Luxury houseboats set to transform Krishna river

AP Tourism’s plan to introduce luxury houseboats on River Krishna promises to redefine river tourism, blending comfort with the quiet charm of life on water.

Kerala-based Grandeur Cruise Group is preparing to bring scale and spectacle to the river with two dinner cruises, capable of hosting 200 guests at a time. Designed as floating entertainment hubs, the cruises will feature dancing decks and a restaurant. The vessels will be built at the Pavithra Sangamam ghat in Ibrahimpatnam and is expected to be ready by Dasara, in time for the festive season.

“One will be a five-bedroom luxury dinner cruise vessel featuring a dedicated dancing deck and a full-service restaurant. Measuring 125-feet in length and spanning 7,000 square feet across two decks, it will be the largest houseboat in Andhra Pradesh with the capacity to accommodate up to 200 guests at a time,” says George Sebastian of the Grandeur Group.

Speaking to The Hindu, he said the vessel is being designed for a premium dinner cruise experience, with banquet hall, facilities for corporate events, a DJ and party hall, which will offer guests the perfect blend of dining, dancing, and entertainment on water.

Simple India Group is another firm that has rolled out two distinctive floating experiences, a capsule house and a floating pod. Compact yet indulgent, the capsule house is designed as a single-room luxury retreat, while the floating pod offers additional space for guests who prefer a more expansive stay.

“It will be a day-long experience wherein check-in will begin at 2 p.m. and checkout at 10 a.m. the following day, allowing visitors to soak in the most magical hours on the river, sunset and sunrise, from the comfort of the gently moving boat,” says Paparao Gummadapu, promoter and CEO of Simple India Group. “The idea is to let people experience the Krishna at its calmest and most beautiful form,” he says.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu formally launched the two houseboats recently. Mr. Paparao, a native of Mylavaram in NTR district, is happy that interest is already building, with enquiries pouring in even before official bookings open. While tariffs are yet to be finalised, the cost is expected to range between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 per night, he informs.

The momentum doesn’t stop there. Tarun Kakani, owner of the Amaravati Boating Club in Vijayawada, has submitted a proposal to operate a three-bedroom luxury houseboat on the Krishna, further expanding options for families and groups seeking an exclusive river experience.

This new wave of luxury offerings will come in addition to the existing fleet of nine cruise boats operated by the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC). These include popular vessels such as Bodhisri, Maitri, Vennela, ML Vijayalakshmi, AP Boat, Bhavani, Jagadamba and Jalajakshi besides a policraft. Together, the nine APTDC boats have a combined passenger capacity of about 350, and are utilised to transport visitors from Haritha Berm Park to the picturesque Bhavani Island on River Krishna.

With luxury houseboats, dinner cruises and bespoke floating stays on the horizon, the River Krishna is poised to emerge as a lifeline of Andhra Pradesh tourism in the days to come.