Travel Kerala, India

Houseboat cruise in the backwaters of Kerala

January 3rd, 2010

A 120 km southeast of Kochi you'll find the Periyar National Park which is great for elephant and tiger spotting.

Actually, the park is popular for its Periyar Tiger Reserve but cruising through it won't give you the garantee to spot one..and so we didn't.

Cruising through Periyar National Park. Cruising through Periyar..

We did see a lot of buffalo's, birds and a deer:)

The best part of our stay here was the fact that we got to sleep on a true houseboat, as in a house on a boat!

That on itself was pretty cool, but we also had our private captain and cook on board which made our stay ultra pleasant.

In the afternoon the fresh prawns were fished and prepared for our evening dinner. It was an amazing treatment and the seafood doesn't get any fresher!

Boat ramp at Periyar National Park. Boat ramp at Periyar..

The boat was big enough to fit us, a little bath- and bedroom and a couples of seats and tables on deck to chill out from a long day of sightseeing.

Well, we did try to avoid the hot hours in the early afternoon when temperatures start to rise above 35 degrees. Luckily there was plenty of shade and even a matras to lie on and enjoy the spectacular landscapes.

The whole crew of the houseboat in India. The whole crew of the..

The visit to the Periyar National Park was really interesting and it's probably the area's most important attraction as the rest of town doesn't have a lot to offer.

Renting the houseboat was the best thing we could have done because it is the ideal way to explore the backwaters of Kerala and get to see a lot of interesting things.

The Kerala Backwaters Cruise is very popular because from the river you will be able to spot wildlife but you'll also get a better understanding of how the people in the villages located alongside the river live their life. A great houseboat cruise and even better India experience!

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Travel Tips for Kerala India:

Where to stay in Kerala: We stayed in our rented houseboat.

What to do in Kerala: Enjoy the amazing sunsets on the river.

Where to eat in Kerala: On board is kitchen and a chef will catch your fresh fish and prepare it on board!

Travel Pictures of Kerala, India

  • Cruising through Periyar National Park. Cruising through Periyar National Park.
  • Boat ramp at Periyar National Park. Boat ramp at Periyar National Park.
  • Photo of the houseboat kitchen and our cook. Photo of the houseboat kitchen and our cook.
  • The whole crew of the houseboat in India. The whole crew of the houseboat in India.
  • Ready for our floating home in Kerala. Ready for our floating home in Kerala.
  • Fishing fresh King Prawns for dinner! Fishing fresh King Prawns for dinner!
  • Photos taken from the boat. Photos taken from the boat.
  • Our private chef on board of the houseboat, Kerala, India. Our private chef on board of the houseboat, Kerala, India.
  • Sunset photos of the river, Kerala. Sunset photos of the river, Kerala.
  • Having a seafood dinner on the boat in Kerala. Having a seafood dinner on the boat in Kerala.
  • Renting a Houseboat in Kerala, India. Renting a Houseboat in Kerala, India.

Weather

Kerala Weather

Haze
25 °C | 77 °F

Traveller

Fiona photo
Name: Fiona
Age: 18-25
Travel type: Friends getaway

Travel Blog

Houseboat cruise in the backwaters of Kerala
Continent: Asia
Country: India
City: Kerala
Period: Apr '09-Oct '09
Lenght of stay: -
Views: 2715

Travel Review

Liked: The Houseboat!!
Disliked: -
Trip Rating: Good

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