Muhamma is blessed with pastoral beauty, both on land and water. The abundant flora and fauna gives you a uniquely immersive experience. The centrepiece is naturally the vast expanses of the backwaters, which is largely undisturbed and is power-packed by an ecological biodiversity that never ceases to amaze even the seasoned native. The backwaters itself is home to a variety of marine life and diversity. So you can catch a wide variety of fish, including the famed Pearl Spot, crabs, lobsters, prawns, shell fish, and mussels. What more could we ask for a more contented life!
The Chinese Fishing Net
This is a must-do. No houseboat stay is complete without this priceless experience. So, we take you in a boat to the Chinese Net at specific times of the day or night and you could catch the fish yourself. Fishing is a deeply contemplative experience, made doubly so when you do it yourself. What is more, the fish you catch will be delectably cooked or fried free for you — it was your catch! We will have real-time photo-ops and you might just want to show off your newly acquired fishing skills to the world on Instagram or Telegram or the old-fashioned Facebook!
A Walk to the Island of Pathiramanal
Pathiramanal, literally ‘Sands of Night’ (Pathira in Malayalam means ‘midnight’ and manal sand) is an exquisite island situated in the famed *Vembanad Lake. It’s one of our favourite pit stops during our houseboat cruise — one that you will cherish in particular. About 1.5 km from Muhamma Boat Jetty and about 13 km from Alappuzha, this small island, spread over 80 acres of sylvan forest, is a haven for thousands of rare migratory birds, some of whom make their annual pilgrimage all the way from Africa. Pathiramanal is accessible only by boat.
Conservationists estimate that the island has over 90 local species of birds and close to 50 migratory species. For the avid avian connoisseur, it’s a rare fortune. So there are Cormorants, Little Cormorant, Common Teal, Whiskered Tern, Indian Shag, Whistling Duck, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Bronze-winged Jacanas, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pintail Ducks, Darter, and Cotton Pygmy-Goose for a spectacular avian kaleidoscopic view.
*Vembanad Lake, also known as Punnamada Kayal (lake), is the longest lake in India and is the largest of its kind in Kerala. Spread across an area of 2033 sq km with a length of 96.5 km, it is the second-largest Ramsar site in India after the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
Barbecue
We craft and curate special barbecue events just for your special day or special one, either on board or on shore at our docking area, which is a fully developed space owned by TBC. There’s nothing more magical than a barbecue under the open sky studded with a million stars. The quietude and the ambience, enhanced by your choice of music, is an experience that cannot but leave you touched and transformed. It’s more than a barbecue.
Swimming Pool
For those inclined to enjoy a spot of swimming, we have an Olympic-sized pool in our property where we dock our houseboat. A pool-side experience on the backwaters is a magical takeaway you cannot turn away from. You could laze around or splash around in the pool amidst settings that might seem somewhat straight out of a piece of abstract painting. Food and drinks of course shall punctuate your carousal at the pool.
Clam Shelling
Clam shells are usually hand-pulled from offshore dredges by aquaculturalists. You can take in the scenic views of fleets of boats collecting clams while we explain to you the process of collecting and processing the molluscs that would soon become delicacies on your table on board.
Sunrise and Sunset
To top off your sojourn at TBC, experience the beauty of the sunset and sunrise from the boat. It is nothing short of an ethereal and deeply impressionistic experience — the gently shimmering waters meeting the kaleidoscope of spectral colours that the horizons become. The solitude of those mesmeric moments awaken our unconscious, helping us to reconnect with the vitals of life. Come to TBC for that enlightening experience.
