One of my dreams is to live on a houseboat. Even if I never unmoored the thing, the idea of waking up each morning to the water gently lapping the sides of my home is an alluring one.

There are many opportunities both in the United States and around the world for trying out houseboating, short of actually purchasing one of these floating homes. Just check out some of the man-made lakes in Tennessee or Arizona to learn about houseboating activity–and houseboating business–taken almost to an extreme.

Houseboating, though, is not unknown to other parts of the world. In fact, in some places houseboats have served as home to many people from ancient times. And in some of those places, houseboats are still exotic-looking, even ornate craft that bear little resemblance to the shiny, prefab (and some would say bland) vessels that dominate American waters.

For a real houseboating adventure, nothing beats India, especially south India where the backwaters provide excellent scope for this kind of travel/living. Our guest article today discusses houseboating in that region, and particularly in the state of Kerala.

South India Backwaters Tourism
By Minhaj Alam

South India boasts of beautiful backwaters tours which simply take you to another world which is no less than a wonderland. Kerala in South India is the best bet when it comes to enjoying the exotic experience of backwaters. Filled with brackish water, the five lakes and several lagoons form the backwaters of the Kerala. It covers the Malabar Coast. Thirty eight rivers are the source of water for these lakes which are both natural and artificial. Ashtamudi Kayal and Vembanad Kyal lakes have been connected with each other by a canal which is 1900km long. The vigorous movements of waves and currents on the shore gave birth to the Backwaters.

Romantic Backwaters of South India

How romantic it is to cruise on the tranquil backwaters! You can enjoy the houseboat cruise in the Kettuvalloms or country boats. For tourism purpose these boats have now been revamped into luxurious boats equipped with modern facilities. They have been nicknamed as Kayals.

Kerala Backwater Tours of South India

Surrounded by Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam districts of Kerala, the cruise on the backwaters of the largest lake Vembanad Lake really pushes your adrenaline into high gear. Straight away head for Kollam, Alappuzha and Kottayam to enjoy the refreshing backwaters and if you happen to come down to Kerala in the months of August and September your adventurous spirit will be rewarded with the celebration of the famous Snake Boat Race.

Houseboat Cruise of Kerala

The backwaters of Kerala are beautifully flanked by palm trees making the view picturesque. While sailing through the shallow lakes you will come across small settlements set amazingly on the border of the lakes. From the tourist point of view the most popular backwaters destination is Kumarakom where you can travel to a dream land by embarking on a houseboat cruise.

Dr. Minhaj Alam has completed his Ph.D from Center For Nehru Studies, Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University and has done extensive research works on Jawaharlal Nehru. He is Editor in the IT Department of Culture Holidays For comment mail to Editor: minhaj.alam@cultureholidays.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Minhaj_Alam
http://EzineArticles.com/?South-India-Backwaters-Tourism&id=1180663

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