Fondly referred to as "God's own Country"; Kerala with a vast coastline fringed with coconut palm, extensive stretches of biodiverse Western Ghats and cultural vibrancy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India as well as Asia. Included in the National Geographic Traveller's list of "50 Places of a Lifetime", Kerala with its equitable climate, long shoreline with over 50 serene beaches, extensive tea plantations and spice fields, extensive network of canals and water channels popularly known as Kerala backwaters, diverse wildlife and the ancient art of healing Ayurveda has intoxicated travelers since the time of Greeks who sailed to Malabar Coast in search of riches and pleasure.
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou.[1] In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises.[2] National Waterway 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.[3] The important rivers from north to south are the Valapattanam river Chaliar , Kadalundipuzha . Bharathapuzha , Chalakudy river , Periyar, Pamba , Achancoil and Kalladayar . Other than these, there are 35 more small rivers and rivulets flowing down from the Ghats. Most of these rivers are navigable up to the midland region, in country crafts.
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