Sleeping On Houseboats In The Backwaters Of Kerala, India

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houseboats in backwaters of Kerala

If I had to narrow down my top favorite experience in Kerala, India on the Kerala Blog Express, I would definitely have to say that spending 24hrs on the Houseboats in the Backwaters of Kerala with Lakes & Lagoons was by far my favorite thing I did there!

Houseboats In The Backwaters Of Kerala, India

Growing up

My family and I loved boats and life on the lake and I grow up having boats and jet-skis from the age of 10. My parents would organize many MANY weekends spent at lakes with their other friends that owned boats and jet-skis as well and it was just something we would do randomly, on holidays and during the summer. On random occasion we would also rent houseboats with a few families in the beautiful Lake Powell in Utah. These were  BIG houseboats, 3 floors with a perfect slide on the top deck that would slide you straight into the water. So when I heard we were going to be sleeping on houseboats in Kerala, I was pretty excited! But having the typical idea of what a houseboat in India would be like, I didn’t really expect much (Let’s Not Over Exaggerate, India Is Not That Bad!) Yet, to my surprise it was the coolest experience ever! In fact, I would have to say that it was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life! That’s how amazing it really was!

I’ve never really heard of the Backwaters before arriving to Kerala, I’m also guessing that most people haven’t. President Obama has actually mentioned the Backwaters of Kerala, after visiting India.

Kerala Backwater plam tress

So what are the Backwaters of Kerala? 

The great Backwaters is a 900 km long water world spread across Kerala. This fascinating geographical feature was formed by the action of waves and shores currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats mountains range. The Backwaters of Kerala have 44 rivers, 34 lakes and canals, all lined by palm trees of a thousand shades of green, rice fields and colorful houses.

This is where many of the locals of Kerala live, their lifestyle is more on the village side. They live simple, but a beautiful and peaceful life. Most of the males wake up at the break of dawn to go fishing, women do laundry in the river and most also bathe in the rivers of the backwaters.

YOLO Hofit Kim Cohen Kerala

Experiencing the Backwaters on a Houseboat:

The Houseboats on the Backwaters of Kerala, isn’t an experience best told by words, but by showing. I don’t think that writing about it will do it justice. So I made you an awesome travel vlog of what this incredible experienced looked and felt like.

But I will say this, if you ever get a chance to go to Kerala, you have to do the houseboats on the backwaters! You will enjoy every second of it because there is no other place like this in the world! It was honestly the highlight of my trip and was the highlight of almost all the other travel bloggers I was with. This place will make you forget all your worries and troubles. It’s one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to, if not THE most relaxing place I have ever been to. I could have honestly stayed on that houseboat for a week easily, if not longer! I definitely plan on going back to Kerala and renting one of these houseboats for a week!

kerala backwaters

I was SO beyond impressed with the houseboats that was provided to us by Lakes & Lagoons! The houseboat that I stayed on had 3 luxury bedrooms, all with great space, AC and our own bathroom and shower. The staff on the houseboat were absolutely INCREDIBLE, kind, sweet and caring and made me and my other 2 friends on the boat feel so at home and relaxed. There were 3 crew members on our boat, who both cooked and sailed the boat for us. They made us amazing meals plus desserts! I was so scared at first that I won’t have much to eat since I am a vegetarian, but since this is India, that’s never a problem, only a bonus since most of the food is vegetarian anyways. These 3 men catered to our every need and beyond and made us feel like 3 Queens and I was so sad to say goodbye.

We also made a quick stop at one of the villages in the Backwaters and at a beautiful rice field right before sunset.

The entire experience was complete BLISS, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!

* Vanilla Sky Dreaming was invited by Kerala Tourism to attend the Lake & Lagoons Houseboat experience. Thank you to Lake & Lagoons for welcoming Vanilla Sky Dreaming! As always, my opinion is my own.

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One Response to Sleeping On Houseboats In The Backwaters Of Kerala, India

  1. Thanks for sharing a wonderful Blog.
    Very informative and as you said houseboat trip isn’t an experience best told by words, it should be felt by being in it.
    For best traditional house boating experience, Kumarakom Houseboat holidays is one of the number one houseboat operators in Alleppey and Kumarakom backwaters.Kumarakom Houseboat Holidays offering luxurious boathouse accommodation in Alleppey and Kumarakom backwaters.

    http://www.kumarakomhouseboatholidays.com/

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