Welcome to Houseboat Cruising!Picture the weekend on a floating house with onboard chef and comfortable chair your window onto lush palms lining the canals and lagoons of Alleppy, paddy fields of bananas, cassava, and yams, church-bells ringing in the distance past small houses and huts of farms and colourful saris walking along the water’s edge. If the pace of Dubai has burned you out, rejuvenate and refresh with some curries and coconuts, ayurvedic massage, and cycle past the palms and plantations of the countryside of Kerala.
Kettuvallam, the Kerala houseboat, was traditionally used as grain barges and eventually as royal living quarters, now converted into thatch-roofed pleasure cruisers to explore the dozens of fresh-water rivers and lakes which spans nearly half the state and irrigates the surrounding rice plantations and paddy-fields. Outfitted with comfortable bedrooms, full staff of cooks, and spacious views from the upper decks, you’ll cruise around the canals at slow pace as local life tends to the plantations and small-scale industries.
A mix of Portuguese, Dutch, and British, the old city of Fort Kochi is packed with 16th century foundations, from the Church of St. Francis to the once-burial site of Vasco da Gama. Now the streets are filled with quaint restored colonial inns, banana-chip bakeries, handmade clothing shops, pre-colonial Chinese fishing nets along the water, and discoveries of restored mansions, laundry-markets, and cool-vibe art cafes, the perfect spot to explore awhile before our flight back to Dubai.
Let’s go!!
Day 0 // Departure to Kochi
Meet in the evening for a night flight to Kochi.
Day 1 // All Aboard for Houseboating
After arrival and immigration clearance, we’ll head right to the riverside and hop on board our houseboat for the weekend! We’ll take a rest and have breakfast on board before we start cruising the backwaters of Kerala. With palms lining the waterways between fields of cassava and banana and church-bells ringing in the distance, we’ll watch life pass by from our lounge-chair on deck, sipping coconuts, and enjoying the nearby Arabian Sea breezes.
Once we’re used to a slower pace, we’ll dock for lunch of traditional Kerala curries before we gear up for a cycle through local villages and farms, stopping by the basilica, wood carving studio, and few other curiosities before a quick tea break and return cycle back to canal side.
After we’re back on board and cruising, this is perfect time to stop by local fish merchant to stock up on your favourites of king prawns and crabs. While the chef is preparing our fresh seafood feast, we’ll watch the sunset beyond the palms and dock for dinner and well-earned rest for the night.
Day 2 // Old Kochi
Wake up on the water for traditional breakfast and cruise the larger canals and lakes with endless houseboats and paddy fields along the way. Your choice if you want more relaxation, either resting on deck or stopping for a massage or ayurvedic treatments, but if want to speed up the pace, consider a speedboat through the narrow canal-sides with your hair blowing in the wind!
We’ll have our last lunch on board before we pack up and head to old Kochi for a taste of Portuguese colonial culture, wander the streets and shops of handmade clothes, banana chip bakeries, and trendy cafes.
Explore Fort Kochi on the waterfront, wander the folk arts of a restored mansion, take a peek at the Chinese fishing nets, or maybe a high-speed tuk-tuk ride around town before we settle into classic inn for dinner and drinks before we head back to the airport for night flight back to Dubai.
Activities: cruising, cycling, sightseeing.
Level of difficulty: easy and relaxing
Duration: Weekend
Accommodation & meals: houseboats, double sharing, meals included.
Requirements: mosquito repellent, sunblock, sport shoes, padded shorts, cycling gloves, travel pillow, sunglasses.
Approx. cost: 3,650 AED including flight.
Excluded:
personal insurance,
visa.
Visas: Most of nationalities can obtain e-visa to India: otherwise you ll need to visit BLS to obtain the same.
Galleries from our previous trips:
http://www.meetup.com/trekkup/photos/26719089/
https://vimeo.com/177526391
See yah in Kerala x
Trekkup Crew
Whatsapp 00971 50 4848238 / [email protected]
Event Venue
Dubai International, P O Box 2525,Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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