Water bodies have a certain romance and India offers all kinds: tropical backwaters, perennial rivers in narrow gorges, Himalayan rivers fresh from the mountains and serene lakes.

Rivers and lakes are often holy, and are often centres for meditation and religious practices. This means lots of colour and ceremony - nowhere does India get more exotic.

The Kerala backwaters are a hive of activity, with the waterways used for all aspects of living: transport, irrigation, and fishing.