Backwaters & Lakes

India's major backwater networks and scenic lakes — houseboat and boating country.

A curated selection, not an official or closed list — either traditions vary on the full set of sites, or this is an editorial grouping rather than a traditional one.

Significance & tradition

This grouping spans genuinely different kinds of water bodies — Kerala's engineered backwater and canal network, historically used for cargo transport and now houseboat tourism, versus natural high-altitude lakes like Dal and Nainital that grew into leisure destinations during the colonial hill-station era.

How this list was compiled

Not exhaustive; a curated spread of India's best-known backwaters and lakes.