Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala
Ashtamudi Lake located in Kollam, a suburb in Kerala, is the most famous backwaters lake present in the state of Kerala. It is very famous amongst the tourists who love canoeing alongside the green ecosystem. The name Ashtamudi was derived from the Malayalam words where 'Ashta' means 'Eight' and 'Mudi' means 'Hair Braids', therefore the word Ashtamudi means 'Eight Braids'. The lake was named as Ashtamudi due to the shape of the back backwaters and the lake, it was similar to the shape of a Palm tree and how the streamlines were interconnected to each other.
The Ashtamudi lake is known as the gateway to the Backwaters of Kerala because of its scenic beauty and many film shootings were also conducted in these backwaters. Kerala is known for providing the best houseboat trips to visitors or tourists from various states and countries and Ashtamudi Lake's houseboat trip is considered as one of the best destinations for houseboat due to the dense greenery in the backwaters and when the houseboat reaches to the sea point you can see the vast ocean at the other end. This mesmerizing beauty has been captured by various famous photographers and is considered as the best spot to view the sunrise and the sunset.
Kollam was considered as the port where trading for the southwestern states was initiated and is considered as an important port city in the Indian history. The houseboat rides offered in Kollam are known as the luxury trip as you get to travel through multiple small villages through the backwaters to reach the canals and the Ashtamudi Lake.