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| Going Places |
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Holiday on a Houseboat! |
 A cruise along the backwaters of Kerala in a luxury houseboat can be quite an enchanting holiday experience. Comfortable
and well-equipped with all the creature
comforts of a hotel – including a furnished
bedroom, cosy living room, lounge, modern
toilets and even a balcony for anglers,
the houseboat gives a perfect opportunity
to savour the breathtaking beauty of God’s
own country at your very own pace.
Here’s an interesting piece of
information. These exotic, slow-moving barges
of today, are a modern day adaptation of the
traditional Kettuvalloms of olden times that
were used to transport rice and spices from
Kuttanad to Kochi port. Kettuvallom translates
to “boat with knots” and was so called because
the entire boat was held with coir knots only
– without even a single nail being used! Many
jack-wood plants joined with coir made the framework
of the boat.
Almost on the verge of extinction, these boats
have been revived, thanks to the novel holiday
concept that is fast gaining popularity.
Alleppey is the most popular backwater destination.
with its immense natural diversity and pristine
beaut, Alleppey has all the ingredients for
a magical holiday. |
HOW
TO REACH
- By Air
- Cochin is the nearest airport (64
kms). Another option is Trivandrum airport-
159 km south of Alleppey.
- By Rail
- Alleppey Railway Station is connected by rail
with Cochin and Trivandrum.
- By Road
- Well connected by road (NH-47). Trivandrum-Alleppey
: 160 km, Cochin-Alleppey : 70 km.
- By Water
- Connected with Cochin (5 1/2 hrs), Quilon
(8 hrs) and Kottayam (2 1/2 hrs)
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel to Alleppey is between March
and August. |
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Tipping Etiquette |
 So what’s a reasonable
tip to give when you’ve enjoyed the services
of people who attend on us – the waiter
at the café, the driver who drove you
to the hotel, the porter who lugged your
baggage, the bartender ...?
In most cases it could
leave you in a dilemma, while in some,
it could leave you embarrassed too –
especially when you’re not aware of the
norms prevalent in the country you’re
visiting! While
tipping in America is expected, in many Asian
countries (like Japan, Seoul and Singapore)
tipping is not a part of the culture and is usually
regarded as a vulgur display of wealth.
Most hotels throughout the world automatically
add a service charge to the restaurant bills.
While 15% is the standard fixed rate, in some
countries it could be higher. However, if you’ve found
the quality of service extraordinarily good,
leave an appropriate tip 15 to 20% of the bill amount, depending on the place. |
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