All pic credits: Shutterstock
Srimoyee Chowdhury 17 August 2025
1: Champu Khangpok, Manipur A floating village on Manipur’s Loktak Lake, built entirely on phumdis — islands of vegetation. Homes, schools, and kitchens drift gently with the water, shaped by the lake’s rhythm.
Getting there: Fly or take a train to Imphal, then drive to Moirang (1.5 hrs). From Loktak Lake, hire a local boat. Sunrise is the best time to glide into this world of phumdis and floating life.
2 Kollam Backwaters, Kerala Along Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala’s watery lanes carry more than boats — they carry lives. Kids row to school, groceries come by canoe, and bells echo softly across winding water canals.
Getting there: Reach Kollam by road or rail, then board a ferry or hire a shikara. In the rains, boats are the only way in — as backwater villages quietly vanish beneath the monsoon waters.
3: Sundarbans Settlements, West Bengal Where tides rise and tigers roam, people live on stilts and strength. Boats bring supplies, children, rituals and hope to these delta villages cradled by mangroves and floodwaters.
Getting there: From Kolkata, travel to Canning or Godkhali (two to three hours) by road, then board a boat to the village islands. There are no roads or autos here — only winding creeks, narrow canoes, and villages wrapped in the silence of the mangroves.
4: Majuli, Assam The world’s largest river island, Majuli, sits in the Brahmaputra’s arms. Satras, flood cycles, tribal art, and ancient wisdom shape life here — flowing to the river’s rhythm.
Getting there: Drive from Jorhat to Neemati Ghat, then take a ferry (45–60 mins) across the Brahmaputra. Majuli has more cycles than cars — best explored in winter, when river winds are calm.
5: Kottayam’s Waterlogged Hamlets, Kerala In Kumarakom and nearby backwater villages, roads sink in the monsoon. Boats become clinics and school buses. Between paddy fields and lakes, ducks often outnumber signboards.
Getting there: Reach Kottayam or Alappuzha by train. Local ferries and houseboats take you into these hamlets, where canoes trail flocks of ducks and even temples float during flood season.