A trailblazing joint venture between Jetwing Hotels and MMBL Leisure Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. Yathra by Jetwing offers a new dimension of relaxation through floating leisure; another milestone in sustainable eco-tourism.

Inspired by the Kettuvallam, a wooden-hulled and thatch-roofed houseboat, used to advantage for tourism in the backwaters of India’s Kerala state, Yathra by Jetwing is the first of five luxury houseboats in a joint venture between Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand, and MMBL Leisure Holding (Pvt.) Ltd – the leisure arm of MMBL-Pathfinder Group of Sri Lanka.

The concept of this venture is reminiscent of ancient Ceylon’s padda boats – the flat-bottomed, punt-shaped barge that once helped transport heavy goods and family members of boatmen to and fro on the waterways.

Yathra by Jetwing, the first locally built houseboat since the padda, seeks to revive the boating culture of the past, with elegance and luxury. Crafted from bamboo with classic teakwood floors in the upper and lower decks, the houseboat’s thatched roof shelters two plush air-conditioned cabins, with private balconies and attached bathrooms.

Two and a half years in the making, Yathra was envisioned and designed by Sunela Jayewardene, a leading environmental designer, and built by experienced boatmakers Neil Marine (Pvt.) Ltd. Its pre-set 18-kilometre voyage plan is for about four hours, up the Benthara River. The voyage starts from the Dedduwa Boat House by Jetwing in Bentota, all the way up to Avittewa, a small scenic hamlet 18 km from Bentota. Yathra docks at Avittewa, and as the Benthara River forks a short distance upstream to become the Pelawatte River and Pitigala River, the traveller can imbibe more of nature’s treasure troves especially a peek at the robust birdlife in the area.

Another fascinating waterway dotted with men with wicker baskets diving to collect sand, is downstream close to Dedduwa Lake. Says the enterprising Chairman of Jetwing, Hiran Cooray, “At Jetwing, we have always believed in something new. We love to create, and push boundaries that will give us and our visitors’ new opportunities and experiences in this beautiful land of ours. Through Yathra by Jetwing, a project that has so far exceeded LKR 60 million, we embark (literally!) on a journey that is completely different to anything done before.”

Chairman MMBL Leisure Holding (Pvt) Ltd, Bernard Goonetilleke, who tirelessly worked alongside Jetwing to make the houseboat project a dream come true, says, “Sri Lanka’s tourism industry needs to be innovative and responsive to the untapped segments of the market, like the 25-35 age group. We have to provide novel recreational pursuits and be ready with new tourist products to entertain, indulge and captivate visitors to our island in search of serendipity”.

Source: http://sundaytimes.lk/lankas-first-luxury-houseboat-waterways/