Tourist houseboat at sunset, Kerala 02 Nov 2016

Posted on 02 Nov 2016

Tourist houseboat at sunset, Kerala

About this photo

Between the ancient creation myth of Kerala and the modern political fact is a land of lush, physical beauty that continas a rich storehouse of legend, history, culture and tradition.

In the north of the region, the densely populated backwaters area forms a distinctive tropical environment, its tangled canals, rivulets and lakes screened from the main transport routes of the coastal strip by a wall of intense greenery. A fleet of converted rice boats cruise these idllic waterways, allowing you to explore the region in great comfort and style from towns such as Kollam and Alappuzha.

Take a cruise along Kerala's backwaters on Insight Guides' Unmissable India itinerary.

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StanislavBeloglazov/Shutterstock

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We had a wonderful trip though parts of South India. Using an agency was a difficult decision, as my partner and I have travelled for decades under our own steam and with so much less advance planning than was involved here. What we appreciated was the possibility to 'offload' some of the on-site organisation that, while undoubtedly giving you an insight into a society and culture, also means time spent on the phone, in a queue or online. This, when you could be out there and experience an aspect of the country, that does NOT remind you of trying to contact the likes of Scottish Power (feel free to replace by any other profiteering untility). Being able to determine hotels ourselves and also to tailor the mix between where we did our own thing and where the local agency booked things for us was great. The local agency got very quickly how we wanted to travel. Where they advised us against options, they really knew what they were talking about and suggested undoubtedly better alternatives. Communication was clear and naturaly friendly. Where we had drivers, they were professional and great to travel with. So we were very happy all around. If I would be looking for possible icings on the cake, it would have been the inclusion of cultural events, or maybe just pointers to where to look for what (such as carnatic classical music or theyyem performances). But then maybe this is the old conundrum that it is only authentic if you stumble across it...........

Ursula Oct 2019