This morning enjoy a boat ride on Lake Periyar, a haven for bird life including herons, hornbills and egrets and where you may see wild elephants coming down to the lake for a drink.
Afterwards we drive 4-hours to Alleppey set on Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater (fresh water lake) in India. This network of backwaters, lakes and rivers stretches over 930 miles (1,500 km) and provides a vital waterway for transporting people and their produce.
Here you board your private air-conditioned Rice Houseboat, once used to transport goods from isolated interior villages to the larger towns but now largely used for pleasure. As the water is level with the land here, spend the afternoon relaxing and watching the agricultural lives of the people who live along the canals and work in the rice paddy fields, as you cruise through the Kerala Backwaters.
In the evening see the sun setting over the tranquil backwaters and enjoy dining on delicious local Kerala cuisine prepared by your chef.
Note: No alcohol is served on the houseboat, but you can buy beer at the jetty before boarding.