Jungle Boat Ride Through the Kerala Backwaters

On Day 3, we’ll take a small boat ride through the famous Kerala backwaters. The backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala. The backwaters have a unique ecosystem: freshwater from the rivers and monsoons meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape. Some associate it with imagery from Joseph Conrad’s novel ‘The Heart of Darkness’, river scenes from Apocalypse Now, and Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’. Either way, it’s a peaceful and magical tour. Bring your bathing suit for a celebratory dip in the Arabian Sea on this outing.