.........................
The backwaters of Kerela is a unique product
of Kerala and is 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 Kerela 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 Kerela is the Vembanad Lake
which flows through three districts and opens out into the sea
at the Kochi Port. The Astamudi lake, literarlly 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 Kerela, however,
is the kettuvallom ( traditional houseboat ) which has become
the most popular tourism product in India today. In a land as
waterbound 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 Kerela.
