The backwaters of Kerala are what have given it the sobriquet "God's Own Country". As you meander through these on a houseboat you drift into a timeless land replete with picture-postcard towns and ancient trading posts. The huge coconut trees provide an apt backdrop and perhaps you can even eavesdrop on the strains of an oarsman's song.

A network of lakes, rivers and canals fringe the coast of Kerala. These backwaters, while a great inland thoroughfare on water, offer an alternative lifestyle. The criss-crossed, palm-fringed lakes traversed with Chinese fishing nets are very popular cruises, especially between Kollam and Allappuzha. The backwaters have become important attractions though they are threatened by population growth and industrial development. Of the 29 major lakes on the backwaters, seven drain into the sea. Stretched over a total expanse of 1500 kms, the backwaters have a network of 44 rivers, lagoons and lakes from north to south.

A great way to explore the hinterland is to go through the villages. A guide takes a group of people through the villages on an open boat or covered kettuvellum. The tour lasts from two to six hours. It's a fascinating experience to wander from village to village, learn how the village economy runs, and watch coir making, boat building, toddy tapping and fish farming. Some of the best village tours operate out of Kochi, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. On the backwaters you have the major towns Allapuzha and Varkala and Quilon.

The Alappuzha area is a place that coaxes you to let your hair down. The canals here form a web that serves the coir industry. There is nothing much here by way of sightseeing, but if you plan your trip around the second Saturday of August each year, you'll be in time for the Nehru Cup snakeboat race, an adrenaline-pumping local event.
Low slung chundan vellams or snake boats are decorated and it is rowed by up to 100 people. Alappuzha is known for its lazy cruises where you can float looking at the palm trees reflected in the green cool waters.

The other major place here that you must visit is Kottayam, focus for the Syrian Christians of India, and also the heart of rubber production. Kottayam's backwater cruise is shorter than Allapuzha's. There are elegant Syrian Christian churches that date back to antiquity - some are more than 500 years old. The Kumarakom bird sanctuary on Vembanad Lake is 16km west of Kottayam in a rubber plantation of yore. Waterfowl and other species can be spotted as they flutter about here.

Several luxury resorts have opened here. The Coconut Lagoon resort is really beautiful and scenic. The 50-cottage Kumarakom Lake Resort, exquisitely landscaped with 20-foot wide lotus filled canals, has recently been classified under the Heritage category. The luxury Taj resort and the Kumarakom Tourist Village are extremely popular with the western jet set including Hollywood actors. Buses run regularly from Kottayam to Kumarakom.

As you take a cruise do make it a point to go to Changanacherry and from there to Aranmula near Kottayam. You can enroll at the art village, Vijnana kala Vedi center, to learn woodcarving, dance, martial arts like Kalaraipayattu, and traditional medicine. You can fashion your own course though one month's training is preferred.

You can take in an authentic all-night Kathakali performance at Thiruvalla. There are daily cruises from the Alleppey Tourist Development Corporation on alternate days. Many hotels in Komala Road Allapuzha book these. Cruises some of them by private operators start at 10.30 a.m. and reach by 6.30 p.m. The two stops are a midday lunch stop and a brief tea stop at Ayirmthengu or the coir village a mandatory stop