The magic of the cruises on the backwaters in Kerala

 

Buy a book that suggests the experiences not to be missed in the most beautiful places in the world and you can bet that you will find the suggestion to cruise the calm waters of the Kerala lagoon, called blackwaters. Just think that there are 800km of navigable canals parallel to the coast, along which the green cultivated fields and the villages made up of colored houses, schools and even small churches flow away in front of you during the cruise.  Kerala has a very ancient colonial history, before the British had passed the Dutch and the Portuguese, leaving a Christian and Catholic influence. To better understand this aspect of the history of the southern region of India, stop in Fort Kochi, the historical area of ​​one of the hub cities to Kerala, with historic buildings, ancient churches, mosques, Hindu temples, the bazaar, lively animated and fragrant with spices, where the different religious communities for centuries has been coexisting peacefully. There also lived the Jews who had obtained special protection from the Maraja, when the state of Israel was founded they decided to return to the land of their ancestors, but in memory of their presence the neighborhood remained, which continues to be called Jew Town, around to the ancient synagogue still used for religious festivals, on this occasion the Jews return to keep alive the testimony of their presence in this land. It is also interesting to see the large fishing nets, used with a singular technique learned a couple of centuries ago by Mongolian traders, but for simplicity called Chinese at the time.

 
 
 
 
 
 

From Fort Kochi in two or three hours by car you reach Alleppey, where you find  ‘the Kovallams’, originally boats for the transport of goods, now converted into comfortable boats for cruises in the backwaters. There are at least 900 ones! However, as told at the beginning of this article, the canals are so numerous and the lagoon so large that only a few spots can be found in some traffic. There are many companies that offer this navigation service, also equipped with overnight cabins, of different types. We recommend boats with 5-star level services. We tried the Blue Jelly, which also owns a resort overlooking the lagoon, with a private pier to which 5 boats for private cruises are moored. On board you will find a professional and kind staff, including a cook who will prepare for you excellent dishes from the Kerala cuisine, one of the most appreciated in India. You just have to leave for the cruise, sail on the calm waters of the lagoon, and observe, sipping a good glass of white wine, the quiet life of the villages that takes place on the banks of the canals. The magic of simplicity, nature and silence, this is the essence of a cruise on the backwaters in Kerala.