Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

The publishers of the most recent edition of the Lonely Planet India place Kerala’s backwaters as second only to the Taj Mahal in their “must do” list of the country. The houseboat experience is partially the reason why. Traditional Kettuvallom are thatch-covered barges built to carry rice and other commodities through the waterways that once formed the lifeline of Kerala’s transportation systems.

The inspired reuse of these elegant boats from covered barge to floating hospitality experience gave the Kettuvallom a new chapter in Kerala history. The magical feeling of overnight cruises through the backwaters, watching the life of fishing and paddy cultivation, has become a traveler’s dream.