Take a Luxury Hotel Boat Holiday with Bywater Holiday Cruises!

KERALA & KARNATAKA

Both boats have been designed and built to a high standard. They are both 71ft long and have a beam width of 6’11ft and are as long and wide as they can be and still travel the majority of canals. The internal fitting was done in such a way as to maximize the internal width and both boats have a spacious 6’6’’ which with large windows give a fresh and airy feel inside. Both boats sleep up to four guests and two crew in what we feel is the greatest comfort the dimensions allow.

The Well-Decks - Each boat has an open well deck at the fore end, with views ahead as we travel. There is room for four guests to sit comfortably and there are cushions available to sit on.

The Lounges - Both boats have lounges with large viewing windows, which finish just above the waterline, designed to allow guests to see the views whilst sitting indoors. The seating has thick cushions and angled backs for greater comfort and there is ample seating on each boat for all guests. The flooring in the communal areas is beautiful hardwood parquet which is easily swept and cleaned each morning as part of the chambermaiding. There is a small library across the boats and a collection of board games and cards for the quieter evenings.

The Dining – Kerala’s lounge has a removable table which is taken up and down for meals or if guests would like to use it. It can seat up to 8 guests with ample elbow room and where there are no fixed seats we have folding dining chairs with comfortable cushion pads to avoid a numb bum. These stow out of the way for when they are not in use.

The Bar - On Karnataka there is a bar and fridge with a varied range of refreshments to whet your appetite. You will find English bottled ales, continental lagers and a wide selection of spirits, some more unusual than others. There is also, usually, a bottle of Hanna’s homemade Damson or Sloe gin. If you have a particular tipple please just let us know and we will happily ensure we have some in stock.

Crossing between boats – Each well deck has step boxes and handles which enable easier access when stepping between or on or off the boats. Whenever possible we moor ‘breasted up’ with the boats side by side and there is a crossing between the corridors with a canopy cover for those wetter days.

Your single cabin - Each boat has two single cabins. These are fitted in a high/low arrangement, where the feet of one persons bunk reach under the feet of the other, whilst retaining a completely separate cabin. The ‘low’ bunks are at normal seat height, about 16” from the floor and have the advantage for people with limited mobility. The ‘high’ bunks are 3 feet high and allow you to see the view out of the window whilst you lie in bed, making those afternoon siestas all the more enjoyable.

Your double or twin cabin - Karnataka has a full width double cabin with crossway king size bed. Kerala has a full width cabin which sleeps two in a convertible twin or double arrangement providing either two bunks of 2’3 width which run lengthways at a low level or a crossways double with 4’6” width, also at a low level.

All our cabins have full ensuite facilities with your own shower, toilet and wash basin with hot and cold water, mirror cabinet and large sliding window. Each cabin has thick woollen carpet underfoot and there are drawers for clothing as well as hanging space and hooks in useful places for coats or bags. Each cabin has a 240v socket for charging small items like phones or camera batteries, however this supply is limited and we regret the use of higher wattage items such as hairdryers is not possible. We do have a hair dryer, which is suitable for use on board. Cabins are chambermaided daily.

We are proud to say that our cabins are spacious by hotelboat standards and offer ample storage for your belongings, however they are still bijou so a collapsible case or bag will leave you more room than a large suitcase, (although there is space for bags up to 12” deep under the beds) and wheels always come in handy, especially if using public transport.

Although officially a fully ensuite hotel boat we do have what is normally a crew cabin which can be made available to guests should we have no other cabins remaining for certain cruises. It has all the comfort of a single guest cabin and has access to the bathroom which is just next door, This communal bathroom is available for the use by any guest but is, of course, predominantly for the use of the crew.

YOUR BED – All our single beds are a very comfortable 2’5” wide (compared to the usual 2” of a narrowboat bunk) and our double and king size beds are domestic standard sizes. All the beds are 6’6” long. We use thick foam mattresses with memory foam toppers on all the beds (except the king size which is a high quality pocket sprung mattress with cotton padding) and have received many comments on how comfortable the beds are from guests. We provide duvets which are 85% down and 15% feather (although we do have hollowfibre duvets on board should you be allergic) with one feather pillow and one hollowfibre so you can choose which you prefer. All our waffle linen and sheets are 100% cotton as are the hand and bath towels we provide. (We regret we are unable to offer a change of towels or bed linen mid cruise as standard, due to limited space on board, however should you require these, please just ask.)

HEATING - Both boats have central heating with a radiator in each cabin for those chillier mornings and both lounges have wood burning stoves which are lit, should the weather take a turn. These also supply heat to radiators further down the boat to spread the warmth and help ensure the lounges don’t get too warm.

THE ENGINE - The engine room on Kerala is home to our Vintage Dorman 3LB. With 48hp she is more than capable of traveling the canal network with butty in tow. It can only be accessed from the side hatches and has been fitted so as to minimize vibrations and noise through the rest of the boat with extra sound proofing on a steel bulkhead between the twin/double cabin.

At the stern of each boat are the crew cabins which are entered from the stern.

Our hotelboat cruise schedule