Kerala Vacations

Boat safety

A recent tragic accident on a wildlife reserve lake did not make the national press in England, but it will have repercussions for all travelling to Kerala. A boat, run by the government, overturned with the loss of about 50 people, most of whom were on the lower deck. It is not clear what caused the accident, and the true story will be hard to come by, but we do know that health and safety precautions are not taken as seriously as they could be where large numbers of people are concerned. We wait to see what extra measures will be put into place to prevent an accident like this happening again, but it is not the first time that a tourist boat has sunk.

Over the last year safety measures on the houseboats have been tightened considerably, but there is no requirement for the crew to be trained for emergencies. This is partly why we run our own boat. In general the safety record of houseboats has been good, but passengers have been lost, usually drunk and falling overboard at night. We make sure that our boat is fully equipped for emrgencies and well maintained and are happy that it is as safe as any boat which spends its time with passengers on board overnight as well as during the day can be. Water can be dangerous, and it is also up to our clients to make sure that they take care of themselves and especially their children. Any concerns should be reported immediately for the well-being of everyone.

Refurbished for the coming cruise season!

The houseboat is now back in the water after routine  repairs, but we have also taken the opportunity to upgrade some of the fixtures. The hull needs to be overhauled every 3 years and some of the planks replaced. While it was out of the water, we took the opportunity to do major cleaning and to put in some sun blinds and other items to add to the comfort of our guests.
The construction of the houseboats is fascinating. You can clearly see where the planks are sewn together with coir, and then they are caulked inside before being given a protective coating. This used to be a cashew tar, but is now sardine oil. One boatyard owner shrugged at what he saw as the craziness of this. "We have one of the fastest growing incidences of heart disease, and the fish oil which would help protect against this is used for boats!"
Whether it is a good use of fish oil or not, the boats are totally water-proof. The woven roof also needs replacing at regular intervals after taking a battering from the hot sun and the monsoon rains. The building of houseboats to the traditional pattern is a skilled job, and costs can be high, but the beauty of a traditional rice barge with its flowing lines and sturdy hull makes it worth while preserving these boats rather than going for a more modern construction.
We hope that the refurbished houseboat will provide a real high spot for our customers in the coming season.

India is sleeping!

 At present, India is "asleep". The monsoon and the recession have meant a very quiet time for everyone and a holiday for the drivers and boat crew. There are some good deals to be had on holidays, and soon the festival of Oonam will bring a lot of domestic tourists to Kerala, especially the backwaters where the Nehru snake boats will undertake their annual race.
These teak boats are huge, long and thin, and paddled by up to 100 rowers. Villages enter teams and there is fierce competition. There are ladies boats too, and everyone has a loud and frantic time. It often rains and the boats can sink and getting wet is part of it. The crowds are fuelled up on beer and excitement, and it is generally choas, but enormous fun.
This year some of our lucky clients will be seeing the race from the houseboat, which is a great improvement on the stands.
Oonam, or harvest is essentially a family festival in Kerala and the high spot is the traditional feast for which everyone gathers in their homes or temples, and everything stops for 10 days. After Oonam the weather begins to get cooler and dryer and the tourist season begins again.

Short video on YouTube

More about the houseboat cruise

Pottering about the backwaters is one of the most relaxing non-activities you could think of. The day starts with an early breakfast, and Rajeesh excelled himself here. Iddly, appam, toast, sambal, relishes, curd, the unavoidable omlettes and, best of all, banana pancakes with coconut. (Not all at once, but something special every day). An active morning spent watching the world go by is followed by a huge lunch, taken by a bank in the middle of nowhere. The world can be mesmerising, as in the banks and the palms floating by or the lake stretching out to the horizon, or exciting, as in a combine harvester travelling on canoes, exotic bird-life or hundreds of ducks being herded to market by men punting dugouts. In the afternoon a trip is usually planned to get visitors off the boat to allow the crew to clean. This might be to a temple or church, or a trip into town. Back ot the boat for tea and biscuits to begin the hard work of cruising until we moor in a quiet spot to watch the sunset and wait for dinner.
As the sun goes down the wildlife of the night wake up, and some effort might be needed to avoid flying things. The crew know where to moor to avoid the mosquitoes, but there are other things which fly around. The small lizards which live behind the lights do a good job at keeing the smaller creatures down, but occasionally we suffer a huge cockroach, which hunts around the bamboo roof. We are assured that it can't get into the bedroom, which turns out to be true.
Dinner is the usual challenge to the stomach, five curries, fish or chicken, delicious breads and rice.
The cooks on the houseboats of Kerala is legendary, and with Rajeesh we seem to have found a cook who excells even in this company. None of the cooks are chefs by training, just local people who have learnt to cook the local food, which has great importance in the culture. With a peculiar range of allergies I was a particular challenge to Rajeesh, but he rose to it, and above it. The best hotels cannot match his chappattis or iddlies, and the banana pancackes will live on as one of my "exceptional dishes of the world" memories.
By far the worst thing about a houseboat cruise is getting off it.
Below are pictures of Captain Sudhakaran, Cook Rajeesh and Raveendran, crew.

 

A trip on our boat

We were very excited at the thought of spending a few days on the company boat. It has been working well since we launched it in September, and has been successfully trying out routes and ideas the other boats can't do. It is narrow and has a shallow draft, and we were keen to test the idea of going South to Kollam.
Depending who you ask, if it possible to go to Kollam and it is not possible to go to Kollam. The crew are very experienced and if anyone could get to Kollam it was them!
We met the boat South of Alleppey and set off very quietly. The boat is driven by a petrol outboard which is very quiet and the peace was blissful!
After three days we discovered that you can get to Kollam, and you can't get to Kollam. It depends on the position of the shutter which lets the water into the backwaters and regulates the levels in the paddy fields. As you never know when the shutter is to be opened, making it impossible to get further South then Thottapally, planning a trip is hazardous! The official ferries no longer run all the way down the coast, although they are still advertised.
Our trip was  an adventure of wandering around the backwaters meeting various hazards to navigation and backtracking. Our way was blocked by a new bridge under construction, a fallen electricity cable and water hyacinth. Even achieving Thotapally required patience and many "short" cuts!
However, three days of pottering about the narrow canals, cruising the flat lands of the Kuttanad and navigating the waters of Lake Vembanad make a wonderful cruise as part of any holiday. More later.