Lake Land Cruises - Kerala

 
A "Lakelands Cruise"on the Vembanad lake allows you to do that................
Into the countryside that offers a close look at rustic village life-skiff-fishermen launching their cockleshell boats, large flocks of domesticated ducks waddling down to the water from thatched houses on the banks, aimless cattle grazing in fertile pastures, lotuses floating here and there in small shallow ponds, canals or waterways vary in dimension from being wide enough to be dubbed lakes, lush green rice fields thinning out into the distance and coconut groves with the occasional temple or church, ostensibly rich with marine bounty all around the snaky silvers of freshwater or simply soaking up the sun !!!
 

۞ The Cruise

Lakelands has a large range of House boats to choose from. All these boats are more individual in nature; they vary in space, size, shape, facilities and packages. We have carefully categorized them accordingly…….just depends on how you want it.

Super Luxury
If it is overall comfort and pampering that you are after, then “Super Luxury” is definitely the boat for you. Airy living rooms, elegant staircases leading to an upper deck with dining room, full time air-conditioned gorgeous bedrooms with bathtub and standing shower. A muti-linguistic personalized Butler to attend to your diminutive requirement and serve you the bountiful food to suit your frame of mind on the back waters. This Houseboat is nothing short of sheer and absolute luxury of the highest available echelon. This package also includes the choice of a short ride on the canoe through the narrow canals on the backwaters.

Luxury
The Lakelands Luxury Houseboats are renowned , the ultimate vantage point from which to view the plentiful backwater, bask on the sun deck and enjoy its legendary experiences on these Majestic live-in boats with delicious Kerala food included and an option of a village walk. Ideal for families or couples who would like to escape from the raucous city and relax in some serene atmosphere.

Deluxe
These gracefully designed house boats carry an air about them. One can choose from air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned houseboats and spend the day relaxing in style, enjoy scrumptious traditional meals of the back waters and then round it off by toasting the unforgettable Vembanad sunset and a dreamy night.

Itinerary
● The standard check in time is 12:00 noon.
● The cruise begins to meander through the canals and the backwaters which will slowly
   mesmerize you to the traditional beauty and culture.
● One can see fine and virgin ravines and rivulets, virgin landscapes, long stretches of winding
  canals and waterways dotted by tiny hamlets and lush green paddy fields manned by
  scarecrows, and unimaginable village life.
● There will be a break for an hour and a half that’s when your traditional Kerala lunch will be
   cooked and served.
● Your cruise will be on until 5:30pm evening when the boat will be anchored on the shore of the
   lake.
● At around 8:00 pm, your chef will serve you a wholly personalized dinner.
● You can enjoy a good night’s sleep, and dream all you want of your ‘Dream Cruise’………….
● If you are an early bird….you can catch the glimpse of a charismatic sunrise.
● Soon, it is the time for your delicious breakfast Cruise.
● At around 9:00 am disembark at our jetty with memories still lingering ‘A Fresh………..

 

۞ Houseboat

Lakelands christened the “Pioneers in back water tourism” and the first ever Super Luxury House Boat Operators offers a contemporary & exciting customary flotilla starting from Superior, Deluxe, Luxury and Super Luxury houseboat stays incorporated with a Kerala cuisine or multi-cuisine, with exhilarating destinations and a widespread choice of itineraries, well-trained staff, genuine hospitality committed to eminent service, efficient infrastructure, premier safety principles and a spacious parking area at our nerve center and embarkation point at pallathuruthy –Alleppy(also known as the "Venice of the East" its was here that traders from across the seven seas came in search of black gold and souvenirs)

About House Boats…………….
The Kettuvallams or ‘boat with knots’- was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction. Houseboats or Kettuvallams were large barges used to carry goods .The original Kettuvallams were used to carry tonnes of rice and spices - standard Kettuvallam could hold up to 30 tonnes.

Today, these goods carriers have been adapted to make the most exciting tourism product in India without losing its originality. While converting Kettuvallams into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. They are on average 70 feet long boats with 15 feet width in the middle portion. The wood commonly used to make Kettuvallams is 'Anjili'(a kind tree belonging to the jack fruit family), which is found in abundance in central Travancore area. Large planks are tied together using hand made coir ropes and beaten coconut fibers. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. This gives the Kettuvallams enough strength to withstand heavy waves in the sea. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds. Solar panels are used for lighting.These long cargo boats are a familiar sight on the backwaters. With careful maintenance, a Kettuvallam can last for generations. These boats cruised forward from near- extinction to enjoy their present great popularity.