The Kettuvallam has been so much a part of Kerala's culture and heritage for years. Although it faced a period of decline with the advent of surface transport it has now come back to the scene as tourist attraction, it is a space adapted for the present, from the past to be used in the future and it plays a significant role in the social and economic aspects of the life e of the people of Kerala. The slow moving Kettuvallam splitting the serene backwaters flanked by greenery provide an enchanting experience to any visitor. Floating in these backwaters in a country craft Kettuvallam to explore the unusual representation of Kerala through the intricate maze of canals conjures up a surreal existence devoid of any time sense.

The houseboats of today - huge, slow moving, exotic barge used for leisure trips - are the reworked Kettuvallams of olden times. The original Kettuvallams were used to carry tones of rice and spices - a standard Kettuvallam can hold up to 30 tones - from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. The Kettuvallam or ‘boat with knots’- was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a Kettuvallam can last for generations. A portion of the Kettuvallam was covered with bamboo and coir to serve as a restroom and kitchen for the crew. Meals would be cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. Today, the tradition is still continued and the food from the local cuisine is served by the Kuttanad localities, on board. When the modern trucks replaced this system of transport, some one found a new way that would keep these boats, almost all of which were more than 100 years old, in the market. By constructing special rooms to accommodate travelers, these boats cruised forward from near- extinction to enjoy their present great popularity. Now these are a familiar sight on the backwaters and in Alleppey alone, there are as many as 120 houseboats. While converting Kettuvallams into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds. For lighting though, solar panels are used.