Cruise
The Ultimate Slow Travel Experience
A Pandaw Cruise in the Backwaters of Kerala, India
There was a moment somewhere in southern India when time simply stopped mattering. It happened early one morning aboard Kochi Pandaw, in Kerala, India, as we cruised through a narrow canal in the famed backwaters. The light was soft, filtered through coconut palms leaning lazily over the water. Fishermen’s nets hung above the canal. A woman swept the front step of her waterside home. No one rushed. No one seemed inclined to. By then, neither was I.
I loved this one-week cruise not because I was tired or in need of escape, but because it reflected where I am in life and how I want to travel now. Less noise, more depth. Less performance, more presence. Less urgency, more meaning.
A Landscape That Sets the Tempo
Kerala’s backwaters are not one river or one lake, but a vast network of lagoons, canals, rivers and estuaries stretching parallel to the Arabian Sea. For generations, life here has been connected to the waterways and nature. Boats are not tourist novelties here. They are used for student transportation, grocery transport, and as work vehicles. Roads may be growing in importance, but the waterways remain the pulse of daily life.
Why a Small Ship Matters
Pandaw Cruises, a privately-owned cruise line founded in1995, operates luxury river expeditions on their fleet of traditionally-designed teak wood and brass trimmed small ships (20-60 passengers) on the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam, the Upper Mekong in Laos, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, and recently in India with four ships on the Ganges and Brahmaputra, and the Kerala Backwaters. I have cruised aboard Pandaw ships in all of these countries enjoying their signature personal service and superb locally sourced dining.
With just 10 comfortable cabins, Kochi Pandaw felt more like a floating summer home than a cruise ship. Its shallow draft and small size allowed it to navigate narrow canals, locks and waterways inaccessible to larger ships. Pandaw is currently the only cruise company offering week-long journeys through the Kerala backwaters, which gives it a distinct advantage for travelers wanting more than a day trip. Thousands of traditional houseboats, known as kettuvallams, cruise these waters, but most operate for short overnight or weekend trips.
On this cruise we were not observing Kerala from a distance. We were part of its daily rhythm. We glided past homes where families cooked, washed clothes, chatted on verandas and launched canoes from their front steps. Children waved enthusiastically. Fishermen and rice farmers nodded.
In a world where overtourism increasingly defines popular destinations, this cruise felt refreshingly quiet. There were no crowds, and I didn’t’ feel the sense that the destination was performing for us.
The Luxury of Time
Modern travel often feels like a race against the itinerary. See this. Photograph that. Move on. This cruise offered the opposite.
Some mornings we boarded tiny local boats to explore even narrower canals where palms brushed the water and bright turquoise Kingfisher birds rested on rocks. The heat and humidity were extreme by the time we returned for a much-welcomed leisurely breakfast on board, followed by free time to read, edit photographs, watch the scenery, and think.
Afternoons included a village walk, a visit to a small church, or a chance to observe rope making from coconut fibre. Another day, we watched toddy tapping, an age-old practice of climbing palm trees to collect sap. Nothing felt rushed.
Back on board in the later afternoon, the rhythm continued. Meals were relaxed, and conversations came easily among our small group of 19 guests, seated at two family style tables.
Designed for Presence
Part of what made this cruise so wonderful was what it did not offer. There were no televisions in the cabins. No blaring music. No endless schedule of trivia games, contests or poolside distractions. Instead, there were open teak decks, a handful of well-travelled international guests, and an opportunity to look outward rather than inward.
The Power of Repetition
What surprised me most was how much richness I found in what first seemed repetitive.
The same stretch of water looked entirely different at dawn while I sipped cappuccino on deck, at midday over lunch, and again at sunset over cocktails when the sky turned gold. The same village revealed new details each time we passed, a face I recognized, a shop I had missed, a rhythm I was beginning to understand. Over the course of the week, familiarity replaced novelty. I began to anticipate the fisherman in one bend of canal, the children at another, the evening birds settling into the trees.
Why It Lingers
My journey with Pandaw did not overwhelm me with spectacle. It did not rush me from one highlight to the next. Instead, it created space for observation, reflection and connection.
That may be why it remains so memorable.
The best journeys do not always dazzle us in the moment. Sometimes they simply feel right. They align with who we are and how we want to live. For me, this cruise through Kerala’s backwaters did exactly that. Less noise, more depth. Less performance, more presence.
And in today’s world, that may be the greatest luxury of all, and why I have cruised with Pandaw in 5 countries and hope to return soon.
