rivers and canals. Travelling the backwaters is one of the highlights of a visit to Kerala. The larger boats are motorised. But there are numerous smaller boats propelled by punting with a long bamboo pole. The boats cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilivered Chinese fishing nets and travel along narrow, shady canals, where coir(coconut fibre), copra(dried coconut meat) and cashew are loaded on to the boats. Along the way are small settlements where people live on narrow spits of reclaimed land only a few meters wide. Although practically surrounded by water they still manage to keep cows, pigs, chickens and ducks and cultivate small vegetable gardens. Prawns and fish are also farmed, and shellfish are dredged by hand to be later burnt with coal dust to produce lime.

Todays most popular tourist attraction of Kerala, the tranquil backwaters, were once the state's trade highways. Kerala is her backwaters and lakes. They have dictated her history, shaped her present and promise a future by virtue of offering incomparable beauty and unique experiences. The most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region, called the rice bowl of Kerala, probably the only place in the sub-continent where farming is done below sea level.