A few weeks later, I arrived at Cochin Airport with a hotel booking for two nights and little information about how I would go about renting a houseboat. My girlfriend, Sue, was sceptical: “How can you expect to arrange something like this in a day or two?” However, I was confident. We checked into our hotel and set off to explore this interesting city. Cochin, also called Kochi, is set on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas earning it the label of the "Queen of the Arabian Sea". Strategically located on the East-West trade route, it is one of the largest ports in India.

Sue was keen to see the city’s famous Jewish synagogue, so that was our first stop. Built in 1568, the synagogue is the oldest in the Commonwealth and is famous for its exquisite hand-painted Chinese floor tiles and Belgian chandeliers. We then visited the Dutch Palace, which has a chequered history. Built by the Portuguese in 1557, it was taken over and renovated by the Dutch. The two-storey building surrounds a courtyard containing a Hindu temple. Worth viewing are the murals from the 17th Century, which depict gods, and scenes from the Ramayana and other epics.

We then visited Cochin Fort and watched boats lined up to enter the harbour. In one of the lanes nearby, I found a travel agency. There I met Mr Ravi, who was to become our travel agent, tour guide and friend for the rest of our stay. “For the best houseboat, I will take you to Alleppey,” he said. He arranged an early pick-up from the hotel two days later for the 90-minute drive to Alleppey. As Sue barraged him with questions about bedding, food and sanitation, he assured her that everything would be “tip-top”. It turned out that his family ran one of the best houseboat operations.

The houseboats are converted ‘kettuvalloms’, boats that was used in the early days for the transport of goods from the isolated interior villages to the towns. The name is a direct translation of ‘stitched boat’, which is how they are constructed from bamboo mats, poles, coconut fibre, and rope. The boats have been transformed into luxurious cruisers and become symbols of tourism in the province. Our houseboat had one guest bedroom with a comfortable double bed, a bathroom with hot water, a spacious living room and a sundeck. The sides of the boat can be lifted, which ensures a cool breeze, plenty of shade and a better view of the passing scenery.

Besides visits from the entertaining Mr Ravi, we had two crew members – an oarsman and a chef, who had their own sleeping quarters on board. In a tiny kitchen, the cook concocted local delicacies, mostly made from fresh ingredients bought from markets along the banks as we travelled. The freshly caught fish included delicious karimeen (pearlspot) and kalangi (barramundi). I can close my eyes now and remember drifting alongside the palm-fringed riverbanks, sipping coconut juice and dining on spicy fish dishes, crabs, steamed idlis (rice patties) and freshly roasted bananas.

The two days slipped away as we took in the incredible sights, sounds and smells the trip provided. Every few hours we would go ashore to one of the small villages and visit tea shops, paddy fields and temples. In one, we watched the skillful art of coir making. Often Mr. Ravi was on hand to tell us the origins and explain the traditions of the communities we visited. We soon realized that you could never run out of places to explore. The backwaters of Kerala is a network stretching 1500 kilometres, consisting of natural and manmade canals, 38 rivers and five big lakes.

As the sun set one evening, a flock of ducks swam alongside the boat and escorted us to a sheltered cove where we moored for the night. It was a magical experience. After darkness fell, Sue and I found ourselves sitting out on the deck for hours, sipping wine under the light of two lanterns and chatting about times gone by and our hopes for the future. Somehow, being so close to nature had made us reflective, giving us the opportunity to think about our lives.

On the second day of our cruise, Sue wanted to experience an Ayurvedic massage. On Mr. Ravi’s recommendation, we were taken to a treatment centre attached to a delightful hotel, the Coir Village Lake Resort. Situated at Thrikunnapuzha, a small island lying in the heart of the backwaters, the resort has an unhurried relaxed feel with stunning private bungalows dotted along the waterfront. I could imagine spending many lazy days relaxing here, with a daily excursion by houseboat to explore the surrounding areas. We vowed to return here for a longer holiday.

Back at our hotel in Cochin for the last night, we took a fresh look at our guidebooks and maps of Kerala state to discover how little of the area we had visited. There’s so much we still want to see – the beaches of Kovalam, the blue lagoons at Veli, the hill stations at Ponmudi and the enchanting waterfalls of Athirampally.