With the new generation following the motto of Offbeat destinations and Wanderlust as the new dream, staying in a House Boats in Backwaters instead of a good old fashioned hotel room sounds much more tempting. Backwaters are a part of the river with little or no current that rejoins the river at a certain point.
House Boats are basically of two types
The first ones are mainly just harbored or static with all the basic amenities and they don’t have any propelling gadgets.
The second ones are vacationing vessels, they have all homely furnishing along with engines and they can cruise on small water bodies like a river.
There are various kinds of House Boats of Deluxe, Premium or Luxury with all kind of facilities. You can sit on the deck and enjoy the beautiful sunset, ride along in the water and feel the cool breeze touching your face or watch the stars at night from the deck and rotate the steering wheel of your ship and fulfill the fantasy we had as a kid of becoming the captain of our own ship.
In India, there are many destinations where you can enjoy staying in House Boat and sail into the backwaters and just keep floating.
Kerala
In Kerala, there are two major backwaters Alappuzha and Kumarakom. They are easily accessible from Kochi. Being named “The God’s own Country” it is every traveler’s dream to have once visited here. You can sail in the waters and see long lines of coconut trees, farmers working on their paddy fields and the sky painted into millions of colors at the sunset. There are a great number of options for choosing houseboats and you can even get a cook onboard. You can try all the local delicacies and learn about the culture and tradition of the place.
Srinagar
Dal Lake known for the shikara rides also gives huge options of House Boats stay. The boats are wooden and the architecture is very intricate and the view of mountains of Kashmir is an added bonus. One also witnessed the floating market along the lake. The apple orchards and Tulips make one feel even closer to nature.
Maharashtra
The only backwater in Maharashtra is at Tarkarli which also has its own coral beach. Maharashtra tourism has its own House Boats to boost Tarkarli’s tourism. It was started back in 2003. The Backwaters Karli River houses these boats. You can home cooked Malvani food and indulge with the locals and hear awesome stories about their traditions. Apart from this, you can do Scuba diving and Snorkelling and also spot dolphins sometimes.
Pondicherry
The great beaches and the Auroville along with the Aurobindo’s Ashram have always attracted tourists to Pondicherry. The French colonial-style homes and tax-free alcohol are the reason backpackers from across the world come to this place.
If you want a floating holiday then you can pamper yourself with the luxurious House Boats and enjoy your stay there.
Goa
The ultimate party, the nightlife, the fun, and the craze never seems to stop here. But if you want a peaceful holiday that is possible too. One can just book a House Boat in Chapora river and sit around doing nothing just enjoying the calmness and relaxing your mind and body. While sailing you can see the Goan villages, church, watch the farmer collecting coconuts and also spot dolphins.
Assam
The House Boat cruise of Assam gives and completely different experience. You can cruise through Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary near Guwahati where you can spot many migratory birds and the Silk weaving village called Sualkuchi. There are many other destinations that can also be covered like Kaziranga to see the one-horned Rhino, Majuli, Shillong & Cherrapunjee of northeast India.
Conclusion
Every place has its own story and own things to offer so the experiences will be very different. Houseboats are the best way for people to enjoy and relax in a beautiful surrounding. The most famous House Boats in India are of Kerala and Srinagar.
Good post.