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The Houseboat Holidays of Kerala are increasingly becoming popular with domestic as well as international tourists. Consequently, the number of houseboats plying the backwaters of Kerala has increased dramatically. So much so that there is an urgent need to evaluate the safety and service standards of houseboats and classify them accordingly.
This will be the first step towards sustaining this unique tourism product. The houseboats of today - huge, slow moving, exotic barge used for leisure trips - are the reworked kettuvalloms of olden times. The kettuvallom - or 'boat with knots' - was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a kettuvallom can last for generations. A portion of the kettuvallom is covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. Today, the tradition is still continued and the food from the local cuisine is served.

The original kettuvalloms were used to carry tonnes of rice and spices (a standard kettuvallom is 70 foot long and can hold up to 30 tonnes) from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. When the modern trucks replaced this system of transport, some one found a new way that would keep these boats, almost all of which were more than 100 years old, in the market. By constructing special rooms with modern facilities to suit the interest of high quality tourists, these boats cruised forward from near-extinction to enjoy their present day popularity.

In the process of development of this new product, the traditional craftsmen and the local people are benefited in their socio-economic development. Now these reformed kettuvalloms or houseboats are a familiar sight on the backwaters of Alappuzha. From a total of 170 houseboats in Kerala, about 150 can be found at Alappuzha alone. While converting kettuvalloms into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds. For lighting though, solar panels are used. A distinctive feature of the kettuvallom is the design suggesting the possible Chinese influence. The canopy's sides can be lifted. Traditionally, the boat only had a single such opening on either side. But our houseboats have three, thus ensuring plenty of shade, cool breeze, and a better view of the passing scenery.

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* Contributed by: -
Mr. Jubi R. is Research Scholar in Management, Sathyabama Deemed University, Chennai,
Dr. K. S. Chandrasekar is Reader at Institute of Management in Kerala, Thiruvananthpuram.