Luxury family holidays: Kerala home to 'wonderful' coastline

Britons constructing the itinerary for their tailor made holiday in Kerala should explore the Indian state's backwaters, according to a travel writer.

Harriet O'Brien, writing for the Independent, expressed her belief this network of canals, lagoons, rivers and lakes provides a unique insight into the history and culture of the region.

"The joy of a journey through these waterways is in seeing a part of rural Kerala that is inaccessible by road. You drift along canals fringed with coconut palms and pandanus shrubs, the banks dotted with wooden houses," she said.

"You watch iridescent kingfishers dive into the water and you gaze at bright white egrets stalking the shallows."

The backwaters were traditionally used as a transport link between villages with markets to help promote business.

Those looking for a "picture-perfect haven of white sands and turquoise waters" could follow in Ms O'Brien's footsteps and stay at the Bangaram Island Resort.