What better way to savor the flavor of a place other than experiencing its quintessential features? Well the aptly named Spice Routes gives you the true taste of Kerala, with its fleet of vessels that carry you through its backwaters, where you are sure to have an immersive (pun definitely not intended :-D) experience, with local sights along the waterways and traditional food served in-house or should I say ‘in-boat’.

Spice Routes is one of Kerala’s leading Luxury houseboat cruise brands and offers a bouquet of 6 boats, right from 1 bedroom to 5 bedrooms.

Do you want to peep into one? Then follow me into the little village of Kainakary South in Alappuza district in the state of Kerala, India and hop aboard the houseboat, as we set sail on the tranquil waters of the Vembanad lake.

This was a short cruise of an hour’s duration and hence my experiences are accordingly  based. When I go for a longer stay, I will furnish you with more elaborate details, so pray that I go back again really soon 😎

My experience here was courtesy of the KTM media tour organized by Kerala Travel Mart 2022.

Spice Routes –

This was founded in 2008 and is said to be the pioneer brand to furnish their boats with luxury features, which among other modern conveniences, also included air conditioning. This certainly served to make the experience much more pleasurable. Trust me, I know 😀

The boats are all named after various spices and condiments. So we have the Saffron, Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove, Fennel and Tamarind.

All their boats are well appointed and have a stylishly fitted lounge, bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms complete with luxury toiletries and a kitchen equipped with relevant provisions.

The Cruises –

The cruises can be booked from an array of options, depending on duration, meals, sailing time, sightseeing etc.

They can also be hired for recreational cruising or official meetings, conferences etc.

I had the pleasure of cruising on the Fennel, with a lobby, 2 ensuite bedrooms and  a well equipped kitchen.  The sail was a short one, since it was not on our original itinerary. It was the untiring effort of our guide Shyam that made it possible and and we really appreciated the bonus 😀

Mr Jobin Joseph, Director of Spice Routes, was kind enough to accompany us and brief us about his boats, as we glided along. There is also a helpful coffee table book which gives you insights into the brand.

The itineraries are customizable and encompass several options but just sailing forth with no particular plan in mind is also quite rewarding, as one can soak up the captivating sights of rural Kerala on either bank … that is if you can take your eyes off the ducks that swim alongside and obligingly make themselves available for your entertainment and amusement.

And then, one can always utilize potential of the much exploited bow, which must have seen its fair and unfair share of Titanic and reverse Titanic wannabes 😎

Our 1 hour complimentary cruise got over too soon but we had to move to our next destination, the charming and scenic Carmelia Haven resort in Thekkady, which also belongs to the Spice Routes family and where we also spent far too little time.

But the anchor has not dropped yet and I definitely plan to go back and say Gimme more 😍

Contact –

Website of Spice Routes

Facebook Page of Spice Routes

Instagram of Spice Routes

Address-

Kainakary Pooppally Road,
Pallathuruthy, Ponga,
Kainakary South,
Kerala 688501

Phone – +91 8606000430/ +91 9400005314

Email – info@spiceroutes.in

Please Note –

On this trip I was hosted by the Kerala Travel Mart Society and partnering hotels, as a media invitee and I thank them for the hospitality. My narration is based on the inputs I received from various sources as well as my personal experiences.

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May 3rd, 2022