Chilila,8/5:The much-awaited Odisha’s first luxury houseboat ‘Garuda’ will be operated at Chilika lake from tomorrow. It will be inaugurated by Hon’bl Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually in the presence of Tourism Minister Ashwini Kumar Patra at 9.30 am, said Murali Krishna Dasari , Managing Director and Gautam Agrawal, Director of
Vikash Eco Resort Private Limited.
The double-engined ‘Garuda’ boat is 105 feet long and 22 feet wide with dual engine , and is built according to the climatic conditions of Chilika . The lounge in the lower floor is airconditioned with bar and good to accommodate 30 people comfortably with premium luxury. Similarly, boat can be booked by a maximum of 6 individual couples according to the 24-hour package. The package includes breakfast, lunch, Hi-tea and dinner. Exotic seafood like Crabs, Prawns and Chilika famous ‘Khainga fish’ shall be served as per the menu. The boat’s private lounge has four premium rooms and two suites with elegant 180 degree view of with king sized beds, diwans and seating. Tourists can enjoy the sun bath, massage, sports, song and dance, Sight seeing , birds and dolphin and scenery and can spend special time in Chilika . For the safety of tourists, the boat has life-saving equipments , as well as a back-up boat to evacuate them from the boat in case of emergency. The boat also has a safety sensor and fire safety equipments . Most importantly, pollution and waste management are important when it comes to environmental protection, and the BS VI engines is built on boats. Tourists have to pay between Rs 20-25 Thousands for the 24-hour package. For this they have to book online from the website www.vikashecoresorts.com , the agency said. It is learned that the online booking system will be operational in the next one week.