Backwaters/ House Boat

The backwaters of Kerala and the interconnected network of canals have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture.

These backwaters are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the sea coast. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals which are fed by 38 rivers. The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers and lakes , a unique water transport system formed by more than 900 km of waterways.

The towns and cities situated in the midst of this landscape serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kottappuram to Kollam covers a distance of 205 km facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.

The backwaters have a unique ecosystem – At certain points freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. To prevent the mixing of salt water and clear river water , In certain areas, barrages have been built; the important one being Thannermukkom Bund in kumarakom. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes

Kerala houseboats, Locally called Kettuvallams, in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 1800 kettuvallams ply the backwaters in and around Alleppey,and Kumarakom. Kumarakom which was a sleepy town for years, got transformed into one of the top tourist destination in Kerala.

The Kuttanad region is a vast area covered with bright green paddy fields. The unique feature of this place is that the level of water is a few feet higher than the level of the surrounding land, which can be seen only in Nether lands, where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown Kuttanad is a backwater paradise and an ideal destination for a backwater cruise in Kerala.