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| Kerla Houseboat |
Alappuzha (or Alleppey) is a city on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It's best known for houseboat cruises along the rustic Kerala backwaters, a network of tranquil canals and lagoons. Alappuzha Beach is the site of the 19th-century Alappuzha Lighthouse. The city's Mullakkal Temple features a traditional design. Punnamada Lake's snake boat races are a well-known annual event.
Weather: 26°C, Wind NE at 6 km/h, 64% Humidity
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| Kerla Backwater |
Kerala backwaters is ideal for a visit at any time of the year but if you have a choice then plan your visit to backwaters between August and May so that you avoid monsoons and enjoy the experience of tranquil, palm fringed backwaters of Kerala to the maximum.
A Kerala houseboat, locally known as Kettuvallam, was used to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields of Kuttanad alongside the backwaters to towns in ancient days. Kettu means knot in local language Kettuvallam means a boat made by tying together pieces of wood. Not a single nail is used in the making of a Kettuvallam and it is built by are joining together anjili wood panes with coir ropes and then by coating with black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. The materials that go into the making are all local and include eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc.
These traditional country boats were used as the mode of transport in the early times from the interior villages in Kerala to places like Alleppey, Kottayam, Cochin and Kollam.Later these boat services became extinct with the introduction of modern transport services between towns and villages. However houseboats were revived in late 90s due to tourist inflow and houseboats of kerala have become the symbol of Kerala tourism. No tourist experiencing in Kerala is complete without a kerala houseboat cruise.
