The backwaters is definitely one of the highlights of a visit to Kerala in the south of India. Between the coast of Kerala and the far inland is a vast network of lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals which all goes under the name of “backwaters”.
I took the tourist cruise from Alappuzha to Kollam (400 Rs for 8 hours). The boat departs at 10.30am and arrives at 6.30pm. On the way you will see many beautiful things such as: shallow, palm-fringed lakes with Chinese fishing nets, small settlements where fishermen and their families live and narrow, palm-fringed canals.
It is a really beautiful trip (as you will see from the video below) and I would definitely recommend it.