The Blue Yonder - House Boat

The Blue Yonder was set up as a travel company based out of Bangalore (Karnataka), four years back to bring in attention of the world to the status of the sadly depleted and neglected Bharatapuzha River (River Nila) in the North of Kerala in India and to help raise funds for Nila Foundation that works to revive and regenerate the dying river. “A river is often the thread that weaves lives and traditions in an ageless manner. A river sustains a civilisation.”

We use Responsible Tourism as a tool to spread awareness of many folk art forms, cultures and lifestyles that are going into oblivion. Interaction with the travelling community and the knowledge that they are visiting our villages for the richness of the culture brings in a sense of pride amongst the villagers. Since these bring in alternative and supplementary sources of income to all our stakeholders, it makes economic sense to our people as well.

By creating a meaningful connection between visitors and the river through interpretations, local people feel more connected with the river as they are the ones giving the interpretation.

By retelling stories, legends and songs about the area and by explaining their significance, local people are themselves made aware of their culture and the need to conserve it. The promoters of The Blue Yonder are from this region.

Cultural and heritage tours we organise along River Nila are now directly benefiting 61 individuals ranging from folk musicians, ritualistic healers, classic percussionists, artisans, and ex-sand smugglers to interpreters. The indirect benefits of our holidays are reaching 63 individuals ranging from toddy tappers, oarsmen, drivers and vendors. Out of the 61 direct beneficiaries, 18 of them are women.