The backwaters is a specialty of Kerala and such places cannot be
found nowhere else in the world. Backwaters
are a network of lakes, canals and estuaries
and deltas of forty-four rivers that
drain into the Arabian sea. The backwaters
of Kerala are a self supporting eco-system
teeming with aquatic life. The canals
connect the villages together and are
still used for local transport. Over
900 km of this labyrinthine water world
is navigable.
The
largest backwater stretch in Kerala
is the Vembanad Lake which
flows through three districts and opens
out into the sea at the Kochi Port.
The Ashtamudi lake, literally having
eight arms, which covers a major portion
of Kollam district in the south, is
the second largest and is considered
the gateway to the backwaters.
The
most exciting thing on the backwaters
of Kerala, however, is the Kettuvallam
( traditional houseboat ) which
has become the most popular tourism
product in India today. In a land as
water bound as Kerala it wouldn't be
an unusual sight, but for a visitor
to God's Own Country a houseboat gliding along the vast green
expanse of the backwaters is the most
amazing spectacle in the world. Even
more enchanting is a holiday in the
houseboats of Kerala.
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