Home      Indian Trips               << Previous    Kerala    Next >>

Kettuvalloms

Kettuvalloms are the traditional houseboats of the Kerala backwaters.  A bit like narrow boats at home they where used to transport cargos while providing living quarters for the people working on them.  The cargos would have included coconuts, spices and rice, the many crops of the region. Today many have been converted into holiday boats giving cruises to tourists.  We were amongst those enjoying such a cruise having an overnight journey through the backwaters.  

This page shows some examples of the boats we saw and the following pages will describe some of the sights from our journey.

This is the boat we travelled on, berthed for lunch.  The front area was general sitting area for the day, there was then our double bedroom, en-suite, with air-conditioning, and a kitchen at the back.

There were three crew members, one cook and two to run the boat.

We were about to overtake the boat in front, which was the same size as our.  While the traditional method of propulsion was by punting, they now use a small outboard motor, which can be seen at the rear.  On the roof there are some solar power panels which were used to store electricity for the air-conditioner.

It is believed that their design was originally influenced by Chinese travellers.

This selection of boats were all in dock, probably because we were not in the main tourist season. 

We  passed a boatyard where boats were being built and repaired.

This boat was much longer than ours as it had two bedrooms on board.

This is a slightly different form of boat, perhaps used for cargo.

Home      Indian Trips               << Previous    Kerala    Next >>