Tamil Nadu: Soon, sleep on a houseboat at Mudaliarkuppam – Times of India

Chennai News

CHENNAI: Come summer, tourists can take the East Coast Road (ECR) to lunch or dine at a floating restaurant at Muttukadu or drive on to Mudaliarkuppam to stay overnight on a houseboat. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) is launching these facilities by April-May next year.
At Mudaliarkuppam, the houseboat will have three bedrooms and, on the deck above, an open-air restaurant. The houseboat will go around the backwaters on short hour-long cruises during the day. After dusk, it will be anchored in the middle of the backwaters with overnight guests.
A floating jetty is also being planned on the river mouth at Mudaliarkuppam. The Chengalpet district administration has transferred 20 acres of land at Mudaliarkuppam to the tourism department for transforming the place into a beachside eco-resort type destination located about 92km south of the city.
At Muttukadu, a 100-foot-long floating restaurant will welcome visitors. While the lower deck will be air-conditioned, the upper deck is an open-air area. Food would be prepared in the floating restaurant with a capacity to accommodate 100 people at any given time. The houseboat and floating restaurant would be an added attraction on ECR that is dotted with various entertainment hotspots including theme parks and UNESCO notified heritage structures at Mamallapuram.
TTDC managing director Sandeep Nanduri said that steps are being taken to introduce the facilities in another four months. “We are floating a request for proposal for the houseboat and floating restaurant. It would be executed under public-private partnership,” he added.
M Charles, president of Tourists Guide Federation of South India, said that the initiative will have traction amongdomestic business travellers and international corporate travellers, who wish to explore Chennai and Puducherry by extending their stay for a couple days. They would prefer to stay in the houseboat instead of a hotel for a day, he added.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/tamil-nadu-soon-sleep-on-a-houseboat-at-mudaliarkuppam/articleshow/87355357.cms