Houseboats, palms and slow days on the water
Kerala's backwaters are a web of lagoons, lakes and canals running parallel to the Arabian Sea coast. The classic trip is a night aboard a converted rice barge, gliding past paddy fields, churches and villages while the crew cooks fish curry on board. Inland, the tea-covered hills of Munnar and the spice plantations around Thekkady are a cool contrast to the humid coast.