The good, bad and ugly sides to cruising the backwaters of Kerala, southern India
The Indian state’s picturesque waterways and quaint, rentable houseboats make for a relaxing break in nature, but are victims of their own success
The Good
Kerala means “land of coconuts” in the local Malayalam language, although the tourist office prefers the slogan “God’s Own Country”, and it’s easy to see why. The south Indian state is a symphony of sublime tropical landscapes, golden beaches, corduroyed tea hills and, the jewel in the crown, an enchanting 900km network of interconnected canals, rivers and lakes, known as the backwaters.
Kerala is a relatively prosperous corner of India. It was the first state in the world to democratically elect a communist government (in 1957) but, far from becoming an impoverished economic laggard, literacy rates are the highest in the country, its health care system is the envy of the subcontinent and tourism is booming.
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Houseboats, which were once used to transport fish, rice and spices, have enjoyed a new lease of life after resourceful craftsmen began converting the vessels for use by foreign tourists in the 1990s. And ever since then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a houseboat ride in 2000, domestic holidaymakers have been adding the backwaters to their bucket lists as well.