Azure backwaters, swaying palms, and floating houseboats. These are a few of the things that inspired English Missionary Henry Baker, in the late 19th century, to acquire land on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Today, it is known as the Taj Garden Retreat, Kumarakom. Often referred to as the little jewel of Kumarakom, 123 year old colonial bungalow still maintains the beauty of its rustic surroundings.

The houseboats in Kerala are huge, slow-moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips. They are a reworked model of Kettuvallams (in the Malayalam language, Kettu means tied with ropes, and vallam means boat), which, in earlier times, were used to carry rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. Kerala houseboats were considered a convenient means of transportation. The popularity of Kettuvalloms has returned in the function as major tourist attractions. Many find the Kettuvallom an ideal means of exploring the beauty of the Kerala backwaters. A houseboat is usually about 60 to 70 feet long and about 15 feet wide in the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by ropes of coconut fiber; the usual wood is Anjili. The roof is made of bamboo poles and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew nut oil.

Kumarakom, Kerala, India.