Looking forward to having the time of your life this holiday? Think about the gorgeous greens, the canopies of coconuts, the bedazzling blues and the breathtakingly beautiful backwaters. Welcome to God’s Own Country, Kerala. Tourism in the Kerala backwaters is a major attraction - these palm-fringed, tranquil backwaters were once just the state’s trade highways. Tourism in the Kerala backwaters have dictated the state’s history, shaped its present and promised it a future by virtue of offering incomparable beauty and unique experiences. The backwaters are inland lakes connected by a network of canals. With 41 west-flowing rivers, the backwaters stretch to almost 1,900 kilometres. The backwater routes date back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices. Today, these waterways link remote villages and islands to the mainland and nerve centres of the coastal area.