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Backwaters of Kerala are a bewildering maze of lagoons, lakes, canals,
estuaries, and the deltas of forty-four rivers draining into Arabian Sea.
Found nowhere else except Kerala, this unique |
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self-supporting eco-system teeming with aquatic life. Plying the 900 km
stretch are ferries, canoes, large country crafts carrying goods, passenger
boats rowing children to school and people to work. Almost every household
along the backwaters has its own little canoe, which even a young child can
use for short journeys. However the most exotic thing on these waterways is
the Kettuvallom (houseboat) that offers an entirely enchanting
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experience.
The Kettuvalloms (houseboats) of Kerala, a unique heritage of the land, are
giant country crafts, |
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measuring up to 80 feet in length. It took great skill & meticulousness to
construct these giants by tying huge planks of jack wood
together, without the use of a single nail.
Before road & rail taking over a major chunk of transportations
activities, these boats were in use as goods carriers of the Backwater
country. With the development of Eco tourism and the promotion of cultural
ethos of the land, these goods carriers were |
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retrieved and modified into a most exciting tourism
product in India, the luxuriously furnished |
houseboats that would give
the
visitor first hand experience of a unique destination.
A Kettuvallom (houseboat) is comfortably furnished with an open lounge, one or
two bath attached bedrooms and a kitchenette. The boat crew comprises oarsmen,
a cook, and guide.
In a land as water-bound as Kerala it wouldn't be an unusual sight,
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but for a visitor to God's Own Country a houseboat gliding along the vast
green expanse of the
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backwaters is the most amazing spectacle in the
world. Even more fascinating is a holiday in the houseboats of Kerala.
So, what are you waiting for? Come and check in these mobile
luxurious apartments and explore
the exotic world of Backwaters. This most
enchanting journey of your life enables you to see from very close the
laidback & peaceful life of backwater
villages, lying
along the winding green waterways. The journey takes you past lush paddy
fields, ancient temples, churches, mosques, coir
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villages, schools, fishing villages and a lifestyle unlike any
other in the world. On the narrow strips of land, you will see fisherman
fishing, children swimming and playing in the water, women doing their daily
chores, mobile shops in tiny canoes, the cultivation of paddy and
it's harvesting (during
harvest season), huge country barges ferrying the coconuts, rice, coir etc.
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You
can stop at some of these villages where cultural performances are
specially arranged for you, or just drift along watching them from your boat.
On the way you can fish for you dinner, which the cook on the houseboat
will prepare for you. Where the waterway is wide, the only sign of life
you will see on the green and blue expanse of silk are an occasional
kingfisher diving for lunch or inquisitive little fish playing peak-a-boo. |
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USEFUL INFORMATION |
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Getting there & away |
The major towns along the vast stretch of Backwaters are Cochin,
Alappuzha, Kumarakom, and Kollam, which are connected by road with
other major towns of Kerala.
Nearest airhead- Cochin
Nearest railhead- Ernakulam. |
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Further Connections |
Periyar,
Munnar, Thrissur, Kozhikode,
Varkala, Trivandrum, Kovalam. |
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Temperature |
Because of the tropical climate, temperature remains almost the same
(25-30 degrees Celsius) throughout the year. From May to September, it
rains heavily. |
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Best time to visit |
From October till March. |
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TOURS TO BACKWATERS OF
KERALA |
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