| Through cultures and through history, people have | | | | vary according to family size and affluence. |
| chosen to live in water. Well, not underwater but | | | | In Great Britain, there are narrowboats along |
| just on the surface. This is done primarily by living | | | | canals that are both used as permanent homes |
| on houses on top of the water. Some houses are | | | | and luxury holiday accomodations for hire. These |
| fixed structures near the beach. However what is | | | | boats were originally meant for transporting fuel |
| more fascinating are the floating houses or | | | | and raw materials along the canals during the |
| houseboats that serve also as means of travel | | | | Industrial revolution. Nowadays, the canals are |
| apart from a means of shelter. Such houseboats | | | | being used mainly for recreational and leisure |
| provide people with the luxury of traveling while | | | | purposes and as tourist attractions. The narrow |
| still being at home. Nowadays, as more people | | | | houseboats in turn have been transformed to |
| preferred to live on land, some still want the | | | | accommodate visitors. Other houseboats can be |
| luxury of being able to stay on water, thus | | | | foundin the United Kingdom, particularly in the |
| houseboating as a pastime was born, and | | | | coastal regions and they are also used as vacation |
| becoming more popular among vacation goers. | | | | shacks. |
| Houseboats All Over the World | | | | Way down under in Australia, there are also |
| Houseboats are basically boats that have been | | | | luxury houseboats, particulaly along the Murray |
| designed to be fit for people to live in. Houseboats | | | | River. There, a lot of motorized houseboats |
| in the past were usually moored, and were not | | | | based on pontoons are present. Some have two |
| motorized. Such houseboats that were used as | | | | or even more bedrooms, others even have |
| permanent homes were more common in | | | | several storeys or levels. There are houseboats |
| Southeast Asia. But nowadays, most houseboats | | | | that have private owners used either as |
| for luxury have motors for flexibility in traveling | | | | permanent homes or as vacation houses. Several |
| by boating enthusiasts. | | | | houseboats in Austrialia are available for rent and |
| There are also houseboats in India, usually found | | | | could accommmodate from four to as much as a |
| on Dal Lake in the vicinity of Srinagar in Kashmir | | | | dozen persons. |
| and Jammu or on Kerala's backwaters. These | | | | Houseboats are just beginning to become popular |
| indigenous houseboats were slow and used for | | | | in the United States. The use of houseboats can |
| trading spice and rice to the Kochi port from | | | | be traced back to the 40s when some people |
| Kuttanad. Nowadays most of them are used for | | | | needed a means of being able to stay on the |
| luxury trips as part of tourism in the area. Kerala | | | | water surface for long terms. Many houseboat |
| houseboats typically are 60 to 70 feet long and | | | | enthusiasts consider Kentucky's Lake Cumberland |
| around 15 feet wide at the center part. The body | | | | to be the birthplace of American houseboating. |
| of the boat is made of wooden planks fastened | | | | Nowadays, there are houseboats that could span |
| by coconut fiber ropes. The roof is usually made | | | | more than 2000 square feet, of luxury living |
| of palm leaves on top of bamboo shafts. Cashew | | | | space. There are also many houseboats in |
| and nut oils are used to protect the houseboat's | | | | Portage Bay and Lake Union in the city of Seattle |
| exteriors. | | | | in Washington. A lot of American houseboats are |
| European houseboats are more built for luxury | | | | built and designed for use in waterways and inland |
| than as a residence. Along Amsterdan's long | | | | lakes, but there are some that can be used along |
| canals, one could see very expensive and fabulous | | | | the coastal areas. Most American experience |
| models of luxury houseboats. There are even | | | | houseboating through vacations. |
| houseboat hotels in the Netherlands. Such | | | | Houseboats can be fun to live in especially if they |
| houseboats are usually moored, and the | | | | are built for luxury. They offer exciting ways of |
| decreasing availability of moorings have made | | | | living on water. Houseboats are getting more |
| such houseboats even more expensive. It is | | | | popular than ever and could probably become one |
| estimated that there are 2,400 famlies living in | | | | of the standard elements of vacations in the |
| houseboats along the waters of the city of | | | | future. |
| Amsterdam and the size of their houseboats | | | | |