Overnight Kettuvallam Houseboat
Drift through Kerala's backwaters on a private houseboat with your own chef.
An overnight cruise on a private kettuvallam (rice barge) through Kerala's backwater canals — a private chef, candlelit dinner on deck, and the quiet rhythm of village life along the banks.
About This Experience
The kettuvallam was originally a rice barge — a flat-bottomed vessel built without a single nail, held together with coir rope and cashew-nut resin. The best ones have been converted into floating suites with teak-panelled bedrooms, open-air dining decks, and a crew of three: a captain, a helmsman, and a private chef who cooks Kerala cuisine to your tastes. Antara doesn't book from the fleet of 900-odd houseboats that crowd Alleppey's main canal. We select heritage-style kettuvallams on quieter waterways — narrower canals where the boat barely fits, villages that aren't on the tourist circuit, and stretches where the only sound is the water against the hull and the occasional kingfisher. Your chef sources fish and prawns from the morning catch at the nearest village. Dinner is served on deck by lamplight — karimeen (pearl spot fish) wrapped in banana leaf, prawn curry with raw mango, appam with stew. After dinner, the boat moors in a quiet cove, and the stars come out. In the morning, chai arrives before you're fully awake, and the boat drifts on.
What to Expect
- Late morning boarding at a private jetty (not the crowded Alleppey public dock)
- Welcome drink of fresh coconut water and a tour of the kettuvallam
- Gentle cruise through quiet backwater channels — villages, coconut groves, paddy fields
- Lunch prepared onboard by your private chef using local ingredients
- Afternoon stop at a village for a short walk (optional)
- Candlelit dinner on deck as the boat moors for the night
- Morning chai and breakfast on the water before disembarkation
What’s Included
- ✓Private heritage-style kettuvallam with crew of three
- ✓All meals onboard (lunch, dinner, breakfast) prepared by a private chef
- ✓Beverages including fresh juices, chai, and coffee
- ✓Ambassador coordination of boarding, route, and dietary preferences
- ✓Private transfer to and from the jetty
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