Alleppey (Alappuzha)

Overview

Alleppey, officially Alappuzha, is a port town that lives by its waterways. Canals thread between the streets, and beyond the last houses they open into Vembanad Lake and the quiet channels of Kuttanad, where some villages are reached mainly by boat. Anyone searching for Alleppey backwaters will find that this is the place that gives the idea its shape: slow water, coconut palms and paddy fields seen from deck level.

The best-known way to see it is aboard a kettuvallam, the traditional boat built from planks lashed with coir rope. Many were once used to carry rice and have been converted into houseboats. Before you book, check whether the trip is a day cruise or an overnight stay, since what the price includes differs from one operator to the next.

Land-side sights fill the gaps between boat days. Alappuzha Beach has an old sea pier and a lighthouse, and the railway station sits less than a kilometre from the shore. About 11 km away, Marari Beach lies beside a working fishing village and feels far quieter than the town. Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is known for its sweet milk pudding, paal payasam, offered to devotees. Pathiramanal, a small island in Vembanad Lake, draws birdwatchers.

Boats also define the calendar. The snake-boat races at Punnamada Lake and Champakulam send long, crowded racing boats down the water to the rhythm of village teams, and race days bring heavy crowds.

Alappuzha lies roughly 60 to 70 km south of Kochi, so it fits easily into a Kerala circuit. Rain arrives with both monsoons and averages about 2,800 mm a year, so the cooler, drier months from about October to February suit a cruise best. Two to three days is a sensible stay for a cruise, a beach visit and one temple or village outing.

Known for

On the Alappuzha canals and Vembanad Lake