Backwaters in Kerala is a network of 1500 km of canals both manmade and natural, 38 rivers and 5 big lakes extending from one end of Kerala to the other.
Backwaters is one of the major tourism product of Kerala, being unique to the state. Traditionally used as one of the main transportation alleys, today backwaters offer a rejuvenating experience for tourists visiting Kerala.
The backwaters can be explored by hiring a boat for one or several days. If you go for more than a day, the boat usually comes with a navigator and a cook, which provide you with various facilities when exploring the backwaters
Understand
While hill resorts and beaches can be found in other parts of India, the backwaters are unique to Kerala. Meandering through the coastal areas of Kerala is a 900 kilometers (560 miles) long intricate network of lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of several rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea. This is a natural phenomenon, as major rivers and streams that flows within Kerala drain themselves into backwaters regions, resulting in creation of several small land strips, lagoons, islands etc, which opens to sea at few areas. Thus backwaters are one of the largest fresh-water sources and rich in marine habitat as well as adds to natural beauty. Kerala has 3 backwater regions The most beautiful and accessible part of the back waters is the Ashtamudi Lake located in district in Kollam. This is one of the largest fresh-water lake in India, with numerous navigable canals and rivers interconnecting almost all regions of south Kerala. The Astamudi is also home of several endangered marine species with rich bio-diversity. This lake is world-renowned for its natural beauty and large expanse of water, sandwiched between towns of Kollam. This is the most visited tourist area in South India and enthralls visitors all over world. Houseboat tourism, made this backwaters popular, where tourists can stay overnight in luxurious houseboats, enjoying natural beauty and wind off their stress. The very pretty Munroe Island is also a great place to visit and spend a few days at to take in the slow life, green surroundings of the backwaters and canals.
Next is Vembanad backwater stretch located in districts of Ernakulam, Alapuzha and Kottayam area.The Cochin coast is dotted with numerous islands interconnected by ferries and bridges, adorning the Queen of the Arabian Sea like a necklace of pearls. The islands break the waves from the sea, thus ensuring that the back waters are calm and navigable. Among the islands, Wellingdon Island deserves special mention as it houses the Port of Cochin and the largest Naval presence in India: the Southern Naval Command
Whereas Kottayam has rose to world fame, when its sleepy lake village- Kumarakom became a famous bird sanctuary with home of several rare migratory birds with large expanse of backwaters and lagoons.
The third backwater region is located at Kannur-Valiyaparambu Backwaters located in districts of Kannur and Kasargod, which is least exploited, though it offers amazing natural beauty and presence of numerous small uninhabited islands.
Apart from these three major backwater regions, smaller lagoons could be find in almost all coastal districts of Kerala. The popular options are
- Thiruvallam Lagoons and Akkulam-Veli Backwaters located in Thiruvananthapuram district. Whereas former is a religious destination, latter is famous for its large eco-tourist project, the Akkulam Tourist Village.
- Alumkadavu Backwaters located in Kollam district at Karunagappally, famous for its large house-boat dry docks and boatyards where most of the house-boats are constructed and repaired.
- Kumbalangi Backwaters, which is part of Vembanadu Lake, located near to Kochi is famous for its village tourism, where small canoes are used to navigate a maze of mangrove forests, which is a unique experience
- Canoli canal and Kallai backwaters, located in Kozhikode district, are good for boating while the bird sanctuary at Kadalundi is fast becoming a favourite with bird-watchers and nature lovers. Nearby is Korapuzha, where the Korapuzha Jalotsavam, a water sports festival attracts large tourists.
Houseboat tourism is the most popular activity in backwaters, with several large Kettu-vallams (traditional rice boats, now converted into floating hotels) ply. Apart from Kettuvallams, large cruisers and yachts also operate.
More detail : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_backwaters | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxU_bsel_PQ
More detail : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_backwaters | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxU_bsel_PQ