Review of Nova Holidays Houseboat
Reviews from our community
68 reviews
27 hotel reviews
73 helpful votes
Backwater Houseboat ride was a 'must do' on our list while traveling to Kerala. We did quite a lot of research on Trip Advisor and Google since we had heard/read from a lot of people that they get unpleasant surprises when they actually see the boat they have rented.
Eventually we settles on a 1 BHK houseboat from Nova for 10K (definitely wasn't worth 10K) a night called 'Tamara' means 'Lotus'. We reached the destination at 12 PM and the agent from Nova led us to the houseboat. To reach the boat you have to ferry across the river with all your luggage etc. Once we reached the houseboat, the captain and the chef of the houseboat greeted us and showed us around the boat. Few things we learnt and probably everyone who books a boat should know:
1. The beginning of the journey is the worst part - its kicks off from a small lake which is dirty and stinks, but its gets better once the boat moves to the bigger lake
2. Nova doesn't have their own boats. They are all hired/rental boats
3. Food was just average. Non-Vegetarians - Call in advance if you want some fish or other protein that you want cooked. However the chef isn't very great so might be disappointed anyways
4. There is a kitchen on-board, so you can cook yourself or get basic stuff from the kitchen
5. Air-condition isn't switched on during the day since the boat itself doesnt have that much power generation capacity, I think. Its only when they park the boat in the evening and plug in some wires in the electrical posts, that they actually start the A/C and even then they will only handover the remote to you at 9PM and will switch it off at 6:30 in the morning
6. Get up early to enjoy some fresh air and a lovely ride back, since if you sleep till 8-9 in the morning you will miss everything and they will off-board you at sharp 9AM.
7. Overall the staff was no-nonsense and didnt bug us much. Although they did casually mention that they get tips from people and will go the extra mile if you pay them
8. Bring your own booze
9. The bedroom was just average and there weren't a lot of toiletries so ensure you carry your own stuff and best to carry your own towel
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If you are staying in a three star back water resort
INR 5000/ or more for a floating cottage or lake/backwater view room
Lunch INR 200 x 2 person 400
Dinner INR 200 x 2 person 400
Breakfast 100 x 2 person 200
Back water tour in a boat 1000 x 6 hours 6000
So total INR 12000/ + 21% tax
Also you need to pay for each and everything like tea, snacks, milk for baby and drinking water etc......
Thanks for the information that Nova doesn?t have own boats
Nova Own only three boats but our daily requirements more so All other houseboat which i operating is under lease/rental for 11 month agreement after the period if the boat is not up to mark we used to change the boat
We used to provide both veg and non veg as per the guest requirement , Please don?t expect a multi cuisine restaurant in the houseboat we are serving fixed menu of Kerala traditional meal only
No need to do quite a lot of research on Trip Advisor and Google . At least if you read our website you can simply understand the a/c timing from 9:00 pm to 6;00 am only. If guest require full time a/c need to pay extra for that
About the staff even if they working in a 5 star hotel also they will expect tip i don?t think its a bad habit and nobody can stop them from there expectations
we used to keep our houseboat much more traditional and simple may be you don?t feel luxury in our houseboat any way rice boats(houseboats) are a traditional concept only
About toiletries we used to provide , two soaps, two bath towel and toilet roll if you want anything more please you may carry yourself
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
Our host picked my wife and I up from Airport, promptly took us to one of their home stay properties to freshen up whilst boat was made ready....we were slightly early. Don't be put off by the busy boat station....believe me it gets better. We were blessed with a single bedroom boat - four poster bed with a drop down mosquito net (that we used but transpired we did not need) - acceptable toilet facilities (we are in India). Boat Pilot and a Mate were courteous an obliging.....his cooking was to die for. Delightful local breakfast, lunch and dinners....our tastes discussed and accommodated (again...remember you are in South India). We stayed for two night and both were great, totally safe, totally quiet and totally private.
Once we had left Alleppey the boats spread out and we settled down talking to our Pilot who guided us through the local landscape, flora, fauna and locals. At times we enjoyed the privacy of an upper deck seating area where we sat watching the world go by.....Kingfishers, Duck farms and their shepherds, Rice fields and their management, locals doing their washing and getting from A to B. Honestly it was great and in our opinion a must do. Just remember where you are......we moved on to a beach resort after and listened to a couple of people harping on about their boat experiences......you are coming to India....you had better enjoy Indian food, doesn't have to blow you head off....also the sanitary facilities are different but when in Rome do what the Romans do....we did and are none the worse for wear!
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2 reviews
3 helpful votes
I was in Allepey during last week of September 2015 along with my family. The owner and the staff are very friendly and are available for anything you need. Whenever I visit Alleppy the next time, I would definitely be staying here.
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2 reviews We are a family of 4. Rented a 1 BR boat with Nova. Mr. Eldhose was very courteous and responsive to our queries. The boat was clean and well maintained and the staff on board were very friendly. They took a lot of effort to ensure that our stay was memorable. My son wanted a paneer dish for dinner. The cook spontaneously boiled some milk and curdled it to make fresh paneer. Servings were large and the food was tasty. Per our request, they arranged for a small boat ride along narrow canals where we could observe villagers go about their daily routines. All in all, it was an unforgettable trip. The glass covered boat kept mosquitoes and bugs at bay although house flies were a little bit of a bother. Would definitely recommend Nova boats!
2 reviews This has been an amazing couple of days. The waterways are beautiful and also enlightening, giving a fantastic insight into life beside the water for the local people. The scenery is breathtaking and almost every person you pass will wave and greet you. The organisation by the owner Eldos was spot on, and he accommodates every request where possible including our request for some beer to have with our meals. When on board, the boat is well equipped and comfortable, and the captain and chef were both really pleasant and helpful. They provide exemplary service, and the food and refreshments were both plentiful and delicious. Every meal was beautifully presented, explained in great detail, and every dish was a delight. We would strongly recommend this trip, and fail to understand how anyone could find fault with this booking at all. Finally Eldos arranged a full onward booking for travel to our next destination which was both reliable and worry free for us.
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19 reviews
11 hotel reviews
14 helpful votes
I travelled on this houseboat a few days ago with my mother and brother and we stay for one night. It was one of our most enjoyable experiences on our trip to Kerala.The boat itself was the best one we saw and compared to some of the houseboats we viewed it was real luxury! The AC bedrooms were clean and tidy as were the bathrooms. The staff were very polite and went out of their way to make our trip special. The captain took us away from the crowds and the more frequented houseboat routes to stunningly beautiful, quiet waterways where we could truly enjoy the scenery around us. We had a couple of dietary requirements and the chef accommodated these without a problem,the food provided was plentiful and honestly some of the best we had tried in Kerala! At the end of the trip Eldhose the manager organised transport to our next destination which was very helpful.
Would recommend this trip to anyone visiting Kerala in the future :)
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9 reviews
6 hotel reviews
2 helpful votes
this was my 1st and last stay in a houseboat. it was really the only bad experience and decision of my kerala trip. bathrooms were in bad shape with exhaust not working. boat was dock in a remote place at night from where you can not move back. there was no uniform for the captain. after refusing for the massage at the very clumsy place boat has taken us..... captain started behaving very awkwardly.... altogether a very bad experience...
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Before booking a property people used to read review like you but after the stay if they are happy they wont write any review if not happy definitely write like this in my past 5 years i managed thousands of guests but i have only one terrible review i feel proud about this because last five years he is the first unhappy guest from my houseboat
