Cruising the Backwaters of Kerala

Kerala is known as God’s own country, for good reason. The luscious stretches of green paddy fields and plantations, serene beaches, beautiful hill stations, pristine waterfalls, tranquil backwaters and exotic wildlife all within just a couple of hours of driving distance from the other makes this beautiful state one of the most sought after tourist destinations of the world! Add the Ayurvedic spas, exotic cuisine and the equable climate, Kerala is truly a tourist’s paradise.   

No trip to Kerala will be complete without a cruise through the stretches of emerald backwaters – a network of exquisite channels, lakes, lagoons and deltas of approximately 44 rivers emptying in the Arabian sea. Kumarakom is the home of Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater lake in Kerala, and is only an hour away from my parents’ home. In my opinion Kumarakom is the most beautiful place in Kerala, a cruise through the Vembanad lake in a houseboat is an experience of a lifetime – the lush greenery along the coastline, the serenity of the water and the glimpses of life along the way – it is a trip you will never forget! Let me take you through a pictorial tour of my unforgettable houseboat experience from last week.

How many different shades of green are there in nature? Chances are that you will get to see all of them along the way. The luscious coconut trees lining the shore…

Certain parts of the lake is completely covered with a green weed called African Payal , even though it is a nuisance to the fishermen and the boats, you can’t help but marvel at its beauty!

Vembanad lake is home to Karimeen (pearl spot fish), prawns and lobsters, three of the most expensive marine crops in Kerala. So naturally fishing is the livelihood of many people. We found many couples laying the fishing nets in the water in the evening. Then they just wait in the small boats till morning, taking shifts sleeping. Hopefully the net is full of fish in the morning! 

 
 

We came across some world famous Chinese fishing nets, a major tourist attraction in Kerala.

Three fishermen returning home in the morning with the night’s catch…

Kumarakom houseboats are luxuriously furnished, cozy floating homes that come with all necessities like running water, electricity and luxuries like air conditioning, home theater system and personal chefs! We had a three bedroom houseboat, all three bedrooms were nicely furnished with large almost king sized beds and attached bathrooms with nice working showers and clean European style toilets.

We entered into the open living/dining room with a large dining table and chairs, and cushioned seating all around the room and a flat screen TV , a DVD player and surround sound system. A small narrow corridor from here took us to the three bedrooms at the end of which is a small but fully functional kitchen. Wish I took pictures of the bedrooms!

We had three staff on the boat, a driver, a chef and an additional person to serve the dishes, help the driver, buy us things etc. That is our very talented personal chef in action. This guy was whipping out some seriously yummy food from this tiny kitchen!

Our friendly driver also acted as the tour guide and gave us just enough information about the sights along the water, and answered all our questions very patiently.

We were greeted with a Kerala style welcome drink of fresh tender coconuts, the most refreshing natural thirst quenchers. What is better than tender coconut water? A tender coconut martini of course! That is Siv pouring Grey Goose and freshly squeezed lime juice into then tender coconut.

 

Our trip was from 12 noon to 10 am next day. When we got into the boat, our lunch was being prepared in the kitchen. Kerala style thali- rice and a variety of vegetarian dishes with Karimeen fry on the side.

Karimeen aka pearl spot is the tastiest backwater fish and no trip to Kumarakom is complete without a taste of this. The Karimeen was getting marinated in a red spicy masala when we got in, then they were fried in coconut oil, and served hot to the table.

 

While the lunch was being prepared, the boat took us to a toddy shop along the coast, from where we bought some lobsters fried on a stick for lunch, and fresh lobsters to be prepared later for dinner. Our chef took these lobsters, and cooked us a spicy lobster roast for drinks in the evening.

 

 

Fresh coconut toddy served in an earthenware pot. There are plenty of toddy shops along the way, you can get the staff to get you some right to the boat.

The houseboat trip is relatively cheap, compared to a nice hotel. Our three bedroom boat for 6 people for a night (22 hours total) came to about $250 before tips. This includes lunch, dinner and breakfast and the personal services of three men completely on our beck and call. Where else in the world can you get such luxury for that prize? You can also get customizable tour packages that includes some sight seeing side trips, multiple nights stay etc.

For more information on Kerala and Kumarakom, check out these links:

http://www.ktdc.com/

http://www.kumarakomguide.com/

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Category: Travel