Kerala's backwaters is the most popular tourist attraction of Kerala. The palm-fringed, tranquil backwaters were once just the state's trade highways. Kerala is her backwaters and lakes. They have dictated her history, shaped her present and promise a future by virtue of offering incomparable beauty and unique experiences.

The state's palm-fringed backwaters are inland lakes connected by a network of canals. With 41 west-flowing rivers, the backwaters stretch to almost 1,900 kilometers. The backwater routes date back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices. Today, these waterways link remote villages and islands to the mainland and nerve centers of the coastal area.

The most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region, called the rice bowl of Kerala. The area is probably the only place in the continent where farming is done below sea level, using a system of dykes and bunds.

The largest backwater stretch is the Vembanad Lake, which opens out into the sea at the Kochi port and flows through three districts-Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kochi. The Ashtamudi Lake has eight 'arms' covering a major portion of Kollam district in the south, and is the second largest lake in the state.

Alappuzha is one of the major centers for backwater boat trips. The intricate network of canals through this town has earned it the sobriquet "The Venice of the East". Small but long country boats are the taxies of the water. The coir workers present an interesting sight as they soak coconut fiber in pools, beat them and wind the strands on long spindles stretched between an endless lines of coconut trees.

A short distance from Thiruvananthapuram is the Veli Aakulam lagoon. Water sports, a floating restaurant, an amusement park, speedboats and other facilities make this spot a tourist attraction. The east end of the lake is flanked by two scenic hillocks.

The charming old port city of Kollam on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake is known as the center of the cashew industry. It is one of the oldest ports of the backwaters, with the ferry to Alappuzha taking more than 8 hours. A small village 12 kilometer west of Kottayam town, on the banks of the beautiful Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is 14-acre bird sanctuary known for local varieties of water fowl, cuckoo, water ducks, and migrating Siberian storks. The best months to visit it are June-August. Just 80 kilometres from Cochin, this area has unique kettuvalloms (houseboats), boat racing, motorboat and water sport facilities. The houseboats, plied by local oarsmen, are simply furnished with a living room, bedroom with attached bath and a raised central deck for lazing on cushions while watching the world go by.

In north Kerala, the cool backwaters of Kozhikode lie waiting to be explored. This old commercial town attracts travelers for its history, wonderful backwaters and leisure sports.

Alumkadavu, in the town of Karunagapally hardly 20 kilometers north of Kollam, is where kettuvalloms are built. These huge, long and tapering barges were traditionally used to carry tones of goods, with a portion covered with bamboo and coir servicing as a rest room and kitchen for the crew. Gliding down the calm and serene backwaters in a kettuvallom, embraced by green leaves and palm, see a rural Kerala preserved through the ages, completely hidden from the road, and it is not surprising that this is called God's Own Country.

Famous for its natural harbor, one of the best in the world, Kochi has earned the sobriquet "Queen of the Arabian Sea". All the islands that make up Kochi are well connected by ferry. The Chinese fishing nets, a method of fishing established in Kochi during the times of Kubla Khan line the waterfront.

Besides these backwaters, other equally beautiful water bodies elsewhere are Veli (in South Kerala), Kadinamkulam, Edava, Anjengo, Madayara, Peravur, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Kodungalur, Chetuva and Valiyaparamba (in North Kerala).

In the monsoon months, the backwaters reverberate with the sound of the traditional snake boat races, featuring the 130-feet-long chundan boats. Up to 16 of them, with over a hundred rowers each, compete for the honors during the races. The most important of these races is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday of August. The Aranmula Boat Festival of the Parthasarathy temple of Aranmula on the banks of the holy river Pamba is the more traditional race. The boat carnival starts on the day of Thiruonam, the most auspicious day of the Kerala festival, Onam.

Whether by Kettuvalloms or by a simple vallom, the experience of gliding through the backwaters is an experience that is undeniably unforgettable