Take
a cruise from Alleppey to Kumarakom and have the
most exhilarating experience of your life. Kumarakom
looks like a cluster of islands, but in truth is
just one Island formed due to the Backwaters.
As
you sail through the Ashtamudi Lake, you are treated
to the sight of various species of water birds,
both resident and migratory.Birds like the wild
duck, waterfowl and many others grace the lake.
Traditionally, the houseboats been called
Kettuvallam which
means a boat made by tying together piecesof
wood.
Unbelievable
as it may sound, not a single nail is used in the making
of a Kettuvallam. Jack wood planks are joined together
with coir rope and then coated with black resin made from
boiled cashew nut shells.
Cruising
along the backwaters of Kerala is an unforgettable experience.
If you have not experienced it, here is a golden opportunity
to do it at a fraction of its original cost.
You
could get in any House Boat of your liking, saunter down
the cool placid waters of our world-famous backwaters,
have a merry time and get back home either the same day
or after spending a night as well out floating around.
House
Boats are huge, slow moving, exotic barges designed for
sheer leisure trips. Formerly, House Boat were used to
ship rice
and
spices and other goods between Kuttanad and the Cochin
port. It was a three-day affair those days.A standard House
Boat, which could be about 100 feet long, can hold up to
30 tons, and that is as much as three big lorries can.
