Flotilla Floating Restaurant
Floats Again At Veli Tourist Village
Thiruvanthapuram, January 2, 2020: The renovated floating restaurant ‘Flotilla’ of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) at the Veli Tourist Village was inaugurated on 1 st of January 2020, by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the presence of Shashi Tharoor, MP, V. S. Sivakumar, MLA, Mayor K. Sreekumar and others. The renovation works were undertaken by the KTDC after water seeped into the restaurant and it had to be closed down. The restaurant has a ferro-cement basement and the walls are made of wood. The entrance to the restaurant, one of the attractions of the tourist village, is through the walkway that is floating in the water. On the 3,056 sq ft ground floor, 56 can dine in 14 tables and 28 can dine in the seven tables in the 675 sq ft second floor.The whole restaurant is made up of wood and gives a traditional Kerala feel. It is made with anjili wood (wild wood) and teak wood.
The Flotilla provides the tourist a unique dining experience on the backwaters. They can enjoy the chirruping sounds of the birds and the calm atmosphere of the Lake. It is a new attraction for the visitors as it already provides boating facilities and beach on the other side. The KTDC has spent about Rs. 50 lakhs to renovate and reopening the floating restaurant. It has a floating footpath for entry. The restaurant is supported by coconut tree woods, which is immersed in the water.
It is a two storeyed floating restaurant. The upper floor gives a better view of the lake and beach. The restaurant offers various snacks items including burgers, muffins, pastries, puffs, ice creams and drinks. Advanced booking is available for evening get-togethers. The restaurant can accommodate around hundred people a time. The food is available at a reasonable price and the service is quite friendly. Veli tourist village which is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Thiruvananthapuram, also provides boat rides, floating bridge, pony rides, children’s park, water front park, landscaped gardens, fish ponds, huge sculptures, an open-air theatre.