The photo above, taken early in the morning, shows two house boats in the maze of waterways behind the city of Alleppey in Kerala. Cruising the canals and lagoons of the area in a hired house boat is a very popular tourist activity. The boats can be hired for any length of time, from half a day to a week or two – our itinerary allowed only enough time for a 24-hour rental. The price includes the crew. In our case there were two: a skipper and a cook (although he also shared some of the steering duties).
The photo below shows a close-up of another boat as it passed ours. The space behind the skipper usually has comfortable chairs and sofas, with a sort of lounge feel, and the part with a window (roughly midship) is a bedroom. The kitchen is at the rear of the boat.
Our own boat was very similar in size and layout. The next shot shows my wife enjoying the views as we drift gently along one of the wider waterways.
As the photos below illustrate, house boats come in all sorts of sizes. Most are converted cargo barges.
We enjoyed the cruise. However, trundling along in a hired house boat has become so popular that the sheer number of boats is starting to become a problem.
We watched as the woman pictured below struggled to find a gap in the constant stream of boats, so that she could cross the canal in her canoe.
The final photo shows our overnight parking berth, with another boat just coming in to moor next to us. You can see the many other boats in the shot. Unfortunately, our new neighbours were not quiet types and the evening certainly was not the tranquil experience we had been looking forward to.
If I were ever to go on a house boat cruise here again, I would make a booking for a minimum of three days. That way you have enough time to get away from the busy parts.
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