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After two weeks of being held hostage by the urban chaos of Mumbai and Kochi, I was in serious need of sensory detoxification. I hired a car and driver and went 250 kilometers south of Kochi to a small coastal village called Poovar. There flows the Neyyar River and a few places where you can hire a boat to cruise the backwaters that feed the Neyyar. Once you’re on the backwaters, it’s just you, the boat captain, some kingfishers, some cormorants and a duck or two. On my two hour boat cruise, I could count the number of people we crossed paths with on my two hands. Pure tranquility and relaxation! A gentle breeze will take you along narrow channels of water lined with coconut palms; fronds gently waving in the air. The Neyyar empties out into an estuary where the coconut palms give way to mangroves and you’ll find yourself drifting under the cool shade of the trees. Eventually, you end up at the point where the estuary flows into the Arabian Sea. You can take a break from the boat ride with a walk on the beach to watch the pounding waves of the sea crashing onto shore. Poovar is located about 15 km south of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum), the state capital of Kerala. There are plenty of places to stay, either in Poovar or in Thiruvananthapuram. The boat cruise company that I hired my cruise from was Leela Backwater Craze (http://leelabackwaters.com/). They have various boating options that you can choose from.

Opened in 1999, the Singapore City Gallery tells the story of how Singapore transformed from a muddy backwater into the modern and sustainable metropolis we see today. Interactive displays reveal the history of the various districts, the unique challenges of being a city-state-country, and ambitious projects (from growing vertically to planning underground) that have made Singapore such a global icon. Don’t miss the light and sound show that takes over the huge city model on the main floor.

If you’d rather kayak or canoe down quiet backwaters, wetlands, and forests surrounding Annapolis, you can take a sunset tour with Paddle or Pedal. You’ll paddle alongside local fauna and flora such as ospreys, eagles, and jumping fish, and during a paddling pit-stop, you can comb beaches for fossils. The company rents out kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, row boats, rowing shells, stand up paddle boards and sailboats, including bicycles for exploring nearby trails.

Beans & Berries may seem like just another Korean coffee shop chain, until you step inside and realize that they serve frozen yogurt. This is a relatively new concept in Korea, where Baskin Robbins ice cream shops abound in even the country’s most backwater towns, but frozen yogurt shops remain a virtual enigma. At Beans & Berries, they’ve adopted the concept of self-service. Load up your cup with creamy yogurt, and top it up with berries, nuts, candies and sauces of your choice. The delectable concoction is weighed and you pay accordingly. Prices are a bit steep, but if you’re a frozen yogurt lover passing through Seoul, you’re unlikely to care. Grab one at the location in Seoul Station before hopping on your train.

Singapore’s great culinary tradition has more to do with the city/state’s position as a global financial power than it does with any unique cultural heritage. Before it became the most important trading port in Asia, Singapore was little more than a backwater berg servicing sea merchants, pirates, and scallywags. Today Singapore boasts dozens of world-class restaurants, including some of Asia’s most expensive, and some of its cheapest (if you’ve never had street food in Singapore, you’re missing out). We were in town for the Singapore Food Festival, and while we certainly visited our fair share of restaurants, the most fun we had was wandering the colorful markets, like this one in Little India.

To market, to market! Take me to the market; that’s where I like to get my feet wet (related: it’s a terrible idea to wear flip flops to the market). Last week I waxed poetic on my love for bamboo basket makerel in Bangkok. I don’t know what sort of fish this is, but I love it just the same. Kota Kinabalu isn’t exactly the Borneo of my imagination; it’s really just a sleepy midsized South East Asian town, and not the wild, rugged jungle backwater I was hoping it would be. To get my fill of wild in KK, I went hunting through the open air market. I’m posting one of the tamer photos from this expedition - for the sake of your stomachs. Maybe I’ll get wilder on the next cycle through.

Two things you need to know about gondola rides in Venice: They’re worth it; and the price is agreed beforehand. Knowing those two things, you can happily hop aboard this traditional Venetian mode of transport and relax, because, touristy as it is, it’s not a rip-off, and it’s a must-have experience. You can pick up a gondola almost anywhere in Venice, and you can see whatever sights you want from one... My own recommendation is to head away from the Grand Canal to the quiet backwater canals where you can really imagine yourself centuries back in time. We engaged our gondolier at the station near Rialto Mercato and asked him to take us across to Cannaregio, a more residential area that still boasts some extraordinary palazzi and churches. We barely met another boat, apart from the odd Venetian getting himself home on his motor launch, and unexpected delights loomed upon us silently and suddenly, like Marco Polo’s house, or the Chiesa dei Miracoli. All in all, much better than joining the heavy gondola traffic in San Marco.

Officially named the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier, this landmark extends 1,045 feet into the Atlantic Ocean, making it the second-longest pier on the East Coast. It’s also 25 feet wide, allowing ample room for walkers, fishermen, and families enjoying a day at the coast. At its base is a full-service restaurant, Pier 101, with an open-air bar over the beach (drinks are allowed on the pier), as well as public restrooms and a gift shop selling bait, tackle, and ice cream. The two-story gazebo at the end of the pier is the perfect place to catch the sunset or watch surfers tackling one of the most consistent wave-breaks in the state. If you’re visiting Charleston during the summer, head to the pier for a Moonlight Mixer (held once a month on Friday nights), when DJs entertain with beach music classics by The Drifters and the Chairmen of the Board.

The Old Quarter of Hoi An is incredibly well preserved and photogenic. Head there at nightfall when the lanterns are lit and begin snapping some incredibly beautiful photos. Between the lanterns, the gorgeous architecture, the boats, and the bridges, there are an endless amount of perfectly composed photos to be taken. Don’t forget to bring a tripod of some sort to handle the long exposure shots.

This “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was once the heart of Korea. It was the power center of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and was originally built in 1395—some new digs for a new dynasty. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, the palace is a complex of buildings—a throne hall, the king’s living quarters and more—a sort of city inside a city, accented by gardens and pavilions. The Japanese flattened the place in the 1590s, and the site remained a ruin until a complete reconstruction in 1867 brought back more than 500 buildings. At the Gwanghwamun Gate, soldiers, beautifully costumed in red robes, still perform the changing of the guard. Seoul has other palaces, but this is the one to see if your time in town is limited.

Built in 1901, the legendary “First Lady of Waikiki” blends Victorian architecture with a golden beach and turquoise seas. Putting a luxury hotel in a deserted backwater was a bold move—but one that paid off. Tourism took off here and the Moana remains its ruling monarch. One of the most lovely, historical hotels in Hawaii, it still has Ionic columns supporting an elegant porte-cochère, plus a long shaded gallery along its facade where rocking chairs encourage guests to watch the world go by. A $21-million renovation brought it up-to-date in 2014 and added a new beach club. But an exhibit room still honors its rich past on the second floor of the Banyan Wing, and serves as a jumping-off point for free historical tours (11 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays).

Sultan Battery is a watchtower a few miles from central Mangalore, on a headland overlooking the city’s scenic backwaters. It was constructed in 1784 by Tipu Sultan from black stones that are said to have been plundered from churches built by the Portuguese. The battery was erected to intercept enemy warships before they entered the river—exactly the route that would prove to be crucial to the success of the English invasion. Visitors can climb to the top of the watchtower for sweeping views of the backwaters and, beyond them, the Arabian Sea.

Designed to evoke a traditional Kerala kettuvalam rice boat, and boasting views of the backwaters and historic Mattancherry from its perch on Willington Island, this restaurant—considered one of the best in Kerala—celebrates all things born of the water. Try a fresh-off-the-boat catch from the backwaters, such as the local sweetwater fish, or go farther afield with lobster or mussels from the ocean, or even imported salmon and oysters. There are several international dishes, like Lobster Newburg or pan-seared Canadian scallops, but opt instead for the items prepared with local flavors: think tiger prawn tossed with shallots and curry leaves, crab-and-coconut soup, and white snapper coated with tamarind and pepper, then steamed in a banana leaf. You can watch the chefs craft it all through the show kitchen, and ask them to modify spices as needed—ensuring the preparation is as fresh as the ingredients. Save room for the tender coconut soufflé.

As befits its location inside the Heritage Arts Museum, this restaurant is furnished completely in antiques, from the traditional snake boat lining the entrance hallway to the tables, chairs, pillars, door frames, and even parts of the ceiling—and much of it, both in the restaurant and showroom, is also for sale. This unique setting plus views of the scenic backwaters makes this a popular stop with expats and tourists, particularly those who’ve spent the day exploring the surrounding historic Jew Town. Revive yourself with dishes prepared in both Kerala– and general Indian-style. Almost everything on the menu—from the chicken and fresh prawns to the ice cream—features ginger in some form. Service can be slow, but at least there’s plenty to look at while you wait.

In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we journey to Kerala, India, to explore what tourism looks like when it truly benefits a local community—and travelers.