The houseboat was a complete charmer due to its stunning outlook and excellent services. I was truly relieved at the prospect of having my personal bathroom attached with my bedroom. The boat provided other excellent facilities such as living room, kitchenette, an open lounge, deck and a crew comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide. I was surprised at myself as I easily got adjusted to the distinct taste of meals provided on the trail.

I had never thought that my mornings would be so lovely. I used to get up at sunrise, hearing the sounds of birds, animals and local villagers. Whenever I wished, the houseboat would stop or slow down its pace, to let me photograph some of the most scenic points of Kerala. My days were passing through the palm-fringed backwaters and my nights through waxing moonlights. We visited coir factories to view the coir making process, which is used as an essential component of the houseboat. Apart from this, I also saw local villagers fishing, tapping toddy and making rice fields along the strips of land lined with coconut trees.

The Houseboat called " Kettuvallams"
To be modest, apart from the backwaters of Kerala, another thing that left me spellbound was the Kettuvallams...houseboats. Don't be surprise.. I am telling you the truth, in fact anybody on this earth will get completely lost by the beauty of these masterpieces.

When my guide initially told me about them, I thought there are like any other houseboats but when I actually experienced their magic on the backwaters, then I realized how important they are to Kerala.

One can say Kerala, backwaters and Kettuvallams are synonyms of one another and are the major force that attracts tourist from all over the world. Through localities and boat men, I came to know that Kettuvallams are Kerala's best craft as some of them are 80 feet in length. The houseboats have a bedroom, dining room, kitchen and all the luxurious item that you and I would expect in a deluxe hotel.

As I genuinely got interested in knowing about the Kettuvallam, I asked many question to the boatmen who was responsible for taking us from one destination to another. Through him, I came to know that Kettuvallams are made up of wood called Anhili, that is found in abundance in Travancore.

And you won't believe, he also told me the place where this Kettuvallams were actually brought into shape. Karunagapally, 23 km from Quilon, was the pace where I saw the making of the masterpiece-Kettuvallams-the houseboat of Kerala.

Aha! What a pleasure, it was to actually cruise on the water with a beauty along with. A must in a Kerala itinerary ..without this experience my visit to Kerala was incomplete.