CTN joined the first fam to preview an all-new itinerary on the waterways of southern India.

Women in jewel-bright saris wash clothes at the water’s edge and children wave from the bank. A distinctive white-chested brahminy kite soars silently overhead and around the next bend in the narrow waterway, we come across the extraordinary sight of hundreds of ducks bobbing in front of the boat as a farmer herds them to their overnight shelter.

Welcome to the Kerala backwaters, a labyrinth of lush rivers, canals, lakes and lagoons, lying parallel to the Arabian Sea. One to three-night cruises have traditionally been the way to see this part of southern India, often combined with a beach stay in Goa or land-based tour.