Alleppey Houseboat Glossary: Key Terms Explained

Check availability and book your Alleppey houseboat .

Planning a Kerala houseboat trip means running into a few unfamiliar words. Here's a simple glossary so you can book and plan with confidence.

Boat & Cruise Terms

Kettuvallam — the traditional Kerala houseboat, originally a cargo boat of wooden planks tied with coir rope. See our kettuvallam history.
Shikara — a small canoe/boat used for short village-canal tours where big houseboats can't go.
Day cruise — a few-hour daytime cruise with no overnight stay (see day cruise).
Overnight cruise — the classic noon-to-9 AM experience with a night anchored on the water (see overnight houseboat).

Alleppey / Alappuzha — the same town; Alleppey is the common English name, Alappuzha the official name.
Backwaters — the network of lakes, canals and lagoons that make up the Kerala waterways.
Vembanad — the largest lake in Kerala, central to Alleppey cruises (see Vembanad Lake).
Kuttanad — the famous below-sea-level paddy-farming region (see Kuttanad).
Kainakari — a village area known for narrow, scenic canals (see Kainakari).
Punnamada — the lake that hosts the famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

Karimeen — pearl spot, the prized local backwater fish.
Sadhya — a traditional Kerala feast served on a banana leaf.
Package (Standard/Premium/Semi Luxury) — tiers that vary AC hours, food variety and route. See the packages page.

It's the traditional Kerala houseboat — a wooden boat originally tied together with coir rope, now the backbone of backwater tourism.

Yes. Alappuzha is the official name; Alleppey is the widely used English version of the same town.

Plan the trip with our Kerala Houseboat Guide.