A tour to Kerala would take you amidst the palm-fringed, tranquil backwaters. The state offers a stretch of almost 1,900 kilometers as backwaters.

Eariler the backwater routes were 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.Among the best and most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region. 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. Alappuzha is one of the major centers for backwater boat trips.The Veli Aakulam lagoon forms one of the major tourist attractions with facilities of water sports, a floating restaurant, an amusement park, speedboats and other facilities.

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

Kerala backwaters are a unique nature and are 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. Backwaters of Kerala are a self-supporting Eco-system teeming with aquatic life. The Canals connect the villages together and still used for local transport. Over 900 km of this labyrinthine water world is navigable.