Nov 05, 2010 10:19 PM
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We plan for a yearly trip to kumarakom for stay in the houseboats. In the past our experience has been very good and this made us repeat our visits. This year I booked the Rajahamsam house boat seeing their website and also a person named Rejji was following up with us and assured us of very good service and even promising to exceed our expectations when mentioned about our past good experiences. We paid the advance on the net and landed at kumarakom. The place where they had parked the houseboat was very very hard to reach. The roads were bad and narrow and last 500m had almost no access. With great difficulty we reached the house boat. The moment we stepped in Rejji demanded that we pay the entire amount agreed upon immediately only then the house boat will move.
This was the first shock since in our previous trips we always paid the balance at check out time. He stalled the house boat and refused to move without payment. Having no choice in the last minute, we obliged still skeptical why he was demanding like this. He then left the houseboat and left us with boat navigator and cook. Finally the house boat started. It was soon time for lunch. We were 4 people but it seems that Rejji bought vegs, fish and other stuff enough only for 2 people. The helpless cook and boat driver informed that they cook only what Rejji buys them and its often insufficient.
They didn't have anything in the kitchen even for emergency or if the guests request something to be made as per their choice. We adjusted all this since we wanted to enjoy our holiday. In the evening when the boat is parked there was no light, it is lit with zero watts lights here and there and thats hardly sufficient. The house boat had 2 AC bedrooms, where they mentioned that AC would run from 9pm -6am. They switched on the AC at 9 pm. This offered respite from the mosquitoes and insects outside. But 10pm they switched it off. Since its sultry because of humidity we woke up and went to the kitchen to ask them to switch on the AC. They did it. But again by 11pm they switched it off. We were too tired to keep waking up from sleep and walking to them also the cook and the helper was no where to be seen.
So whole night we had to spend without AC.
This boat is run by the manager who seems very money minded and doesn't keep up his word. They make you pay for AC rooms and want to save the cost by switching off the AC. Don't want to give proper and adequate food to the guests.Just stay away from this houseboat. There are better houseboats with more warm owners who welcome their guests and provide better services.
