Better accommodation and world class catering facilities is one of the most important segments of the tourist services that is urgently needed at the prominent tourist destinations in Kerala.  The various types of accommodation facilities used by the tourists are hotels, supplementary accommodation, staying with friends and relatives and other private accommodation or their own using means like caravans and tents.

In Kerala backwaters are now emerging as a new destination for leisure and exploration.  Almost all the backwaters in Kerala from Ernakulam district in central Kerala to Kollam district in the south now teem with scores of houseboats of all shapes and sizes.  Popularly known as ‘kettuvallams’, these boats are built without using nails.  These houseboats have been aesthetically designed to reflect the architectural patterns of the traditional houses in Kerala.

If you walk into these houseboats crisscrossing the backwaters, you will be amazed to see the amenities on offer.  Almost all the houseboats boast of air-conditioned suites.  The single and double room suites offer enough space to move around and witness the amazing flora and fauna as they unfold as the houseboat moves lazily along the long backwaters.  Not only that some houseboats even allow sunbathing atop on the roof.  Not only that you can get a better view of the surroundings and give no rest to your camera lens.

Kumarakom, the prominent tourist center in the backwaters is home to migratory birds from across different continents.  The backwaters around Kumarakom now teem with more than 200 houseboats.  Thanks to the sincere efforts of the prominent investors, Kumarakom now has much to offer to the tourist and that too at affordable prices.  The world class facilities on offer at Kumarakom has now helped it to find a prominent place in the world tourist map, very similar to the place gained by the houseboats in Venice, the waterways in Thailand and the Dal lake in Srinagar in Kashmir.  Efforts are now being made to keep the backwaters clean through the incorporation of proper waste management facilities in all the houseboats.