Drift through the Kerala backwaters on a kettuvallam houseboat

What the experience is

The backwaters of Kerala are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea, linked by canals and fed by 38 rivers. Together they form about 900 kilometres of waterways. The largest lake, Vembanad, covers some 2,000 square kilometres between Kochi and Alappuzha.

The boats that carry visitors are kettuvallams, long wooden barges with a roof of woven thatch. They were built to carry rice and other cargo to the ports. As roads took over that trade, the barges were fitted with bedrooms, a kitchen and an open deck at the bow. Many hundreds of them now operate, with the largest concentration at Alappuzha; the exact number is not firmly established.

A cruise usually lasts a day and a night. The boat leaves around midday, moves slowly through the lake and the narrower canals, moors at dusk and returns after breakfast. A crew of two or three steers and cooks.

What you see

The interest is in the life on the banks. In Kuttanad, the region south of Vembanad, rice is grown on reclaimed land that lies below sea level, behind dykes. Villages stand on thin strips of land between the water and the fields. People travel by canoe and public ferry, children go to school by boat, and ducks are herded along the canals in flocks.

When to go

The dry months from December to February are the most comfortable. The snake-boat races, in which long canoes with a hundred or more paddlers compete on the lakes, take place in the monsoon months; the Nehru Trophy race at Alappuzha is the best known.

Good to know

Houseboats are graded by the state into categories, and standards vary widely, so it is worth booking through a hotel or a known operator and asking how old the boat is. The large lake can be crowded with boats near Alappuzha. Smaller craft, and departures from Kumarakom, reach quieter canals. The engine stops at night, and a bedroom with air conditioning is worth having in the humid months.

The scale of the houseboat trade has been a concern for the health of the backwaters, with pollution from waste and fuel a recurring issue. Prefer an operator that treats or carries off its waste, uses solar or low-impact equipment where it can, and keeps to the smaller canals in moderation, and avoid leaving plastic on board or in the water.

Why OKYTO recommends it

It is the simplest way to understand how this coast works, and it asks nothing of the traveller except a day without plans. It fits naturally between Kochi and the hills of Kerala, and compares with a night aboard a junk in Ha Long Bay.