Tea, Coffee, snacks ( Banana fry/ biscuits/ chips)
Dinner Menu:
chapatti, White rice, dal fry, Rasam, curd , Mezhukupuratty, pappad, pickle,salad,(Nonveg – Chicken Curry)
Breakfast:
Bread toast, butter, jam, omelette, fruits (or) Iddili, Dosa, sambar, chutney.
Where to Book Houseboat for Cheaper Price
It’s one of the biggest questions most people struggle with while making a reservation for a houseboat. It’s better to check various websites before booking as prices might vary and depending upon the budget, choose the best houseboat option that suits you. You can also book the ride directly at the location as you can negotiate prices as well. Please do contact (+91 9000913848) if you want to get houseboats for cheaper prices, during my trip they helped me a lot.
Conclusion
Take a break from your regular boring life and spend some quality time just relaxing on the houseboat. The traditional houseboats journey in backwaters is a unique experience where you get to enjoy nature and observe the daily life of the locals.
Suggested Read: Places To Visit In Alleppey
