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The most memorable way to experience the true magic of the waterways and lagoons of the backwaters is to sail at your own pace - through jungles of palm and fruit trees, past green paddy fields and waterside villages - by a beautifully crafted traditional old rice barge or kettuvallam. Many of these have been converted to provide comfortable houseboat accommodation. Each has one or two bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and sun-deck, with a crew to look after you and serve delicious local Keratin fare during a leisurely one or two-night cruise.
These house boats are known for their unique design and use of local materials like bamboo poles, coconut finer ropes, bamboo mats, carpets etc. They are a fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauties of the Kerala backwaters.
So once you go to Kerala, don’t forget that a life-time experience beckons you while you cruise the emerald backwaters!
Kerala Backwaters
Backwaters
are one of the unique attractions of Kerala, a chain of
canals extending about 1500 kms, with a network of 44 rivers,
lagoons and lakes.
Fringing the coast of Kerala and winding far inland is an intricate network of innumerable Lagoons, Lakes, Canals, Estuaries and the Deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea.
A trip through the backwaters presents you an intimate peep into the typical Keralite ‘lifestyle, far from the mechanical monotony of bursting cities. You come across people living on the palm-fringed backwaters’ banks in colourful bungalows — punting their unique boats with bamboo poles.
The dwellers are seen busy building country boats or ferrying products like coconut, rubber, spices, coir or rice in their unique boats.
As you cruise along in calm backwaters, you come across children leisurely enjoying a dip or men deep in waters trying to catch fish with their bare hands. The Chinese nets line the banks of the waterways to attract the fish
ALLEPPEY
Some 50 miles south from Cochin, little Alleppey is another
water-borne centre of busy canals, whose livelihood is linked
to the production of coir rope, coconut matting and Kerala's
famous black pepper ('black gold'). It's also a stepping stone
for an eight-journey from nearby Kottayam (25 miles) to Quilon
along rural Kerala's peaceful inland backwaters (known as
kayals) that snake through canals often shaded by coconut
palms.
KUMARAKOM
Just a few miles from Kottayam, this sleepy town on the banks
of Lake Vembanad lies deep in the backwaters of Kerala, tucked
away amid mangrove forests and coconut groves. It can be reached
in just 90 minutes by speedboat from Cochin, and makes an
ideal stopping-point in its own right or en route to Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary in the hills.
QUILON
At the southern end of the famous backwaters, and less than
50 miles north of Kovalam this ancient seaport and market
town lies between the sea and palm-lined Ashtamudi Lake. It
once traded in turn with the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks,
Romans, Arabs and Chinese and is today Kerala's largest producer
of cashews and a good spot to buy spices and coir products.