The main centres of Houseboats for boating are Alappuzha and Kumarakom.

Alappuzha has a number of houseboats and during the season it will be difficult to get a boat.

A one hour trip will costs Rs 200 by normal boat. The charges for motor boat is Rs 350 per hour. The large rice boat called 'kettuvallam' has well furnished interiors and air cooled rooms for comfortable stay. Coir is extensively used in the decoration. Comfortable chairs, fans, LCD TV along with the tasty food cooked in Keralan style in the boat kitchen will be a memorable experience.

A night stay in a 'kettuvallam' costs around Rs 7000/-. The huge boat were used for tranporting goods through the rivers in Kerala. During the stay in the boat, it travels to Kochi or Kollam. The Yamaha engines fitted in the boat gives good speed. A visit to the unihabited island Pathiramanal (4 km from Kuramakom) will be a nice experience. There is no government ferry service to Pathiramanal island. You can enjoy tender coconuts and lime water in the island.