Check in to a boat

You don’t always have to take a journey on a boat to enjoy it.

Consider the houseboats permanently moored along the edges of Lake Dal in Srinigar, Kashmir’s winter capital.

These are either original, or more likely now, replicas of houseboats once used by British residents last century and before. Prevented by law from buying homes or building them in the town, they opted to take the loophole of mooring boats along the lake. No law prevented them from making them as grand and ornate as the wanted, and these boats still channel the style of a grand age long departed. We’re talking antimacassars and tea services and uniformed servants (OK, staff!) on hand to serve you drinks and meals.

Outside the one we stayed in, Young Morning Star, there is a constant movement of traffic as gondola-shaped shikharas transfer guests across the lake to the town or simply take tourists on a leisurely cruise around the lake.

In Kerala, a thousand or so kilometres south, you can stay in a deluxe converted rice barge at Thekkady.

These are not permanently moored, so guests can also enjoy a cruise along the backwaters without moving from the deck where they have been dining.

In the north of Kerala at Neeleshwar, Secret Retreats offer Lotus, a luxuriously appointed former rice barge which also meanders the waters threading through fishing boats and close enough to the shore to hear temple bells and watch people rinsing clothes at the water’s edge.

Want to explore other ways to 'mess about in boats'? Go to......

So it seems the Water Rat was right. There is nothing half so much worth doing as messing about in… or messing about on…. boats!

(Shikhar Travel offers tours to Kerala and Kashmir)

Comments

0 #1 Check in to a boat — MD Saddamul Haque 2017-08-09 20:19

A shikara ride is one of the most soothing, relaxing aspects of a holiday in Kashmir. Shikaras are long boats which crowd the Srinagar lakes.

Quote

Refresh comments list
RSS feed for comments to this post

Add comment

Www.Foodandtravel.Com.Au - Australia

Best Food Travel Website 2021

foodandtravel.com.au has been awarded

Best Antipodean Culinary Travel Expert, 2019

by the prestigious UK-based magazine...

Ready for a taste treat?

Embark on an unforgettable culinary adventure through the vibrant tapestry of Malaysia.

Led by the charismatic Malaysian ex-pat Chef Wanitha Tanasingam, this intimate journey promises to tantalize your taste buds and ignite your senses, sending you home with memories to last a lifetime.

Find out more....

The flipside of travel...

How not all of it is joyous.