Gliding through Kerala's backwaters, past coconut palms, paddy fields and villages built along the water, is one of India's most peaceful travel experiences. When it comes to actually getting on the water, though, most travellers face one question: should you book an overnight houseboat or a shorter shikara ride? Both are wonderful, but they suit very different trips. Here is how they compare.
A houseboat, locally known as a kettuvallam, is a large boat built from wood and bamboo, originally used to transport rice and spices. Today they are floating homes with bedrooms, attached bathrooms, a sit-out deck and a small kitchen. A crew of usually two or three people, including a cook, looks after you throughout the cruise.
A shikara is a smaller, canopied motorboat, usually seating between 4 and 15 people. You hire it by the hour, typically for 2 to 4 hours, and it can enter narrow canals that large houseboats cannot reach. There is no overnight stay, but you get a much closer look at village life.
A houseboat is about slowing down completely. You watch the landscape drift by from your deck, eat a home-style meal cooked on board and wake up on the water. A shikara is more of a sightseeing ride. It takes you into narrow village canals where you see children rowing to school, women washing clothes and fishermen casting nets up close.
Houseboat prices depend on the number of bedrooms, category (standard, deluxe, premium or luxury), season and whether the boat is air-conditioned. Premium and peak-season dates such as Christmas and New Year cost significantly more. Shikara rides are charged per hour and are much more affordable, making them ideal for budget travellers and larger groups.
Houseboats offer private bedrooms and bathrooms, and on a private booking the whole boat is yours. Shikaras have simple seating and no toilets, so shorter rides are best.
This is where shikaras win. Their small size lets them enter canals too narrow for houseboats, which mostly stick to wider channels and the lake.
Many of our travellers do both: a 2 to 3 hour shikara ride in the morning through village canals, followed by an overnight houseboat cruise. Another popular option is staying at a lakeside resort in Kumarakom and taking a sunset shikara ride on Vembanad Lake.
Whichever option you choose, our Kerala holidays combine the backwaters with Munnar's tea gardens, Thekkady's spice trails and Kochi's heritage lanes, all connected by comfortable cabs from our own network.