CGH Earth Spice Coast Deluxe Houseboat

Spending time on a traditional houseboat, also known as a kettuvallam boat is a must do when in Kerala.

The design of the houseboat is in keeping with the traditional style – slender in order to slip through the canals and scrupulously woven with bamboo and coir. There is one bedroom for exclusive use only, so you don’t have to share the views as you sit on the open deck and watch the water world go by. The talented boatmen, whose families have navigated the lake over generations, double up as private chefs and cook amazing feasts. Enjoy fish caught from the lake that same morning and cooked in a banana leaf with chilli, ginger and lime, or prawns picked from the ponds accompanied by red rice and locally grown vegetables. Stay for one night and you’ll experience a slice of Lake Vembanad’s unique lifestyle. You could go for a stroll around a village known for its coir rope making, see fishermen casting their nets and end the day admiring those melting sunsets from the deck. Stay for two nights and you can explore the smaller canals and get even closer to village life where life unfolds along the banks; farmers working paddy fields and plantain, people washing their clothes in canals and children racing along the banks after school without a care in the world.