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Alappuzha Alappuzha - Alleppey

The Enchanting Venice of the East

Alappuzha or Alleppey is a place where beauty abounds and nature’s surprises await you at every turn. This land of timeless beauty will hold spectators captivated with its lush greenery, emerald backwaters and sparkling white-sand beaches. Situated in the southwestern part of Kerala, the place is famous for its stunning natural splendors. Alleppey, popularly known as the “Venice of the East”, is famous for its labyrinthine network of backwaters and canals and its extensive sea shore stretching over 82 km.

Being flanked by an extensive network of backwaters and, paddy fields, the inhabitants of Alleppey lead a distinct water-based lifestyle quite unique to the region. The region is well acclaimed for its religious tolerance - with people from different walks of faith living together harmoniously and peacefully for centuries. The “Vallamkaly” or Snake Boat Race, a major event held in the backwaters of Alleppey attracting hoards of travelers, is supposedly the biggest team-sport event in the world.

Marthanda Varma Maharaja, the erstwhile ruler of the princelyTravancore state, made Alappuzha his stronghold bastion after he defeated the Dutch in the 17th century. In the year 1762 AD, Raja Kesavadasan, the then Diwan of Travancore, built an extensive network of  canals crisscrossing the town of Alleppey, which became a crucial factor that fuelled the economic growth of the region.


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Alappuzha - Alleppey Tour packages
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Air Road Rail Water

How to Reach: Air
Alleppey town is located at a distance of 64 km from Cochin International Airport and 159 km from Thiruvananthapuram airport.

How to Reach: Road
Alleppey is well connected with the rest of Kerala through an extensive network of roads. The National Highway - NH 47, passes right through the town.

How to Reach: Rail
Alleppey is well connected by rail with all parts of India. The railway station is located at the heart of the town.

How to Reach: Water
Regular boat services keep Alleppey well connected with Kollam, Kottayam, Kumarakam and Cochin. The boat jetty is located right in the centre of the town.

Top Attractions
Places To See

Kuttanad - The much acclaimed “Rice bowl of Kerala”, spread over 75 km, is famous for its vast green paddy fields with the scenic backwaters in the backdrop. This picture-postcard place is surrounded by a vast expanse of water. Enjoy the surreal beauty of the enchanting backwaters of Kerala with a houseboat cruise along the picturesque Vembanad backwaters. Kuttanad is also famous for its coir related industries with many households in the region tied to this sector directly or indirectly.

Pathiramanal - A safe sanctuary for indigenous and rare migratory birds, this island situated in Vembanad Lake is an Ornithologists delight. This beautiful island is located between Thannermukkam and Kumarakom.If you like, you can rent a speed boat to reach the island.

Karumadikkutan Temple
- Kerala was once a Buddhist centre; though much has been lost a few remnants lie scattered throughout the state. Karumadi village, a small town near Ambalappuzha, is famous for Karimadikkuttan - a black granite statue of Lord Buddha dating back to the 10th century AD.

Mannarasala – The Sree Naga Raja Temple at Mannarasala is a famous pilgrim centre for worshippers of serpent gods. The temple is quite unique as the rituals are traditionally conducted by a high priestess. The temple is located near Harippad at a distance of about 32 km from Alappuzha town. The temple has more than 30,000 images of the serpent gods and is the largest of its kind in Kerala.

Mararikkulam - Located at a distance of 12 Km from Alleppey, Mararikkulam is famous for its palm fringed golden sand beach. The beach is ideal for indulging in swimming and other water-sports..

Punnapra - Punnapra has its name written on the chronicles of history, not with golden letters but with red. It is here during the 1946 revolt, the communist activists and Travancore state police confronted each other. The place is famous for the memorial monument erected to honor the valor and courage of these brave martyrs.

Ambalapuzha Temple - The Ambalapuzha Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is popularly known as the “Dwaraka” of South. The temple is famous for its exquisite mural paintings and the “Ambalapuzha Palpayasam” – sweet milk porridge. Kunjan Nambiar performed his satirical art form - “Ottan Thullal”, for the first time in the temple premises. The temple is built in the traditional Kerala architecture style. Ambalapuzha is located at a distance of about 10 km south of Alleppey town.

Krishnapuram Palace - The Krishnapuram Palace was built in the 18th century by the ruler of erstwhile Travancore kingdom Marthanda Varma Maharaja. The palace is famous for its exquisite mural paintings and architectural marvel. The huge “Gagendra Moksham” mural measuring 14 feet by 11 feet is the largest of its kind in Kerala.  The palace is today an archeological museum housing many antique sculptures, bronzes, paintings etc.

Alleppey Beach - The beach, frequented by both local and international tourists, is famous for its natural beauty. The 137 year old pier that extends out into the sea is a remnant of Aleppey’s glorious past when it was a major port city. Dense palm grooves, a beautiful garden on the sea shore, an ancient light house all these further accentuate the beauty of this scenic beach. There are facilities for relaxing and unwinding at the nearby Vijay Sea Park and Sea View Park.

QST and R Block Kayal - This land has been reclaimed from the backwaters and is protected by dikes to prevent it from flooding.  The place boasts of an uncanny resemblance with the famous dikes of Holland..

Arthunkal Church – This famous shrine dedicated to St. Sebastian was built by the Portuguese friars. The church is located at a distance of 22 km to the north of Alleppey near Cherthala. Christians and people from different faiths converge here during the annual feast of St. Sebastian held during the month of January.

Things To Do

House Boats - The best possible way to experience the alluring backwaters of Kerala in luxury and comfort. Watch the breath-taking beauty of the scenic countryside unfold before your eyes as you cruise along the emerald backwaters. These houseboats come equipped with all modern amenities and your own personal cook.

Front-seat Boatrace view - To get a real up-close experience of the boatrace we recommend you to rent a houseboat, canoe or any other boat to watch the race. .

Toddy shops - Try some of the mouthwatering delicacies and toddy (an alcoholic beverage made from coconut palms) from the local toddy shops. Do make it a point to try the mouthwatering combination of Kappa (Tapioca) & Meen curry (Fish curry).

Visit a Coir Factory – Coir and related industries form the lifeblood supporting a majority of households directly and indirectly in the region. Do make it a point to visit one of these factories or small industries where you can see how coir is made from coconut husk.

Quick Facts
Location
Located in Southern Kerala sharing borders with the districts of Kollam, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta. Alleppey is at a distance of 64 km from Cochin and 162 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Climate
Being close to the sea, the place enjoys a moderate tropical climate. Alappuzha gets an annual rainfall close to 229 cm.The place has a minimum temperature that hovers around 20 degree Celsius in winter and a maximum temperature of 35 degree Celsius in summer.
Best Time To Visit
The period from August to March is considered an ideal time for visiting the place. This has been recently redefined with the concept of “Monsoon Tourism” gaining wide popularity. The much acclaimed Snake Boat races are held during the month of August.
Eateries

Try some of the mouthwatering seafood delights like ‘Karimeen Pollichathu’ (Pearl Spotted fish cooked in a banana leaf), ‘Konju Ulathiyathu’ (Tiger Prawns) and ‘Chemmeen Fry’ (Prawns). If you are in the mood to try something hot and spicy, try the food at ‘Toddy shops’. Try some indigenous snacks like jackfruit chips or banana chips which are available in almost all the shops.

Trivia

Boats once used for war - The “snake boats” that cruise peacefully through the backwaters were once powerful fighting-vehicles carrying soldiers when wars were fought between the local kings. Each of these boats used to carry more than  100 soldiers.

Venice of the East - This popular cliché was first used by the Governor General and Viceroy of India - Lord Curzon, to describe the beauty of Alleppey.

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