The backwaters of Kerala 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 Kerala 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 Kerala is the Vembanad Lake which flows through three districts and opens out into the sea at the Kochi Port. The Ashtamudi lake, literally 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 Kerala, however, is the Kettuvallam ( traditional houseboat ) which has become the most popular tourism product in India today. In a land as water bound 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 Kerala. The backwater cruise through the narrow canals that crises-cross a typical Kerala Village, rich with green paddy fields and verdant coconut trees and is a thrilling experience. The boat cruise takes you to small islets tucked away amidst those waters where you get glimpses of village at the best of its serenity and innocence Watch village belles picking mussels, while their men folk collect sand from the bottom of the canal. Traditional fish farms and famed Chinese fishing nets. Watch the village folk make the golden fiber called coir from coconut husk and transform it into various coir products. Rustling coconut groves abound. So stop over to drink calm fresh coconut water and watch the toddy-tapper tap at work. Watch birds like kingfishers, crow pheasants, cormorants, drogues, wood pecker, Bee-eater, kites etc. Parrot green paddy fields sway like a chorus.