Instagram: Idukki (Thekkady & Munnar) in Kerala, India

After the backwaters, we drove up the Western Ghats to Thekkady and the hill station town of Munnar. In Thekkady, we visited the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, a World Heritage Site as part of the Western Ghats, where we went on a boat safari on Periyar Lake. We got to see wild elephants (Elephas maximus), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), gaur or Indian bison (Bos gaurus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), a striped-necked mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis) and many species of birds.

We then moved on to the hill station of Munnar. Around the town are the largest tea plantations in Kerala which create a spectacular cultural landscape. Munnar itself is a busy mountain town with an even busier local market. For more photos, follow @ivanhenares on Instagram.

This is what we saw at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, India! Wild elephants!

Sambar deer, gaur (Indian bison), elephants, wild boar, a mongoose and different species of birds were among the animals we saw at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, India

Fantastic cultural landscape at Munnar, Kerala's tea country!

Kerala's tea plantations in Munnar with the Western Ghats as a backdrop are so picturesque! Every turn was another beautiful scene to enjoy! Indeed this is God's own country!

An auto rickshaw makes its way through a busy street of Munnar Market in Kerala, India

Instagram: Alappuzha (Alleppey) in Kerala, India

One of my favorite experiences in Kerala, India was our overnight stay on a houseboat. We did this in the backwaters of Alappuzha (Alleppey) and Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in Kerala. Kettuvallams were previously used as rice transport boats. When roads were built, they fell into disuse and the boatmen lost their livelihood. In the 1990s, someone thought of converting them into houseboats. They started with three. Now they have over 800. For more photos, follow @ivanhenares on Instagram.

Vembanad Lake is the largest lake in Kerala & the longest in India. We are staying overnight in a houseboat in the backwaters of Alappuzha (Alleppey)

School bus! Errr... Here's a school boat taking children home in the backwaters of Alappuzha (Alleppey) in Kerala, India

Instagram: Kollam in Kerala, India

We're still in Kerala, India. After Thiruvananthapuram District, we proceeded to Kollam. We spent an afternoon touring the backwaters of Kollam, particularly Ashtamudi Lake. Ashtamudi Lake in the backwaters of Kollam in Kerala, India is a freshwater lake with a high level of salinity. During high tide, salt water from the Arabian Sea flows in. We saw many of these fishing boats docked in the lake. Most of them fish at night or before sunrise and return early in the morning. For more photos, follow @ivanhenares on Instagram.

Kettuvallam was a Kerala boat traditionally used for carrying rice. They fell into disuse when the road networks were built & were converted into houseboats for tourists about 25 years ago

Cheena vala (Chinese nets) were introduced to Kerala, India in the 14th century and are a popular method for fishing in the backwaters of Kerala