These houseboats ply the backwaters of Kerala. They were originally used as cargo boats until trucks took over. With the boom of tourism in the area recently, the number of these boats has skyrocketed.
This was taken at dawn near Allapuzha.
This photo was taken on December 19, 2005 in Kainakary North, Kerala, IN, using a Canon PowerShot S2 IS.
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Comments and faves
piddy77, jcowboy, tom@sito, Pockafwye, and 664 other people added this photo to their favorites.
miss buenos aires (85 months ago | reply)
This is so cool, it looks like something off a movie set! I love the whimsical-looking boat against those hazy palm trees...
** This was voted a HIT from Hit, Miss or Maybe **
piddy77 (85 months ago | reply)
** This was voted a hit from Hit, Miss or Maybe **
John & Pam Owens (85 months ago | reply)
This was voted a HIT from Hit, Miss or Maybe
S()M (85 months ago | reply)
wow, beautiful reflection and colors great!
The World Through My Eyes
another story (85 months ago | reply)
i like everything about this...the color, framing, composition, and reflection are all wonderful. the "smog" gives a great dof effect.
The World Through My Eyes
SunshineSooner (85 months ago | reply)
This was voted a HIT from Hit, Miss or Maybe
jcowboy (85 months ago | reply)
Superb composition, colors and reflection!
The World Through My Eyes
8ran (85 months ago | reply)
What an amazing houseboat! This is why I love flickr so much... thanks for sharing this ;)
The World Through My Eyes
tom@sito (85 months ago | reply)
This is one of the most beautiful picture I have seen. An instant favourite.....Thanks so much!
Eileen Delhi (85 months ago | reply)
Nice. You have to delete another one from Top20India to keep it in that group... 20 photos maximum in the group at any one time. Thanks.
Pockafwye (85 months ago | reply)
This is really lovely! Faved
The World Through My Eyes
es_annegrape (85 months ago | reply)
echt schön das pic
Jonathan Urrutia (85 months ago | reply)
That's other-worldly
Java Java (85 months ago | reply)
Akshay: Your comments are totally misleading. The vast majority of houseboats are very well maintained, extremely comfortable with all the latest ameneties. The thousand and one pictures of Kerala / Aalappuzha houseboats on flickr itself bear testimony to this fact. I cannot figure out where you got the "They all use fairly old and poorly maintained engines ...." stuff from.
happygrrl (85 months ago | reply)
Wow... what an amazing looking boat! Quite unique and colorful.
Lo M (85 months ago | reply)
I will go in Kerala as soon as i can, visiting friends and of course enjoy the backwaters on a houseboat. Wonderful pic Thks
Renata Diem (85 months ago | reply)
Wonderful and interesting photo! :)
char_lie (85 months ago | reply)
The colors are gorgeous. I was on one of these boats for two nights last August. Definitely a highlight of my trip. I would recommend them to anyone in the Kerala area.
J I G I S H A a.k.a Nitin Badhwar (85 months ago | reply)
Too good
In God's own land
akshaydavis (85 months ago | reply)
Thanks for all the positive feed back! I can definatley recomend a day or two on one of these houseboats if you're visiting the south of India. Although I'm from there, this is the first time I'd been on one of these.
Java Java: I didn't mean to imply the boats themselves weren't maintained, they are incredibly nice inside, but I couldn't help but notice the amount of fumes pouring from their engines, and the trail of oil left in the wake of most of them.
DaveSinclair (85 months ago | reply)
wow, what a beautiful houseboat...
shivanayak (85 months ago | reply)
wonderful shot.
jasperroz (85 months ago | reply)
Great photo...............
bindifry (85 months ago | reply)
it's so red! great contrast to the background
wakyhama (85 months ago | reply)
wow!!!!
Amazing!
I want to live there!!
Bretley (85 months ago | reply)
wow. It does look "too good to be real" . Fantastic shot, fantastic find.
cjanebuy (85 months ago | reply)
It looks like an exquisite, small Noah's Ark. Very beautiful!
T.D. Ford (Grundlepuck) (85 months ago | reply)
Thank you for posting this beautiful shot in the Top 10 Interestingness Pool!
Alan Spring (85 months ago | reply)
very cool!
curiousl (85 months ago | reply)
Nice view!
Are these flat pannels on the roof - solar batteries?
akshaydavis (85 months ago | reply)
They are solar panels, hooked up to two or three batteries. The boat we were on had air conditioners in the bedrooms, but obviously didn't work, and I have no idea how they would running off 3 or 4 solar panels.
nuj716 (85 months ago | reply)
very nice shot, great colors and atmosphere.
vagabondrhythm (85 months ago | reply)
LOVE this!
mici_angora (85 months ago | reply)
wow! Like in a fairy tale :)
.Dias (84 months ago | reply)
NIce
Max Kueng (84 months ago | reply)
Reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle
shelly66dp (84 months ago | reply)
What a breath-taking pic !!! Very nice.. :)
ubieday (84 months ago | reply)
I Love it!
indigo_raj (84 months ago | reply)
I love the glow the boat gives off
**ANNE (84 months ago | reply)
The warm golden light in this photo is incredible!
curiousl (84 months ago | reply)
Thanks for explanation. Really nice shot and idea.
skypecaptain (84 months ago | reply)
Solar Panel on house boats.
Didnt even recognize similar in the Netherlands.
Maybe there isnt enough sun?
Anyways amazing picture with impressive colors.
Will add it to my "Fave"s
Life loves (84 months ago | reply)
The colour is brilliant, and what a great subject. Well done.
cimmarron (84 months ago | reply)
Great reflections and color
qrasier (84 months ago | reply)
No way. That looks so unreal beutiful.
Its like one in a 100.000 picture. Great work.
lunardon (84 months ago | reply)
Perfect Photo. Great Work.
Lali° (84 months ago | reply)
This is why I've always wanted to go to India, because there's beauty EVERYWHERE.
Wonderful capture.
mikeyallswell (84 months ago | reply)
can you imagine??
DreAmZ !! (84 months ago | reply)
Lovely pick !
algarvenicky (84 months ago | reply)
totally lovely