Lake Vembanad
The Capital of Kerala houseboats is 14 kilometres wide at its widest point and about 95 km in length. A unique characteristic of the lake is the 1 km long Thanneermukkom salt water barrier constructed to prevent tidal action and intrusion of salt water into the Kuttanad low-lands. It essentially divides the lake into two parts – one with perennial brackish water and the other with fresh water from rivers draining into the lake. The lake is home to more than 20,000 waterfowls.
Kumarakom
The most popular location on the shores of the Vembanad lake is the Kumarakom Tourist Village situated on the east coast of the lake. Kumarakom differs from the rest of areas covered by Vembanad as Kumarakom benefits from the cool wind sweeping the lake from west to east. A village which witnessed a tourist boom since the arrival of the Prime Minister in the year 2000, Kumarakom ranks high in the global sought after destinations, perhaps due to its exclusivity and the charm of the lake Vembanad. Kumarakom karimeen or pearl spotted fish, tiger prawns, crabs, prawns and duck roast are considered as Kumarakom’s delicacies.
Boats
Cruising in a boat shall get you a glimpse of Kerala rural life and the Lake Vembanad with the refreshing breeze. It can leave you mesmerized making you forget your work life, until that phone in your pocket rings reminding you that Ambani has planted his 4g towers even here.
Kerala Houseboats are peculiar in their design from those that are found elsewhere. Built according to Kerala architecture it is about 21 m long and about 4.6 m wide at the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by ropes of coconut fiber; the usual wood is ‘Anjili’. The roof is made of bamboo poles and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew nut oil. They feature bedrooms, bathrooms, and basic modern amenities like TV. Our boats offer air-condition to the guests from 6.00 PM to 7.00 AM during overnight stay. The cruising time during overnight stay would be about 5 hours only. At night houseboats will be stationary. A cook is there to serve you a variety of homely dishes in Houseboat. It’s much larger than other type of boats. Each house boat is manned by minimum three crews-boat driver, cook and an assistant. The food served in houseboats are mainly traditional Kerala items prepared according to the preferences of guests.
Motorboats differ from houseboats in that they don’t have bedrooms or bathrooms. They are motorized boats that are used for cruising through the lake or rural canals. It is more economical than Houseboats. A motorboat is comparatively smaller than the Houseboats. It is powered with inboard engines and outboard motors. Motor boats have separate cabins for engines and guest cabin.
Speedboats as the name suggests are rather fast and gives you a bit of adrenalin rush as you cruise through the lake.
Our suggestions for you
If you want to have the full Kumarakom experience you have to include a Houseboat in your plan. Depending on your group size you can select an appropriate Houseboat and opt for Day cruising or overnight stay.
If you are constrained by budget/time/other concerns, day cruising shall be more suited for you. Houseboat stay would involve about 5 hours of cruising time only and for the rest of the time the Houseboat will be anchored at a location deemed fit for it. This is mainly due to the night cruise restriction in the lake. If you want to have the full Houseboat experience you can opt for the overnight stay.
If you rather have the cruise in a less expensive manner, you might opt for Motorboat cruising.
2 hours and 3 hours cruising shall allow you to travel through the Lake in the vicinity of Kumarakom.
With 5 hours Houseboat cruising and 5 hours motorboat, the boat shall cruise through the Lake almost to Alleppey, R- block, C-block, etc.. For information on paddy cultivation in the lake, see “Backwater paddy cultivation” in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuttanad. The boat shall also cruise through the rural canals of the village allowing you to experience the rural life. Communicate your preference at the outset.
Below are the options available to you for enjoying Kumarakom-
- Motorboat/Speedboat Cruising and Lakeside cottages
Allows you to have the cruising experience in budget and stay on the lakeside for relaxing, enjoying the cool lake breeze. Cottages have full time A/c and stable power and some guests including elderly persons might prefer that to a houseboat stay.
- Houseboat Cruising and Lakeside cottages
Allows you to have the houseboat cruising experience enjoying the cream of what a houseboat stay has to offer and stay at a cottage, which some including elderly persons might prefer instead of spending night in a Houseboat.
You can book our cottages at http://kumarakomlakesidecottages.com/.
- Houseboat stay
If you rather have the full experience in a houseboat, you might prefer staying in a houseboat for a night.
Backwaters-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kaclBE4zd4
Kumarakom-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py5ZGPK2TFc
Canals-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HukS4HN6UE
Speedboat- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzOh7rvI2j4