Kerala Houseboats – A Definite guide for 2025 & Beyond
Post Date - 27-01-2025 | Subject - Travel, Tourism, Houseboat, Kerala
While planning a tour to Kerala, most of the tourists plan to spend 1 night on a Kerala houseboat as it is a unique and mostly a life time experience for most of the people.
Close your eyes and think about sailing through the stillness of the mighty Lake Vembanadu and experience the Backwaters of Kerala that necklace the Kuttanadu, the rice bran of Kerala. You would be surprised to know that the paddy is cultivated 1-3 meters below the sea level.
Houseboats aka boat house, in their old form, were used to transport paddy, coconuts and other essentials through the waterways till 20-30 years back in the Aleppey region (More on this follows)
As a boutique tour operator, I visit and stay (off course without revealing who I am) on various houseboats and decide whether to avail their service for our guests. During one such trip, I thought I should pen down a detailed review about the unique houseboat experience and how to go about booking a good houseboat for your next Kerala holidays.
Here we go!
History of Kerala Houseboats
Long ago, when there were no inland transportation facilities, the large country boats aka “Vallam” were used to ferry the rice, coconuts and travelers through the lakes. Many such boat were tied (the Malayalam word for tied is “kettu”) together and is known as “Kettuvallam” and used for the above purpose.
You must be wondering how they built such gigantic structures without using even a metal nail!
The roof is made up of natural materials and has enough space to sleep and cook food on the boat.
They used to maneuver the boat using long poles unlike the diesel engines we have today on the boats. Think about the human effort that goes behind operating such large vessels without any mechanical aid!
Type of Houseboats
We can divide the boats by three categories depending on the facilities. Each boat will have a chef and 1-2 helpers depending on the number of rooms the boat has.
Most of the boat will have LED TV on the deck. Mineral water containers are available to drink water.
All houseboats in Kerala will have a dining cum deck area where you can sit and enjoy the cruise through backwaters.
There are boats with up to 6 bed rooms. Each room will have AC inside.
Upper Deck Kerala Houseboats
There are some boats with an upper deck, a place which is covered on top and can do team meetings, family get together or even corporate conferences.
Deluxe Houseboats
Deluxe boats are the base category boats in Kerala backwater. Most of the Kerala Houseboats belong to deluxe category. They come in 1, 2, 3 bedrooms. The boats may/may not have an upper deck.
The AC works only inside the bed room between 9:00 pm – 6:00 am. There is no provision to have AC on the deck where you sit and enjoy the nature during the day time.
A perfect shaped 1 bed room Kerala Deluxe Houseboats will cost you around INR 9,000- 10,000 during season time (Mid September till end of February) and might cost around INR 8,000 during off season (June till end of August). The rates are for overnight stay and are indicative. This might change during long weekends and holidays.
Premium Houseboats
The difference between Deluxe and premium boat is mostly on the timing of the AC. In premium boat AC works inside bed room from the time of check in till the check out. This helps when you are taking a cruise during the scorching summer days when the humidity shoots up.
My suggestion is to take up a premium boat especially during summers ie, from February till end of May as this might help you to tame the high humidity weather.
Cost of a 1 bed room Kerala Premium Houseboat will be around INR 13,000 for an overnight stay. As mentioned above, this is an indicative figure and might vary.
Luxury Kerala Houseboat
Believe me! There are some ultra luxurious boats cruises through the Blue waters of Kerala that are the epitome of Luxury. if budget allows, a luxury houseboat is a must include in your Honeymoon Packages
These boats are any day better than the deluxe/premium boats in terms of look, feel and the experience. The menu is delicious and has a great spread.
The rooms are much larger on a luxury boat unlike the deluxe boats. The quality of linen and the bed is much superior.
The lunch is served on banana leaf (on request) and will have 2 non vegetarian dishes – Karimeen and chicken fry. Think about enjoying the sumptuous meals under the comfort of a luxury Kerala Houseboat while cruising through the mighty backwaters of Kerala. The helpers and the chef will have ironed uniform and enjoy the king like treatment.
The boat would be fully air-conditioned including the bedrooms and the deck 24/7. This helps you to escape the summer heat and the foul smell that might originates from lake if any. The full time AC ensures no mosquitoes or insects that might cause allergy to many people.
Staying on a luxury Kerala boathouse is a unique experience though it might cost us a bit more compared to rest of the options.
Most of the luxury houseboat operators have their own place(jetty) to operate the boat. This is helpful for the travelers so that they do not have to go through crowd of other tourists or experience the rush at a public boarding point.
What to expect on a Kerala Boat House?
Well, it depends!
All boats will have 1 or more bed room with an en suited bathroom cum toilet with basic toiletries.
There will be a deck (sitting area) with a dining table and chairs.
Most of the boats will have TV and hot water dispenser for drinking water.
Some boat comes with an upper deck where large groups can be accommodated for meeting and family reunion etc.
Houseboat Locations
Most of the houseboats are located in Aleppey and Kumarakom. There are handfuls of boats in Neeleshwaram (North Kerala) as well. But, main operators are located in Aleppey and Kumarakom which is around 2.5 hours drive from Cochin International Airport.
Kumarakom is little more peaceful and has less traffic compared to Aleppey. Most of the luxury resorts in Kumarakom has their own luxury houseboats.
But, Aleppey has lot more houseboats than Kumarakom.
Houseboat Day trip
Houseboat day cruise is an excellent way to explore the Aleppey Backwaters without staying back on the boat overnight.
The cruise starts by 11:00 am and the boat will take you through the lake. You will get to see coconut lagoons and the ever-stretching paddy fields that carpet the low land of Kuttanadu. If weather is perfect, the boat will cruise through the narrow canals that necklace the villages.
Just pull a chair and enjoy doing nothing.
Have the lunch on the boat and the check out time is around 5:00 pm.
Houseboat Overnight Stay
The overnight stay on a houseboat is a magical experience. Sleep on the boat listening to the lull of the lake.
You can board the boat by around 12:00 pm and the boat will cruise till 5:30 pm. Then the boat gets anchored close to the shore and it is called a day.
Three meals are served on the boat. Lunch, dinner and the breakfast. The boat crew can customize the menu as per your exact needs. Jain, Gujarati or typical north India dishes, all are available on the boat. For non vegetarians, Karimeen fry is a must try.
The check out is around 9:00 am.
Are the Kerala houseboats safe?
Gone are the days when the boats were not having safety equipment. Now most of the boats have safety measures like life jackets etc. Staffs are well trained and most of them have been raised up on the shores of this mighty lake, so swimming comes naturally to them. So, be calm and enjoy the Kerala houseboat cruise.
But, do remember not to book the boats that are priced the lowest. They offer the lowest price due to various reasons. You never know. The boat might be old and might have leaks. So, do not compromise of the quality of the boat.
All the boat will have to pass various licenses that are issues by government of Kerala. They undergo regular maintenance as well. All boats will have life jackets, fire extinguishers etc.
Do not compromise on the safety to save few bucks.
How to book a Kerala boat house?
Well, as a travel agent we prefer the bookings being routed through us.
But, there are good operators who are responsible for their guests and you can go ahead and book Kerala Houseboats with them. Make sure you read the reviews in Trip Advisor or any other review platform. Most of the good houseboat operators do not want to have a bad review as it might land them in a soup.
A Trusted tour operator can add value to your booking as you do not need to take the risk of booking an inferior Kerala houseboat. Most of the good agents inspect the boat before decide to avail the service. Also, they are always available on a phone call away in case of any emergency. In the event of a cancelation, a reputed agent can help their customers to get a refund (in most of the cases)
So, why wait, book Kerala houseboat through Green Hope Tourism and enjoy a hassle free vacation.
Points to be noted while booking Kerala houseboats
1. The check in time on the boat is 12:00 pm and make sure you leave from Munnar or Thekkady by around 7:30 am to be on the boat by around noon. This makes sure that you do not miss out on the cruise time
2. Try not book boats during heavy rainy season as the guests might not enjoy the whole experience. There could be heavy winds and rain that might wet the sitting area (In case of a deluxe/premium boat).
3. Do not compare a Kerala houseboat with a resort. Unlike resort, the room of a houseboat is bit smaller in size. Also, do note that houseboats are bit tough to maintain especially during the monsoon season due to the wind and moisture. So, if you are bit finicky about cleanliness, do consider a luxury boat.
4. Please ensure that the boat you book is a private Kerala Houseboat and is not shared with other guests. Having or sharing the space with other guests might not be a good idea as the interests many be varied.
5. Do not book a cheap for saving few bucks. This might land you up on a dirty boat with messed up kitchen, toilet, bed sheets etc.
6. Check with the operator/agent whether the boat has a proper jetty. Otherwise, you might have to walk through the mud/dirt bit long. This might not be a good idea especially during the monsoon season.
7. Do remember that you will have to leave your footwear outside the main entrance of the boat. This is to make sure that the boat is not getting mud/dirt.
Best month to do Kerala Houseboat cruise in Aleppey
The best time to book a Kerala houseboat is from September till February as the weather is just perfect. No (usually) excess rain or no scorching heat. By end of September the monsoon in Kerala starts weakening and weather becomes pleasant.
Try to avoid the Diwali and Christmas seasons as the prices shoots up due to the heavy inflow of tourists.
I had been to houseboats during the monsoon season as well, ie, between June to August and I found it bit uncomfortable because of the wind and slashing rain. Do consider this while booking the houseboats. Yes. Of course there are people who love rain.
Kerala Houseboat Honeymoon Package
Houseboat is a unique way to enjoy the most romantic days of your life. Think about sitting on the deck of the boat and holding the hands together, enjoying a candle lit dinner. What else you can gift for your spouse? Most of the honeymoon package tour in Kerala ends with a one night stay on a romantic houseboat stays either at Kumarakom or at Aleppey.
Opt for a candle lit dinner and a flower bed decoration to add romantic mood during your honeymoon on a houseboat.
Not certain if you know that a guest can request for a live dance performance can be arranged on request (Off course at an additional cost).
Romantic Candle lit dinner on Kerala Boat House
Ask your tour operator to arrange a romantic candle lit dinner on the boat during your Kerala honeymoon tour. Enjoy the ever lulling waves and have sumptuous dinner under the dim lights of the candles that burns through the dinner.
Flower Bed Decoration on the houseboat
Why not have flower bed decorations that can sparkle the romance in you? This can be done on the houseboat with rose petals. This might cost around INR 2,000 but, believe me, this will be a great surprise to your spouse.
Enjoy your honeymoon without any inhibitions or hesitations. Honeymoon is the best time to get to know each other and nothing should come in between both of you.
Flower Bed Decoration on the houseboat
Why not have flower bed decorations that can sparkle the romance in you? This can be done on the houseboat with rose petals. This might cost around INR 2,000 but, believe me, this will be a great surprise to your spouse.
Enjoy your honeymoon without any inhibitions or hesitations. Honeymoon is the best time to get to know each other and nothing should come in between both of you.
Kerala Houseboat Food
The best way to enjoy authentic Kerala food is to be on a houseboat. The cooks on the boats are mostly from the local community and are well trained to give you a lip smacking menu during your stay on the Kerala boat house.
The check in time on the boat is 12:00 pm and you will be received with tender coconut or fresh juice. The boat will start cruising and the hot lunch will be served on banana leaf by 1:00 pm. There is an exclusive chef on the boat who is mostly from the local community. The rice can be boiled rice or white rice as per your liking.
The food on the boat is mostly neutral ie, without much spice or hot to make certain that it is being enjoyed by everyone on the boat. If you are a non-vegetarian, you must Karimeen, the local fish variety of Kerala.
There are local shops on the banks of the lake from where you can buy more local variety of fish like prawns, mussels etc and the chef can get this prepared for you. But, do know that this might sometimes cost you bit of money!
If you would like to taste toddy, a local alcohol, there are toddy shops from where you can buy a bottle or two to get the taste. But, please be aware that this might spoil the stomach and take an informed decision.
By 4:00 pm, you will be served hot snacks and tea/coffee. This can be banana fry or samosa.
The boat will cruise till 5:30 pm and will come back to shore for anchoring. Boats are not allowed to cruise beyond 5:30 pm as per government restrictions.
Dinner will be served by 8:00 pm. This is mostly chapathis with curry.
Breakfast will be the typical south Indian cuisine like Appam, Idli, Upma etc with vegetarian stew. You can also have bread, butter and hot omelets.
Menu on the houseboat can be customizable as per your needs. They can prepare Jain food as well. If you need any food related request, let the tour operator know about this at least a day in advance so that he can coordinate with the chef on the boat house and your demands can be met.
Should I tip to the boat workers?
Well, that is a subjective question. I really advice you to leave a tip, if you received a good service on the boat. The workers on the boat are mostly from the local villages and any amount of money you leave as tip helps the local community to support them.
Well, I hope I have pen down everything you need to know before booking a Kerala houseboat. Should you need assistance, you may please contact us
So, what are you waiting for? Shoot an email to info@keralahoneymoons.com and get ready for an exciting Kerala Houseboat Experience.
