At 75, Kerala woman makes tea and serves snacks on a boat. Her floating shop is winning hearts online for its simplicity

In many parts of India, tea is an emotion. Stroll through the bustling alleys of any urban city like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru and you will find people huddled over small and often crooked tea stalls, sipping on a hot cup of masala or adrak chai, sometimes even striking up random conversations with strangers. But imagine you are waiting for your tea, and it comes on a boat. Sounds uncanny? Well, 75-year-old Chaya Chachi aka Shantamma, from Kumarakom, Kerala, has been serving tea in a similar way for more than a decade.

Tea served on a boat

In a video posted by travel and food vlogger Safia and Faiz on Instagram, the elderly woman was seen rowing a wooden boat in the tranquil backwaters with a beaming smile on her face. She operates the floating tea stall inside a resort and serves piping hot masala tea and crunchy, lip-smacking Kerala snacks like banana fritters and Sukiyan to visitors.




Travellers usually gather along the banks of the backwaters or on houseboats, waiting for their turn to savour the classic beverage-snack combo. It is truly impressive to watch how Chaya Chachi has managed to pile up all the supplies and equipment on the boat in an organised manner. There are cups, kettles, baskets, large drums and all the ingredients required to make tea on the boat.

All about Chaya Chachi’s floating tea stall

The video revealed that Chaya Chachi started her floating tea stall business in 2013. Her infectious laughter and welcoming spirit turn each interaction into a lasting memory, fostering connections between diverse groups of people. She transitioned to this unique mode of business after her previous tea shop shut down. Now, she has transformed the simple job of making tea into a cultural highlight, with tourism officials even recognising her efforts.

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Operating on water has presented unique challenges for Chaya Chachi with the relentless monsoon rain, fluctuating tourist footfall and logistical hurdles of maintaining supplies on a boat, sometimes making her job tedious. But the elderly woman, with her grit and determination, has carved a niche for herself in the scenic backwaters, becoming a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit.