India Travel

Item Description

Explore the Fascinating Beauty of Kerala Backwaters: A 4 day/3 night stay on the tourindia Houseboat, cruising down the shimmering blue waters of Kerala. Each boat has a fully equipped kitchen and an experienced cook to prepare authentic Kerala cuisine with sea food specialties and fresh vegetables.

Experience the Kerala Village Life: Enjoy sightseeing stops and visits to the nearby villages, churches, markets, temples, and more along the way!

Item Special Note

Reservation subject to availability. Please contact package provider to check availability. The trip will be starting at 12:00 noon.

The two nearest airports to the houseboat departure sites are Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and Kochi. If you arrive at Thiruvananthapuram you complete the boat trip from South to North [Panmana (Kollam) > Kayamkulam > Thrikkunnipuzha > Thottappally > Mannar > Thakazhy > Chambakulam > Pallathuruthy (Alleppey)]. If guests arrive via Kochi airport, the itinerary is completed in reverse, from North to South.

Included: Local ground transportation during the cruise; Local fees or taxes; Most meals (no snacks or drinks)

Not Included: Beverages; Airport transfers.

Auction Package Sponsor

This package has been generously donated by TIES business member, tourindia.

tourindia, a specialist tour operator started a team of young people about 25 years ago. tourindia has pioneered the development of backwater tourism by introducing first Kettuvallam (Rice Boat) for comfortable cruise in the canals.

The ancient ricebarges has been converted - by local craftmen - into Kettuvallam Houseboats for comfortable cruise, allowing overnight stays onboard. Indigenous materials are used for the construction of the houseboat, such as bamboo and coir ropes. All tourindia boats are non-air-conditioned and use bio-toilettes.

tourindia has been selected as a finalist for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)'s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2010, in the Community Benefit category.

"Through an innovative business approach, Tourindia has not only saved a long-standing tradition of cargo-trade in Kerala's backwaters on so-called 'kettuvallom' boats, but also stimulated direct and tangible benefits with a great multiplier effect to the local communities living along these rivers. Tourindia has brought back to life the almost lost tradition of the cardamom and pepper spice trade, as well as traditional roof-thatching and boat-making. Tourindia has chosen a community rather than a top-down approach, encouraging locals to become entrepreneurs in a network of Tourindia-operated houseboats. Tourindia provides ongoing training in communication skills (English, German and French), hospitality skills (as cooks, guides, waiters, etc) as well as business skills to locals, thus generating direct employment for 2,500 people on some 650 houseboats." (WTTC Judges' Verdict)

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If you are the successful bidder, you will receive an email from TIES with the certificate confirming your purchase within 24 hours of the auction close. All TIES ecoAuction items are valid for one year (excluding the blackout dates noted in the item description) unless otherwise stated above. The winner will receive contact details of the trip provider(s) to make travel arrangements.

All proceeds raised from your purchase of this trip will go directly to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) to support their numerous projects in support of responsible travel worldwide.