Houseboat in Kerala

Rent a houseboat through Spice Coast Cruises, operated out of the Casino Hotel in Cochin (91-484-266-8221; www.cghearth.com). A one-bedroom boat is $190 per day, all-inclusive.

Think of it as your own mobile island. From aboard this houseboat, the scenery along the lushly lined backwaters of Kerala shifts and changes as you drift by at the leisurely pace of five miles an hour. Plying the region's intricate web of rivers, lagoons, canals, and lakes by kettuvallam, a traditional Keralan punt, is the best way to glimpse village life in this captivating South Indian state, once a key trading hub for merchants from around the world. Constructed from jackfruit-wood beams, these slender vessels have for centuries been the primary means of transporting cargo—mainly Kerala's staple crops of rice and coconuts—and, in more recent times, sightseers. The motorized kettuvallam you see passing by is retrofitted with a comfortable bedroom and a modern bathroom, like yours, and comes with a small crew that includes a chef. Waterfront dining, in this case, requires no advance reservations.