Houseboat, traditionally known as Kettuvallam or a rice boat, in the earlier times was a mode of transporting goods from the remote inaccessible villages to the towns. Because of these boats, the movement of heavy cargo became quite easier. However, when the construction of bridges and roads took place, these houseboats lost their importance. But now they can boast of being one of the major attractions for the tourists who visit Kollam in Kerala. A ride in these Kollam houseboats, sometimes called Kuvuvalloms, is the best way to explore the picturesque beauty of the region and the Kollam backwaters.
Construction of a Kollam houseboat
Generally, a houseboat is somewhere around 67 feet in length and is 13 feet wide in the middle. In order to make a houseboat, local eco-friendly materials are used like coir carpets, bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, and bamboo mats. Sometimes in traditional engineering of a boat wood of jackfruit tree is also used. Houseboat’s body is made from timber from Artocarpus wood, locally called Anjili. This wood is cut into sheets with breadth of 5-6 cm. once this is done; the ends of these sheets are given a shape of a boat and are tied together with coir wire that stays as it is for years. This simple Kollam houseboat is turned into a luxury houseboat for tourists by adding facilities into it.
Features in a houseboat in Kollam
- Made from eco-friendly and local materials
- Well- furnished AC and Non-AC houseboats
- A houseboat has a silent engine so no noise pollution
- 3-4 crews members including a cook, two oarsmen and a guide
- Television
- Hygienic fully -equipped kitchen where the cook prepares sumptuous delicacies for you
- Eco-friendly furniture wherever possible
- Clean good quality linen, blankets, towels, and kitchenware
- Mosquito repellents in the bedrooms
Kollam Houseboat Tourism
Kollam backwaters are extremely popular for being one of the most beautiful countryside of Kerala. Popular as a getaway to the Kerala backwaters, the backwaters of Kollam every year attract a large number of tourists every year. While cruising on the waterways and canals in your houseboats, you can indulge in a number of activities along with treating your eyes to the lush green scenery and enjoying the facilities of the houseboat. You can spot colorful resident and migratory birds, can visit the paddy fields, can visit the coir or cashew industries, traditional villages, spot the flock of ducks and much more. There are a number of Kollam backwater cruise routes, Kollam to Alleppey being the most popular one.
