[gabrielthomas]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

My two cents:

You may take Krishnagiri or Ulundrupet route till Salem depending on your start point. Both are equally good but former is 6 lane for a good portion and may be easy to drive, but longer.

Salem-NH 47 all the way till Alleppey. There are no serious traffic blocks reported these days and traffic during wee hours are not much. Expect slow progress between Coimbatore bypass till Mannuthy (Trichur).

Check this link for Salem-Kerala options:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...erala-463.html
Enjoy your holidays

Thanks so much for the reply.

few questions - after going through those threads, i feel that the palakad route may be a little risky or are the roads fine these days? else should I take the Pollachi route?

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by gabrielthomas

Thanks so much for the reply.

few questions - after going through those threads, i feel that the palakad route may be a little risky or are the roads fine these days? else should I take the Pollachi route?

I suggested Palakkad route as you are traveling in the night with family. There are no much deviations and you will not feel alone. Only bad stretch/deviation is between L&T exit till Vadakkancherry and will take 1.5 hour max.

Pollachi route is good with smooth surface but you may not find assistance in the night, if required.

[ashish_BHP]

Nice travel. I agree with you regarding Allepy (Alappuzha and the accent both are tongue twisters). Well I had been there in summers, not a good time actually as heat is at peak in Kerala during summers.
It was a different good experience altogether. Right from staying in well maintained house boats ,the local hospitality and the fresh water fish is a must have delicacy there. They take you for a ride on the backwaters twice during the 24 hrs booking and the environment is very serene and peaceful there when one touches less explored areas. A good place for to take break while keeping budget in check as well. Would like to go again!

[ank.nsit]

Hey Guys,

I am planning to stay in Alleyppey houseboat on December 26th 2014. We are a family of 6 adults, so a 3 bedroom Houseboat will be ideal for us.

I would like to know if A/C would be needed during day & during nights for our stay in Houseboat?
Also, the rates I am getting for a 3 BR houseboat are higher than 20K even for night time A/C boats.

Are these the general rates for houseboat during super peak season? Are there any other places in Kerala where we can have similar fun of houseboat but at a better price?

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ A/c is an individual thing. I would not need a/c in December in Kerala, but you could be different.

Christmas / NewYear are peak season in Kerala and this is possibly why the rates you got are higher.

Another place where you could do houseboats is in the Ashtamudi lake at Kollam. Check out KTDC website for details / rates. But personally I think the Aleppey thing is better.

[vindrider2626]

When you are cruising in the morning, you have to sit on the deck,then only you can enjoy and soak in the beauty of the backwaters, and observe the life of the people living beside the lake.At night since you are travelling in december, nights will be cold,so no need of an ac.Try to get a booking done now,rather than wait till december ,you will get better rates.For a first timer the ride is beyond words.Hope you have a great time.

[philgrac]

Have a suggestion;
Vasundhara Sarovar Primier Hotel (Five star) located at Vayalar (off NH 47, 25kms from Aleppey) is having a 2 Bed Room luxury houseboat with Ac Bedrooms and Living/Dining room, all well supported by Generators, so that everything works well even while cruising. 24 Hr stay includes 4 hrs of cruising, lunch on board prepared by the Hotel chef as per the guest's order. Dinner and breakfast provided at the Hotel Restaurant. Guest's security is also looked after well. Overall a memorable stay!

[ILTDrive]

Will mid march be an appropriate time to rent a house boat or will it to be too hot by then?

[Gansan]

I went with my wife and son for a kerala tour in June 2008. We were staying in TVM, and took the Intercity Express to Alapuzha in the early morning. The idea was to have a ride in one of the house boats and return to TVM by the evening Intercity.

We took an auto to the place where house boats are berthed. We were offered a two bedroom houseboat, to be shared with another family @ Rs 7000 per family. But since it was a weekday, there were no other tourists at that time and they said we will have to take the whole boat and pay Rs 14000. We had to be present at the jetty by 11.00 AM.

I was reluctant to spend so much and told the auto fellow to take me to the ferry jetty. A passenger boat was about to leave for Kottayam and the conductor said the fare was Rs 15.00 per head or thereabouts. We hopped in and bought tickets for Kottayam! It took about three hours of leisurely cruise to reach there, because the boat took a zig-zag route. My wife and son had never set foot in a boat previously, so the fact it was not a houseboat hardly mattered to them! They enjoyed the ride and sights very much!

We had lunch at Arya Bhavan at Kottayam, thought of taking a boat back for the return trip, but I felt we might miss the intercity if we did. So took a bus back to Alapuzha, and caught the intercity back to TVM!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Another place where you could do houseboats is in the Ashtamudi lake at Kollam. Check out KTDC website for details / rates.

Was dropping wifey at Kollam bus-stand last week, when I stopped by to check the activity in the backwater and was (pleasantly) surprised to saw quite a lot of house-boats berthed. With the Ashtamudi (meaning eight-cornered) lake having quite some sights, this seems like a good option.

Actually the boat-jetty is alongside the bus-stand and for someone who just wants to take in the beauty of the Ashtamudi backwaters (and not necessarily stay in a private houseboat) all it needs to have a few hour run across the waters would be ticket costing few rupees. A long-pending item on my agenda.

Originally Posted by philgrac

Vasundhara Sarovar Primier Hotel (Five star) located at Vayalar (off NH 47, 25kms from Aleppey) is having a 2 Bed Room luxury houseboat with Ac Bedrooms and Living/Dining room, all well supported by Generators, so that everything works well even while cruising. 24 Hr stay includes 4 hrs of cruising, lunch on board prepared by the Hotel chef as per the guest's order. Dinner and breakfast provided at the Hotel Restaurant. Guest's security is also looked after well. Overall a memorable stay!

What does this cost ? Seasonal rate changes or standard rates year-round ?

Originally Posted by Gansan

A passenger boat was about to leave for Kottayam and the conductor said the fare was Rs 15.00 per head or thereabouts. We hopped in and bought tickets for Kottayam! It took about three hours of leisurely cruise to reach there, because the boat took a zig-zag route. My wife and son had never set foot in a boat previously, so the fact it was not a houseboat hardly mattered to them! They enjoyed the ride and sights very much!

Indeed a good (and very economical) way to take in the beauty of the backwaters - same option available at Kollam too.

[philgrac]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

What does this cost ? Seasonal rate changes or standard rates year-round ?

It is all "Seasonal rate changes", besides now is the prime season! However, you may check the attached link for the current tariffs:

http://www.vasundhararesorts.in/docs/RACK%20RATES.pdf

[smekad]

Folks

I am looking for a overnight 3BHK houseboat for 31st Dec night. I have got some quotes from Rainbow cruises , however a look at various reviews on them is not very encouraging.

Can someone suggest any good houseboat operator in alleppey for a family of 6 adults and 2 children?

I would like the boat to be clean with good sanitation facilities and good food.

Please help

Thanks
smk

[Dieseltuned]

Had a query, I am toring Kerala next week and am booked in Kumarakom Waterscapes resort for 2 days. Do these house boats operate from that area in Kumarakom and is the payment for the house boat rental made only in cash ?

Regards
Dieseltuned

[Spinnerr]

Originally Posted by smekad

...3BHK houseboat for 31st Dec night.
Can someone suggest any good houseboat operator in alleppey for a family of 6 adults and 2 children?

We had used Riverine house boats a year back, they were good. The cook was very accommodating. When we wanted Anchovy (Netholi) and it was not available in the shops these boats dock at, the cook/helper got out on the way, shopped for the fish at the local market and rejoined the boat en-route.

He even had the decency to return the change without overcharging us. So we gave him a special tip at the end of the journey.

Do note, the quality of houseboats depends on how well the owner take care of it. From what we got to know, during lean seasons, the owner skips regular maintenance. That is when we end up in broken, sad looking boats.

If you are trying out Riverine, do ask if he can send pics on whatsapp for you to assess the current condition of the boat. if he agrees, you will know exactly what is being offered.

[Saanil]

Hi,

I am igniting an old thread in search for some help. I am planning to do a 22 hour houseboat trip with my wife in Alappuzha/Alleppey backwaters and was looking for houseboat suggestions. I need to book a houseboat for 18th November. What kind of climate should I expect at that time? Does it rain a lot during November?

I did the preliminary search on makemytrip and found out the following:

1. The ride starts by 12pm and ends at 9/10am the following day.
2. There are many bedroom options (1/2/3 etc.)
3. The starting cost for a decent houseboat starts from 8k/night onwards (including meals).
4. Air conditioner can be used only during a specified time slot. I wanted to know whether will it be too hot in November or the heat will be manageable.

I just wanted to know if BHPians here have any suggestions for a nice houseboat. This thread is quite old so was wondering if there are any recent suggestions.