Venice of the East: Alleppey

Alleppey, also known as Alappuzha is  a district in Kerala , a major tourist attraction in India.It is often called the Venice of the East because of canals that connect it to backwaters. Alappuzha was a trading center of mainly spices and the scenic beauty of Alappuzha is always attracting. Today Alappuzha is known mainly for backwater tourism. Alleppey has a pretty good area of backwaters. Foreign tourists are main visitors of Alleppey.


Altitude : Sea Level
Nearest Airport: Cochin
Location: 75 Km from Cochin
Temperature : Min. 15 c - Max. 30 c
Tourist Season : September to May
Nearest Railway Station: Alappuzha

Major attractions

Backwaters

In Alappuzha the backwaters act as a vital waterway for the transport of goods, people and their produce are often the only link between isolated villages and crowded towns This gives the advantage of getting a closer look at the village life on shore while on a backwater cruise.Most tourists those who come to Alappuzha take a houseboat cruise along the backwaters. Houseboats can be rented for 8 Hrs to few days. They come equipped with well furnished bedroom, sit-outs, kitchen and modern bath and toilet facilities.The houseboats are supported by drivers and a cook. From the boat one can observe the everyday village life of people.Look for toddy shops where you can have toddy with much spicy and delicious food like duck , prawns etc.'Mullapanthal' and 'Tharavadu' are famous toddy shops.

House boat

                                                          Normal motors boats are also available at cheap rates to cruise through the backwaters, but expect the them as luxurious and comfortable as house boats.If u are planning a bird watching then its is advisable to get cruise at early morning. 

Kappa from toddy shop

Beaches

Alappuzha lying along the sea side ,have beaches also as a major tourist attraction.The beaches at Alappuzha are famous for the type of sand.Main beaches here are Alappuzha beach and Mararikulam beach.Mararikulam is one of the most beautiful place in Alappuzha and known for its calmness.Alappuzha beach is equally good as Marari beach ,but is more crowded.

Alappuzha beach

Kuttanad

Kuttanad, called the rice bowl of Kerala because of its wealth of paddy crops, is at the very heart of the backwaters. The scenic countryside of Kuttanad is picturesque.This is perhaps the only region in the world where farming is done 1.5 to 2 m below sea level. Inland waterways which flow above land level are an amazing feature of this region.

Other major attractions include:

• Karumadikuttan(3 km east of Ambalapuzha)
• Pathiramanal 
• Ambalapuzha temple festival
• Q S T and R Block Kayal
• Arthunkal Church (22 km north of Alappuzha)
•  Edathua Church (24 km from Alappuzha, on the Alappuzha - Thiruvalla Road)
• Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada (2nd Saturday of August every year) 
• Pulinkunnu Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race (last Saturday of August) 

 Some more pictures: