Thara's Houseboat

Belle et douce expérience sur les backwaters. Personnel agréable. Lit confortable .Repas copieux.

Le tout inclus est un peu faussé car les activités proposées sont payantes.

Good Boat, great ride and very welcoming staff, This wasn’t planned, but needed up being a sweet surprise in my Alleppey trip, Amazing service and we enjoyed it!

J'ai apprécié un petit déjeuner copieux, varié et 100% Kerala.

We had enjoyed an amazing stay at Tharas Houseboat , because we loved the traditional look of the Tharas houseboat, living area is more comfortable, especially sunbed is the most relaxing moments gives, the room was nice and clean the crew members were more friendly,they were served delicious food for us , thank you so much for a wonderful stay,we highly recommend this houseboat Tharas houseboat ,thank you the crew members.

nil

We had a beautiful time with our family on the thara's houseboat. The staff were kind and friendly, the food was tasty, and the whole trip was peaceful and relaxing. Everything was well arranged and we really enjoyed the backwater experience together. Thank you for making good memories for our family. Highly recommended! Thanks so much 🙏🏻

Das traditionelle Boot

Amazing experience! The staff absolutely made it. They were so kind and helpful. Food was delicious.

Great crew. The houseboat is comfortable and very clean. Liked that you could sit on the top or inside on comfortable chairs. Our room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The food was delicious. We had nights and it was a relaxing trip - would do it again

Beautiful boat with lovely, helpful hosts. Really delicious food with amazing views. Super relaxing- we loved it!

We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 nights on the houseboat. The staff were brilliant and really friendly. The food was excellent and there was a lot of it. Such a relaxing way to spend time taking in the local scenery. We also really enjoyed the bird spotting plus the evening walk discovering the local plants.

Schönes traditionelles Boot. Nur 2 Zimmer und daher individuell. Sehr gutes Essen - wir waren 1 Nacht zusammen mit einem Paar das 2 Nächte blieb und sind daher die Südroute gefahren und haben am südlichsten Punkt um 09.00 nach dem Frühstück das Schiff verlassen - daher durch sehr schöne Landschaften gefahren wo auch weniger los war.

Kommunikation im Vorfeld: uns wurde nicht gesagt dass wir nicht Ausgangspunkt zurückkehren. Personal sehr freundlich und nett aber nicht sehr kommunikativ. Haben vor allem auf Nachfrage hin erzählt/ erklärt

Varen

Kamer boot heel slechte onderhoud..Remote airconditioning is weggehaald uit de kamer.

This authentic style houseboat has two double rooms but we were the only guests. A very good cook preparing fabulous food for us. What a relaxing way is this to experience the backwaters.

Airconditioning can only be used when the boat is connected to the mainland. But the small bedroom cools down fast so comfortable to sleep.

The food was fabulous, the trip was interesting, down smaller canals & larger lakes. The staff were lovely. Luckily we had a great couple of lads also staying on the boat & we had a really good laugh with them.

The boat was quite tired looking, which for the price I was quite surprised at. It wasn't that clean really either & our bathroom was quite dark, grimy & tired. Overall we enjoyed our stay but that was really because of the other guests on the boat who were a good laugh

Chef was nice, food was okay

Pictures are misleading - there are multiple boats with same furniture - at least one of them is decayed! No WiFi; No AC until landed; Captain is an alcoholic (2 bottles of wine only within a few hours next to his seat); Shower door broken and opens automatically all the time; Broken mosquito net in bathroom; No kitchen for guests (it is only used by the staff to prepare meals); “Room service” does not exist; Payment in cash only and in advance in front of other people; floor is dirty (not maintained for years, a lot of old spots on carpets); rate per night is much to high for this level of quality; dirty water from shower (boat staff told us that there is a tank - surprise - there wasn’t one!); Staff was burning plastic trash when landed directly next to the boat (stinks as hell) Come on guys… Felt a bit like a scam!

It’s just beautiful and exactly what you want for an original experience. There are only 2 double bedrooms so unlike other houseboats this felt private and personal. They restore the boat every year and you can tell as it is perfect but with an old world charm. The captain and chef/butler were fantastic. Welcome drinks and fresh tea and coffee. Amazing lunch breakfast, dinner and snacks. Chef is an amazing cook and they made us feel so comfortable. This was exactly what I hoped for when looking for a houseboat and more. 100/100.

Nothing - they may benefit from having a mat or towel in the bathroom but that’s just my preference.

The food was amazing - 3 of the best meals we had in our 2 weeks in India cooked by Benedict, plus afternoon tea with banana fritters. The bedroom and front deck were very comfortable, with extremely effective aircon in the bedroom, so we elected to remain relaxing on the houseboat rather than take a local boat offering a trip into the smaller channels, but this is an option so take a little extra cash. The experience of cruising the backwaters with the scenery and wildlife was exactly what we needed after 2 weeks of hectic travelling around and we could have happily stayed longer with the captain Jos pointing out local wildlife and flora, if we’d had the time. Communication the night before was sufficient, as google maps and uber get you precisely to their office (AKA Oscar Cruises).

Nil.

Un allotjament molt acollidor pels canals de Allepey. Tot molt net i cuidat i molt bon menjar.

Breakfast was very delicios, appam and vegitable stew is exelent and pinapple juice and vegitable soup also very good and healthy, shef benedict and captain jos also very corporateing crew persons, boat is very clean and hygine, this was a wonder full trip

Excellent it was an excellent cruise.Banadic,jose and Paul were a great team. We had a great time and food was excellent as well .They want beyond to provide a great service and special thanks Mr.David he is a super man 👨

This is a unique and beautiful experience! Very relaxing and peaceful. The crew were the best part, they made our trip incredible. We highly recommend this trip- we did the 3 day adventure, it was wonderful.

Everything perfect

The house manager Mr David welcomed us and introduced us to the three people who would be taking care of us during our stay:Captain Jose ,Chef Regi,Driver:shaji we were welcomed with fresh coconut water. The three of them made us feel at home right away. We started sailing the peaceful backwaters right away. Captain jose began explaining the surroundings as we moved through the water. From the kitchen, we could already smell the delicious smell of our lunch being prepared by Chef Regi. Soon,shaji served us a generous and flavorful Kerala-style lunch that included: Prawn roast,Fish fry,Sambar,Thoran with long beans and bitter gourd fry,Curd and pineapple curry,Salad,Papadum The food was outstanding. The highlight for me was the curd and pineapple curry. It had the most perfect balance of sweet and savory. Every dish was cooked with care and truly reflected the local flavors.We then enjoyed sailing through the stunning backwaters.. Later, we rested while taking in the serene views. In the We docked around 5:30 in the evening. Although it was raining, we stepped out for a little while and then came back to the houseboat to relax.Dinner was another feast prepared by Chef Regi. It included fish fry, fish curry both spicy and non spicy), dal fry, paneer tikka masala, rice, chapati,, which was cooked super spicy just the way we liked it. It was absolutely fantastic. Meanwhile, breakfast was being prepared and included poori, aloo, toast, fresh fruit, watermelon juice, tea, and coffee. Everything was fresh and delicious.When it was time to leave, we felt genuinely sad. We had been treated with such warmth, respect, and hospitality. We absolutely loved it. Cannot wait to come back. Thank you Captain jose Chef Regi,shaji , and the entire THARA’s team.

We had the absolute best time with Jos, Sanu, and Benedict on our boat trip. They are lovely guys, who looked after us so, so well. The quality of the food was outstanding. We could not believe that Benedict was able to prepare such incredible dishes in a little boat kitchen! He’s a phenomenal cook, and (we were delighted to discover) also an excellent singer, particularly of sacred music. Jos was a charming captain and happy to chat to us about the local area, and Sanu was great company as well as keeping the boat in excellent shape. We loved our church and temple visits, and swimming in the backwaters. We saw countless beautiful birds and flying foxes, as well as amazing fireflies. Facilities were as you would expect on a boat: basic, but functional and mostly clean, and the traditional boat design is beautiful. We chose this company because we didn’t want TVs or stupid hotel things you can get on land. We were happy to get away from all of that. Considering the quality of the food we had on board, this trip was excellent value for money.

We didn’t dislike anything. When we were doing our research, we read all the previous guests’ reviews and noted that one person complained and rated the experience badly because the itinerary didn’t include enough tourist activities and the moorings weren’t in exciting locations. We might have felt similarly underwhelmed by the itinerary if we hadn’t taken the initiative to get off the boat and find out what was nearby ourselves… (we’d still have given the trip an excellent overall rating because the company, food, and boat were so fab and just being in the backwaters is itself amazing). We’re used to doing our own thing, but even so, a bit more of a prepared spiel on the locations would probably have been handy. So, we would perhaps only suggest that the team give guests a little bit more information about where they can get to from each of the stops, to make the trip feel a bit more packed with activities. Thakazhy Sree Dharma Sastha Temple was only a short tuk tuk ride from one of the moorings (though we walked for 45 minutes and found it by chance) and really amazing to visit. We’d probably have taken the extra canal trip, if we’d known more about it.

Had an amazing and relaxing stay as a female solo traveler! I was well taken care of and deeply appreciated the serenity of the Alleppey backwaters and Thara’s Houseboat. Benedict was an amazing chef and Jose an amazing captain.

Más que un alojamiento, es una experiencia super recomendable y de lo mejor de nuestro viaje a India. El paisaje, la paz, la tranquilidad y un poquito de charla con la tripulación fueron lo que hicieron la estancia en el barco inolvidable. Si os gustan los pájaros, hay observatorios por el camino 🙂

Hubo un par de cosas mínimas que podrían ser mejorables: El punto de encuentro fue un poco caótico, pese a haberlo hablado previamente. Había un olor muy fuerte, pero entendimos que era por algún producto antimosquitos muy necesario. Dentro de la mesa había bichitos atrapados y el menú era cerrado. Si tenéis restricciones alimentarias o hay algo que no os guste en absoluto, es muy recomendable que lo expreseis tajantemente antes de ir.

The staff were absolutely lovely and took great care of us, the food was fantastic.

The room and boat facilities could have been finished and maintained a little better.

Beautiful weather, a stunning and unique setting, and delicious food – all while you can just sit back and take it all in. What more could you ask for? The staff were friendly, welcoming, and communicated clearly with us. We stayed for one night and thoroughly enjoyed our time. The room and bathroom were clean, and the bed was comfortable. We had amazing meals and we made a quick stop on the way to pick up some beers. We wanted for nothing. They also offered (for an extra fee) a ride on a smaller boat through the narrower canals, which we didn’t do, but it was fascinating to see how people live along the water. Tip: bring mosquito repellent – you’ll definitely need it!

The food! The bedroom! The views!

Nothing

Un house boat molt autèntic i bonic. El personal excel·lent i el menjar bonissim. Ens han cuidar molt.

Exceptional food, very helpful and kind staff, beautiful scenery and cruise

We were told the day before our stay that the payment system was cash. The night stop was at a massage parlour where we got a terrible service in a very dirty environment. The boat was quite dirty.

An exceptional experience aboard these traditional boats in the Kerala backwaters. The experience of immersing ourselves in the heart of nature and discovering wonderful birds is fully respected. There's no frills on these boats, which don't offer TVs, etc., but rather a complete disconnection experience. The crew was truly friendly and professional. They were able to point out every corner and bird in the backwaters, and the culinary experience was more than successful, with fresh and perfectly cooked dishes. The room is very comfortable. We stayed two nights on board, which allowed us to go relatively deep into the backwaters; this seems like the minimum amount of time to fully enjoy the experience. Probably the best houseboats and the best service in the Alleppey backwaters! Thank you for these memories that will remain etched in our memory forever!

Nothing to say

Tharas houseboat experience was really awesome, the food and hospitality was super. We will come again this property

Everything perfect

I really liked the traditional style of the boat, with its rounded features and cute design. The advantage of this size of boat is that it’s able to go down the smaller canals, which the bigger ones can’t. The food was excellent - delicious, traditional Keralan meals (lots of coconut!), and enough food to leave you feeling very satisfied! Meals were interspersed with chai and snacks. The staff were friendly, and were able to answer my questions about Kerala and the backwaters. The main highlight is just relaxing with a beer or a chai, watching the scenery gently pass you by as you wait for that beautiful sunset! Thara the owner was also very accommodating, providing transport to and from the boat and help with any questions we had. I'd recommend him and his team to anyone looking to experience Alleppey from the water

Nothing

Absolute luxury! What a fabulous experience this was, a huge houseboat to ourselves with three staff to look after us. The three piece suite, table and chairs and seating area round the side in the front allowed us to take our meals and/or just chill out watching the world go by. Great bird spotting opportunities. The food was just amazing and our room great too with aircon to keep us cool. We felt like celebrities, a truly wonderful experience. We would definitely recommend this.

Nothing

We had the most wonderful stay with Thara’s houseboats. Once on board we were greeted by the three lovely friendly courteous staff who looked after us throughout our stay. The food they provided for us was absolutely delicious. The rooms were well appointed and very comfortable. The cruising speed was just right to allow us to enjoy the view of daily life along the river banks. When evening fell all the insect nets came down to provide us with a very comfortable outdoor evening room to enjoy the fresh air in.. All in all, it was the most wonderful way to finish our remarkable Indian holiday. Many thanks to Jose , Kannan & David

Very scenic cruise along the canals, taken away from the business and hustle and bustle into calmer areas. Served lovely food and the team are all very accommodating with needs. With air condition and fans in the rooms it’s very nice and the rooms are private for when you want to be alone.

We had an amazing experience in Tharas houseboat, the food and hospitality was too good, great time with houseboat staffs the chef Reji was very talented chef food was so tasty, the room was more comfortable, everyone should experience with Tharas houseboat, money worth it thank you Tharas crew.

Nothing

We stayed for one night in a one bedroom houseboat. The boat itself was lovely, the staff excellent, and the food fantastic. I especially appreciated the company’s service to buy drinks to take on board with you! Not all companies do that. Highly recommend this company to book with. The prices are higher than some others but the service and quality are well worth it.

What a lovely two days we had on Thara's houseboat. Sano and the others really couldn't do enough, a big thank you from us! Joseph the chef produced the most incredible "keralicious" food and was very attentive to our needs. The bed is super comfortable, the boat kept very clean and was very relaxing enjoying the day to day sites of the backwaters. Thank you also to Ambily and Maya in the office helping with all the logistics and booking a very early taxi for us at 5.30am to Cochin airport.

Nothing it was wonderful.We thought we might see a bit more wildlife but overall was great. Just a note when you arrive it states Oscars cruises, which was slightly confusing but they own Thara's!

We loved our stay on Thara's houseboat. The food was incredible. The staff were very attentive. The rooms are beautiful and there is aircon available overnight. I highly recommend this accommodation!

We (two British female backpackers) were struggling to choose which houseboat to stay on, as there are so many options in Allepey - but we are so glad we found Thara’a houseboat! The size of the boat was perfect for the 4 of us onboard. It was a beautiful and comfortable stay, we were impressed by the cleanliness and design of the boat. The host, chef and captain were all super friendly and hospitable. We were grateful for the opportunity in the afternoon to go into a canoe and into the smaller canals - I would recommend paying the extra 500IR to do this. The food was also delicious. Super fresh and they accommodated our vegetarian and vegan requests!

This is a MUST in Kerala. With my husband and a couple of friends, we took a Traditional cruise and spent the night on the boat. It was an unforgettable experience. The landscape is breathtaking, and it's beautiful to see how the scenery changes as you navigate through the wide or narrow canals of the backwaters. We spent one night, but I would have loved to stay another day. In the evening, the boat docks in a place where only we were, creating a peaceful and excellent relaxing atmosphere. The boat was impeccable and comfortable, truly flawless. The food was exquisite, offering a wide variety for those who wanted to try the delights of Kerala cuisine or those who preferred something more international. The staff was very friendly and had excellent communication. Unforgettable!

Plenty of room for four travellers. Very friendly staff and excellent food. A leisurely way to experience the beautiful backwaters

Bathroom could do with an update

We loved with Tharas houseboat stay we were really impressed with their hospitality onboard.They served tasty food during the day ,the rooms and living area was cozy. more comfortable good value for money . night time was aircon in the room, second room had one couple ,we could enjoy together the amazing day.We highly recommend

nothing to say

Such a wonderful experience with Tharas houseboat, the entire crew were give beautiful moments, we could enjoy more the chef Reji was very talented chef he served amazing food for us, seafood dishes more authentic styles we were fear about spicy food but chef Reji prepared medium level spicy food we were very thankful to Reji ,captain Jose and Shaji friendly people , so the beautiful day in Tharas houseboat , everyone should experience Tharas houseboat.

nothing everything was excellent

The staff is very friendly. Everyone was very attentive and helpful with our requests, specially the chef!

Although there was AC, the room felt quite warm and humid at night, making it difficult to sleep. I also felt that the price was a bit high considering the facilities, especially the rooms, on the houseboat.

This was the boat trip of my dreams. A gorgeous boat with every facility you could wish for. The captain jise and cook reji were always on hand to offer what ever you required but at the same time never overbearing. The meals were utterly delicious and cooked fresh all day everyday by Jose. The constant beauty of the backwaters navigated by shaji, the captain

Staying on Thara’s houseboat was one of the highlights of our trip in India. The food was amazing on the boat and all home cooked by the chef who stays on board. The staff were so lovely, it really was such a relaxing and tranquil experience.

We loved everything about our stay on Thara’s boat. The only thing to note is that there is a part of the backwaters the bigger boats can’t get down and so you have the option to go on a little boat for an additional cost. I would have preferred this to be included in the overall cost however there was no pressure on us to take the smaller boat, it was our choice.

We had a wonderful stay on the houseboat. The crew of three – the captain, the assistant and the cook – was warm, professional and always attentive to our needs. They made us feel very well taken care of throughout the entire trip. A special mention goes to the cook, who truly made the experience unforgettable. He prepared three delicious meals a day, full of local flavors, and even took us to a fish market where we picked fresh fish that he later cooked to perfection on board. He was not only an excellent chef but also genuinely caring, always making sure we were happy and comfortable. We also loved being taken into quieter parts of the backwaters, far away from the busy routes – peaceful, scenic, and relaxing. The room itself was small (limited space on board) but enoguh to spend 1-2 nights. Equipped with a shower, toilet and AC. All in all, an amazing and authentic experience that we’d happily do again!

The interior is a bit worn and could need some attention. Also, the mattress cover on the sun deck should be cleaned soon.

Everything. Traditional houseboat with lovely rooms, comfortable beds, air conditioning, working shower, dining room and comfortable seating areas. Leisurely cruise down the river with some optional stops. The food cooked by the chef was incredible. I was very well catered for as a vegetarian, as were my meat eating boat mates. The crew were lovely and I felt very comfortable as a solo traveller.

I liked everything

The boat was lovely felt authentic and was comfortable. The crew were exceptional, friendly, attentive, ready to please and just really nice. The captain was great, chatting about cricket- let me steer!! The cook worked so hard to produce really delicious food and plenty of it. Some snacks at tea time - no joke in that kitchen when it’s 35c! Overall the crew made a nice boat and setting really special, they’re the memories I’ll hold onto.

The shower was a bit old but frankly - get over it, first world problems… the good massively outweighs any little niggles.

Friendly staff, excellent fresh food, relaxing experience with the tour around backwaters. Made friends with a couple who shared the boat with us, and it became one of the highlights of our trip in India.

The shower didn’t work well and the door got stuck at one point. The bathroom facilities could be improved.

I’d highly recommend a trip on Thara’s Houseboat to anyone who is looking for a relaxing tour of the stunning Alleppey backwaters. The boat and the staff were lovely and so helpful, particularly the chef Rejikumar, who was a delight to speak with and whose cooking was fantastic (I’d love the recipe of the prawn roast!). We had a great time and were lucky to be paired with a really lovely couple.

The air conditioning in the rooms could have been turned on a little earlier so we could freshen up, but that was only a very minor issue.

Everything was great! Such a friendly welcoming, the room was lovely and the food was delicious! Such a peaceful trip on the backwaters and given time to have a wander if we wanted to. We shared with another couple but there was plenty of space for all to relax!

Not a dislike but check in was a little confusing as you get picked up by tuk tuk from a different location and taken to the boat due to the narrow paths.. Just a heads up!

As a houseboat, this was a GREAT experience!! We got stuck in traffic going from Cochin to Alleppy and they were very flexible with coordinating a pick up time with us. The staff were all very kind, accommodating, and clearly experts at everything they did! It's a smaller houseboat on the water compared to some of the huge ones but I found this perfect and preferable. The views were amazing and the experience just feels very unique. The meals - wow - every meal was incredible and such a great culinary experience. When we docked for the night, we had time to walk around the little town. The rooms were houseboat rooms but we found them comfortable nonetheless. Another couple booked the other room and it was great to get to know them!

Bring bug spray for the mosquitos in the evening!

Beautiful boat inside and out. We were luck enough to have the boat to ourselves. Three crew on board including the chef and captain. The boat can't go on the small canals so we were up sold an hour trip on a small boat which was fun to do and interesting to see life going on. The boat headed South before turning back North and an overnight stop. The lunch and dinner were super as was the breakfast the following morning. We got up early to enjoy the sunrise before a short trip back to Alleppey.

Not much to dislike... after a few weeks backpacking we were hoping for a peaceful night away from roads and noisy cars and horns. The captain promised a quiet night. Unfortunately we didn't get one. We moored near a road and could hear horns and the temple across the water was playing loud music until late and started again early in morning.. oh well, that's India!

It was obvious that we would be alone on this boat. We had booked a one-bedroom boat. We were actually put in a 2-bedroom boat with another couple sharing. Which we were never told. The boat was far below what the photos show. The cleanliness was not up to scratch, especially in our bathroom. The food was the worst we've had in Kerala and again the cleanliness was very basic. Disappointed.

The most wonderful experience Beautiful food, excellent service We could not have wished for more on this Exceptional Rice boat 2 days is ideal

Nothing, everything was perfect

It's a particularly nice boat, with great staff and really excellent meals. A nice relaxing trip through the Backwaters with a lovely quiet overnight mooring. We had great boat-mates and we wish we could have done another day.

Everything was taken care of. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Best fish meal we have had so far on this trip.

Nothing

The boat was a lovely traditional style boat but with good modern fittings as in the bed, bathroom with shower and dining facilities. Air conditioning is available overnight to allow good sleeping conditions and during the day there are comfortable seating etc for relaxing while cruising. The views were lovely with much bird life and local villagers going about their business. Short walker were also an option after mooring up in the late afternoon.

It is worth noting that the payment for the boat is required in cash before starting the cruise which may create delays if anyone doesn't have enough cash with them. Otherwise any downsides are out of the control of the boat crew. Some of the waterways, like the rest of India are not as clean as might be expected and unfortunately the overnight electrical connection for the AC, which does tend to be a bit tenuous, failed one night, leading to a very hot experience.

We highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to explore the beauty of Alleppey, also known as the Venice of the East. We can’t wait to return backwaters once again in Thara's houseboat, the food was delicious, the crew members were friendly and we had a wonderful experience with them. We highly recommend this Thara's houseboat.

Nothing

Relaxing cruise, traditional looking yet clean. Liked the smaller size (2 cabins only)

Staff on the boat was very professional and supportive.

There was an unwelcoming greeting by the land based staff/admin. We arrived after an exhaustive 5-hour road trip and a very stressful search for the boat's hidden location. Any human being would have given us at least a few minutes of rest but not this merciless female admin assistant. She was very pushy and demanded filling out immediately a complex form and showing the cash. This bad experience overshadowed to some degree the rest of the boat trip.

We loved our stay on the boat and the peaceful trip on the backwaters. We were really impressed with the staff and their hospitality and the cleanliness onboard. Super tasty, fresh meals were served throughout the day and breakfast the following morning. We couldn’t fault our stay, was impeccable.thank you so much ❤️

Great experience. Their hospitality is next level! From warm welcome to their enthusiasm to provide top class service to their guests is something I have never experienced before. David from our crew member and kannan who helped us during check in and check out were great! They ensured we had everything we need to have a great experience. Definitely recommend this to friends and family!

Breakfast has been a choice for indian and confidential material

We loved everything 💜 ❤️

Superb rice barge cruise. Traditional boat with all amenities. Crew prepare home cooked food while cruising the interesting backwaters around Alleppey

The food was some of the best we had in Kerala - so fresh and flavoursome!

Nothing

The houseboat is just beautiful and we moored at a very quiet peaceful village. The cruise back in the early morning was magical. Crew were so friendly and helpful. Opportunities for side trip on a small boat and a village massage added interest too.

Not much! Food waa delicious but could have been spicier for my taste.

It was a traditional houseboat. Beautifully made and kept. The food was exceptional too. Overall a great experience.

It was nice experience in Tharas houseboat the staff was very friendly, food was amazing overall our trip was very beautiful so everyone try it . Thank you so much Tharas team.

No negative comments

The staff were very flexible on the timing of meals. The food was as indicated on their website. The quality and quantity of food provided was greater than we expected. We booked for 2 nights, and asked to see a Hindu temple. This made for quite a long journey, a big loop round the backwaters, but they took our request on, and we were able to visit the Sree Krishna Temple, for which they arranged a tuk tuk to come to our mooring. Our houseboat had 2 bedrooms, and on our second night the couple staying in the other room included a man originally from Kerala who was able to talk to the tuk tuk driver and arranged for us to visit a liquor store to get some white wine on the way back from the temple.

It was unfortunate that the AC in our bedroom was only available when the houseboat was moored at one of the overnight stopping points. The weather in January in Kerala was still quite hot, and we would have liked somewhere cool to go to.

A very pleasant on a nice, clean, tidy, comfortable boat. Lots of water handed out, superb food, nice attention to detail, lots to see. All very relaxing. Looking at the other boats it was obvious we had chosen well. It was fascinating to watch the birds and people. There are only four guests with three people looking after you.

It was busier than we expected and the waterways were quite wide but this reflects on what all of the boats were doing no criticism of this boat.

I stayed for one night in Thara’s Houseboat (Oscar VII). The boat is very nice and clean. There are 2 rooms so was with another couple. The meals are delicious and plenty of food. Fresh local seafood for lunch and dinner. And some local Kerala dishes. The staff are very kind and make sure you are looked after. The rooms are nice with a fab and ac at night. The heath room was clean with a nice shower. We travelled through the backwaters and made a stop near a church to get out and walk around and then again where we docked for the night we could get out and walk around the area. Overall a fantastic experience on this boat and the people. Highly recommend.

Everything was awesome.

Nothing to dislike.

Food was good. Staff were friendly. Very relaxing and scenic

Clearer communication upfront in terms of location, itinerary and cash payment would've made things easier

Lovely staff, scenic location and clean accommodation. Food was excellent

Lack of activities on offer and moored in one place from 5.30pm till following morning when motored straight back and prompt checkout at 9am. Mosquitoes more of a problem than anticipated

The boat was clean and comfortable, food was fantastic and the views were great. After reading bad review online about houseboats in general we were worried but tharas has great reviews and rightly so. We wish we knew they did longer trips as we would have stayed onboard for longer!

Thara's houseboat was exceptional. The 3 staff did everything to make our stay memorable. The chef went out of his way to cater for our vegan members and the food was outstanding. The guide had great knowledge of the area.

Showers could have been warmer.

We loved our 2 night cruise on Thara’s Houseboat. There are only 2 cabins on the houseboat and 3 staff on board, so it felt a really intimate, private experience on a beautiful wooden heritage boat. The food was incredible, some gorgeous fish and vegetarian dishes and tasty afternoon snacks. We had a relaxing and peaceful 2 day cruise around the Kerala backwaters and then we were dropped back off in Alleppey. The boat was stunning and a really cool experience - we would definitely recommend this boat over one of the bigger, more commercial houseboats. Special thanks to Saji (chef on night 1), Roy (chef on night 2), Sanu and Jayabalan for making our stay so special. The staff were all amazing and wanted the guests to enjoy their stays.

Friendly staff. Clean room. Very good food (with vegan options).

Long time periods in which the boat was anchored ashore and not moving much - which was the whole point to book the boat (to be moving on the water…)

Staying at Taras Houseboat in Alleppey was an incredible experience! The boat was beautifully maintained, with clean and comfortable interiors, and the views of the backwaters were absolutely stunning. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed, including delicious freshly prepared meals. It was the perfect way to relax and enjoy the serene beauty of Kerala. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Alleppey!

We had the most delightful overnight stay onboard Thara’s Houseboat. It is beautifully maintained and very comfortable. The food prepared and served by Sargee, who is passionate about his craft, was delectable and the two boatmen, Raju and Jaypal quiet and competent. Our hosts, David & Ambly, who took care of the administration, were very friendly. Not only was Sargee our cook but he also took us on a lovely late afternoon walk along one of the smaller canals describing the plants and their medicinal or culinary benefits something for which he is also passionate. Overall it was a wonderful trip and one we are so glad we didn’t miss.