Kuttanad- the rice bowl of Kerala is one of the finest tourist destinations in the world. Kuttanad and its surrounding areas are a part of the Vembanad Lake - the biggest fresh water lake in India. The lake, which receives five major rivers of Kerala into its bosom, is also an ecological hot spot. The vast expanse of the Vembanad lake covers the whole western front of Kuttanad, and the fresh waters of the lake runs into the main land making a labyrinth of lagoons, brooks, canals and waterways. The lake is bestowed with abundant marine life, the perennial delicacy the pearl spot fish, the tiger prawns, shrimps and other fresh water fishes are a few to name.

An evening cruise through the lake gives the visitor a fairy tale spectacle. Hundreds of oil lamps light up the riverfronts and the slating rays of the setting sun wrap the whole area in an ethereal glow. Kuttanad has been declared as one of the Wetlands of International Importance (as a Ramsar Site since November 2002) and has been identified with the third largest population of more than 20,000 waterfowls in India during winter months. Out of the 400 different types of birds recorded in Kerala about 50%, nearly 200 of them are seen in Kuttanad i.e. more than 95% of waterbirds in Kerala. From November to March Kuttanad holds the peak number.