The Backwaters of Kerala
I've heard good things about the tours along the backwaters of Kerala so my friend and I decided to give it a try. We didn't spend the night on a house boat, we settled for a day tour.
The tour took us on a (EXTREMELY) slow ride through the backwaters.
We got to see how some locals lived and the verdant vegetation along the backwaters.
The Kerala Backwaters is a network of 1,500km of man made and natural canals, 5 large lakes, and 38 rivers.
The sight of nature was quite refreshing as Kochi is such a big city already.
Some of the locals were quite friendly to tourists passing by and taking pictures.
There were large houseboats for tourists willing to spend a night or so on the backwaters. These houseboats come with bathrooms, navigators, cooks, and other things you'd need for a night or two on the boat.
Most of the locals I saw on the backwaters were fishermen, hence the presence of some nets.
I appreciate nature and seeing a different kind of life, but the tour got repetitive after the first three hours. The trip is perfect for those willing to just sit back and relax, but for those who want a more adventurous trip with more activities would be better off spending just half a day on the boat.
The weather was just as hot as the food served on the tour. I was getting used to the vegetarian food served by most Indian restaurants.
Riding through narrow canals isn't what I would call an adrenaline pumping adventure, but it displayed nature at its most beautiful.
We're the only Asian tourists on board, represent!
I took a photo with our friendly boatman, before departing for the city. I would recommend the tour for those looking for a SLOW day out. We didn't do much of anything on the boat aside from watch nature and get a glimpse of how locals lived along the backwaters.
*My friend and I booked a backwaters day tour for INR 850 through our hostel in Fort Kochi.
