Today we travelled to Alleppey where we boarded our traditional houseboat to begin our journey through the picturesque backwaters and small lakes relaxing in the tranquility of Kerala’s beautiful scenery. On our journey we came across many boats, canoes, where we observed the traditional daily life of the local people.

Known locally as the backwater highway, life on the backwater has a different set of rules. First of all there are no roads here so life depends on the canals. Almost every last family has a boat of their own. Children learn to swim before they can walk! You see school boats for children, post boats taking the mail to each house and even a floating supermarket boat. The canals are 25 feet deep and on either side the homes are built on a narrow embankment, behind are the rice fields which are situated 4 feet below the houses and waterways. The fresh water canals are fed from the surrounding hills where they eventually meet the Arabian Sea.

The evening we moored and watched the day close under starlit skies enjoying a delicious Kerala cuisine cooked by our own personal chef.

The following morning we rose to the site of sun rays dancing into our bedroom, followed by a delicious breakfast on the deck watching the day unfold as the boat sails past a day in the life of this backwater country.