Backwaters

Fishermen navigate the waterways in handmade boats, selling their catch to passing riverboats or housewives on the banks. Schoolgirls with neat braids and starched uniforms skip along the dusty paths, farmers lead oxen to plough the fields, and life slips by at a peaceful, almost meditative speed. Travelling by houseboat is an immersive way to experience this tranquillity, slipping along the rivers under swaying palms, sampling the day’s catch or watching the sunset from the bow.