Steering through the backwaters of Kerala

Tourists can choose from several interesting cruise routes. You can opt for a one-night cruise on Punnamada Lake or go bird watching on the Alappuzha to Kumarakom route, or spot the toddy tappers on the Alappuzha to Kottayam  route or visit historical places between Alappuzha to Thottappally.

There are many more routes to opt from that take you to the place where kettuvallams or traditional houseboats are made or even visit coir making villages. The Punnamada Lake is also the venue of the popular 1.5 km Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race that is held every year.

Places of significance onc can see during your boat ride are the Champakkulam church, a 400-yr old church and one of the seven churches that were founded by St. Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, and the Chavara Bhavan, the birthplace of Saint Kurikose Elias Chavara. Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was an Indian Catholic priest and social reformer.  He is the first canonised Catholic male saint of Indian origin.

The moment I stepped into the houseboat that went by the name of Kochi Rajav, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor inside and the comfort it offered. The small dining area was all lit up and with all the wood carvings around, it looked very traditional and beautiful.  The air conditioner was on and I was really not bothered about the humid climate outside.

Lake Land Cruise offers house boats of all shapes and sizes. They are categorised into Deluxe, Premium and Luxury. All the three categories offer air conditioned bedrooms. The premium  houseboats offer air-conditioning in the dining space too. As for the luxury houseboat, the entire boat is air conditioned. Again, there are boats with two bedrooms to as many as ten bedrooms with a conference on top than can accommodate around 150 people.

Kochi Rajav, meaning the king of Kochi, is a premium houseboat. Since it was late night when we reached the boat, we had a quick dinner and retired to our respective bedrooms. The house boat has two bedrooms with each having a double bed that can accommodate two people.

Houseboats have to compulsorily dock in the evening till early morning. At night fishermen cast their nets to catch fish and hence the government does not permit any house boat to operate after sun down. By early morning once we were up and about, the boat ride commenced. Houseboats are usually manned by three people, a captain, a cook and a helper. Once the houseboat is docked at night and the tourists retire to their respective bedrooms, these men sleep in different areas of the boat so as to make sure no one walks out at night and attempts to indulge in any foolhardy exercise. 

We had a staff of four people at our disposal. An extra cook was called in just in case I needed something different and exquisite to eat. While Das the Captain and Ravi the engine driver took turns steering the boat, Satheesh, the chef along with Rajkumar his helper took care of the food. The beautiful part of Kerala and its people is that the tourists can be assured of 100pc safety. Unlike so many of the shady characters whom you come across in other parts of the country, in Kerala’s houseboats, you are extremely safe with the staff. 

Kochi Rajav is a houseboat with two floors, The ground floor has two bedrooms, one dining area, a small sitting area in front and a kitchen. The first floor has a huge covered balcony from where one can get a good view of the backwaters and the surrounding scenery.

Even before the sun was out, the men were ready to move. The air conditioners were switched off and the doors of the rooms opened wide to bring in a wave of fresh air. The boat we were in was powered by an overhauled Ashok Leyland 370 diesel engine which produces around 90hp. The captain told me that most of the houseboats numbering around 1,500 in the region ran on similar Ashok Leyland engines and Mahindra gensets including an inverter. The morning trip is towards the Vembanad lake where one gets to see the sunrise.

Vembanad lake covers an area of more than 2000 Square kilometres and has a large network of canals that meander through the region of Kuttanad.

The sky was very cloudy and I knew that was ruled out for me. But I was not complaining. The scenery was too breathtaking. I may have driven some fast cars and saddled some very fast bikes, but this was serenity at its best. This was nirvana, undiluted and in its purest form.

We docked at a serene place and had our breakfast. After a very delicious breakfast comprising of some tasty Kerala dishes and the usual bread and eggs, we were off to explore the vast backwaters of Kerala. The real cruise began for us. The cruise started from the Pallathuruthi Jetty covering Kannitta, Kuppapuram, Alappey Finishing Point, Punnamada Lake, Vembanad Lake, C Block R Block , Nedumudy, Champakkulam, Kanjipadom and back to Pallathuruthy.

Mind you, backwaters are not meant for those raucous tourists from cities who love loud music and talk loudly like though the world around them was deaf. Backwaters are meant for tourists who love the serenity and purity of Mother Nature and thank the Universe for the gifts it has offered us.

The torque high engine of Ashok Leyland does not go fast here. They travel at a speed of around 3 knots which is a little more than 5 km per hour. It is like your entire house moving at that speed with a perfect smoothness. Though all the boats carry mandatory pollution certificates from the Kerala Pollution Control Board, I could later make out later that the air had a strong whiff of diesel smoke , especially when all the houseboats were travelling close to each other. The state government, I guess needs to seriously implement pollution control norms before air turns foul.

As the boat made its way silently through broad and narrow routes, you get to see boats of all shapes and sizes, both motorised as well as the traditional row boats. I spotted a lot of motorised boats, even small ones. Homes dotted both sides of our route. Temples and churches were to be seen at some places. Thankfully, there were no high rise buildings!

A houseboat ride is all about unwinding. Whether you spend your time taking selfies, or simply reading a book or just staring at the beautiful scenery, a Kerala houseboat ride will definitely energise you immensely. One day or two days in a houseboat can do wonders to your health and mind.