Alleppey Tourism (2024) - Kerala > Allapuzha Backwaters, Travel Guide

Alleppey Travel Packages

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3 Days / 2 Nights

Munnar Alleppey Holiday Package for 3 Days

$1,083 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Kerala 4 Night 5 Days Package with Houseboat

$ 30,000

90% off

$2,826 per adult on twin sharing

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7 Days / 6 Nights

Munnar Alleppey Kovalam Tour Package

$ 3,099

14% off

$2,638 per adult on twin sharing

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6 Days / 5 Nights

Romantic Honeymoon Getaway: Best Kerala Package for Couples

$ 2,608

24% off

$1,978 per adult on twin sharing

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8 Days / 7 Nights

Kerala Beaches & Backwater Tour Package

$ 3,297

7% off

$3,043 per adult on twin sharing

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3 Days / 2 Nights

Backwaters Weekend - Alleppey Tour Package

$ 1,026

17% off

$847 per adult on twin sharing

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Alleppey Travel Essentials

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Weather:

Ideal duration: 1-2 days

Best Time: June to March Read More

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Also Refered As:

Allapuzha

"Backwaters, Beaches and Lagoons - Venice of the East"

Alleppey Tourism

Officially called Alappuzha, Alleppey is known for its network of canals and lagoons with beautiful backwaters and the houseboats offering overnight stays. Located in the southern part of Kerala, the coastline of Alleppey offers some of the best beaches with water sports during the dry season. Coupled with other beautiful places in Kerala like Munnar and Thekkady, Alleppey is often considered for a honeymoon or for a great family vacation.

Alleppey's palm-fringed inter-connect network of canal backwaters attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. Kuttanad, also called the 'Rice Bowl of Kerala' covers a large part of Allapuzha and is home to lush green paddy fields, lakes and backwaters.

There are plenty of houseboats, homestays, and rejuvenating Ayurvedic resorts that make staying in Alleppey brilliant. The houseboats pass through the serene backwaters, where you can catch glimpses of green paddy fields, choir-making activities, and witness the life of locals in Kerala. Alleppey is also dotted with famous temples like Chettikulangara Devi Temple and Mullakkal Temple.

Be sure to catch a traditional snake boat race on the Punnamada Lake in the months of August and September and try out some toddy (palm wine) at a local toddy shop for adding a touch of authenticity to your travel experience in Allepey.

Houseboats in Alleppey

Alleppey Backwaters

Kuttanad

Alappuzha Beach

Alappuzha Lighthouse

Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple

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50 Resorts in Alleppey for a Getaway

$ 113 onwards

19 Alappuzha Beach Resorts

$ 84 onwards

48 Homestays In Alleppey

$ 28 onwards

22 3 Star Hotels In Alleppey

$ 78 onwards

50 Budget Hotels In Alleppey

$ 23 onwards

50 Resorts Near Marari Beach

$ 37 onwards

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Venice of the East

One of the cleanest and the oldest planned towns in India, Alleppey is a picturesque coastal delight, with backwaters, lagoons, canals, beaches festooning the city like nothing else. No wonder why Alleppey was nicknamed 'Venice of the East', ironically by the most notorious Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon.

Besides this, Alleppey is extremely famous for its snake boat races, which occur in the monsoon season. Alleppey's backwaters are the most popular destination in Kerala. Other places of interest in Alleppey are Alleppey Beach, which offers a breathtaking view of Laccadive Sea, Krishnapuram Palace, St. Andrew's Basilica, and Haripada Sri Subrahmanya Swamy Temple.

History of Alleppey

Alleppey's history can be traced back to as early as the 1st century AD --- when St Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, arrived here and introduced Christianity in South India.

The foothold of the Christian religion was further strengthened by the Portuguese and the Dutch forces who arrived many centuries later and established their dominance in this region.

The famous St. Andrews Basilica was constructed by the Portuguese in around the 17th century. Alleppey was also under the political influence of Maharaja Marthanda Varma, who is known as the ‘Maker of modern Travancore’.

The town played a critical role in the independence struggle of the country, birthing revolts against the feudal British Raj. The famous Communist uprising - Punnapra Vayalur took place here, where more than a 1000 people lost their lives during the struggle period.

Paddy Cultivation in Backwaters

The backwaters of Alleppey is home to Kuttanad, often called The Rice Bowl of Kerala. Traversing through a houseboat in this region offers a beautiful green kaleidoscope of rich paddy fields, interspersed with coconut trees. The paddy is cultivated on huge areas of reclaimed land from the Vembanad lake.

The reclamation took place over three phases, starting from 1865 to 1940. These reclaimed areas are called Padsekharam. Initially, the reclaiming was done manually with water wheels, and later with steam engines. The paddy fields are drained by 4 major rivers - Pampa, Meenachil, Achankovil and Manimala. Speculations have claimed that it is the only area in the world where farming is done up to 2 metres below sea level.

Shopping in Alleppey

One of the most interesting things to do in Alleppey is to shop for souvenirs and knick- knacks from the local markets and street side stalls. Some of the most common things to shop are authentic spices, handicrafts, coir products, South Indian jewellery, textiles, carpets and trinkets. The city also have some malls where you can shop the big brands.

Restaurants and Local Food in Alleppey

Alleppey's cuisine has a number of must haves. Your taste buds haven't experienced Allepey if you haven't tried the Ghee Roast Dosa and Malayalee Parotha . While Appams and Idlis form the essentials, you can also try "Toddy" which is a locally fermented alcohol beverage made from palm tree and coconut palms. Rice wine can be also tried in Alleppey.

One of the most essential things to do in Alleppey is trying the local cuisine. Apart from the very famous Puttu Kadala, Appam, Vada, curry and other traditional Kerala food; you can also try the homemade fish and seafood. All of these dishes have a very strong coconut flavour

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Suggested Itinerary for Alleppey

Day 1 - Reach Alleppey, preferably by noon, and take some rest. In the evening, you can go for a stroll in the famous markets of Alleppey, primarily Mulakkal, where you can get some souvenirs, especially stuff like coir bags, rugs etc. apart from the native spices for yourself.
Day 2 - The next day should be earmarked for a visit to the famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race, if the visiting time is in monsoon, or else, go for the glorious Krishnapuram Palace. Thereon, you can take a cruiser or houseboat to the backwaters of Alleppey.
Day 3 - The final day can start with a lovely view of the sea at Alleppey beach. Located about an hour away, is the Kumarakoram Bird Sanctuary, which has an exquisite range of birds.

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FAQs on Alleppey

How much does a package cost for Alleppey?

The packages for Alleppey start at INR 7500 which can be further customized based on number of people, days, hotel category, vehicle type and customizations. You can have a look at all packages here

What is famous about Alleppey?

A refreshing retreat from the harsh winters. Home to the famous Snake Boat Race.

What is not so good about Alleppey?

Congested in winters.

Who should visit Alleppey?

Ideal for tourists of every kind. Suitable for backpackers from places like Trivandrum, Kochi, etc.

What is the best time to visit Alleppey?

The best time to visit Alleppey is between October and February when the temperature is moderate (around 33°C), making it a perfect time to explore the city. Alleppey experiences monsoons between June and September. It is not advisable to tourists, but the monsoon lovers and the offbeat travellers can consider visiting in June. The town receives light rainfall occasionally that takes the mercury level down allowing tourists to explore the attractions. But as the season progresses, the region gets torrential rain, making it an unsuitable destination for travellers. Summers are also not recommended for the extreme heat that hits the region as the temperature can go as high as 40°C shutting all the outdoor activities.
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What is the local food in Alleppey?

What is the best way to reach Alleppey?

Cochin International airport will land you right in Kerala. Alternately, you can hop off at Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Chennai or Bangalore. From there, Alleppey is connected by rail and roads.
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What are the things to do in Alleppey?

The top things to do in Alleppey are Houseboats, Alappuzha Beach, Backwaters in Alleppey, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Vembanad Lake, Nehru Trophy Boat Race. You can see all the places to visit in Alleppey here

What are the places near Alleppey?

The top places near to Alleppey are Kumarakom which is 23 km from Alleppey, Munnar which is located 98 km from Alleppey, Kochi which is located 60 km from Alleppey, Kottayam which is located 18 km from Alleppey, Vagamon which is located 57 km from Alleppey

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Alleppey Reviews

Your rating

Nyima Palden

2 years ago

i been there in 2018 when i was in my final year of graduation. i along with my classmates from Bangalore The Dalai lama institute higher education went there as our historical tour for 3 days...and (Read More)seriously trust me we enjoyed thoroughly. people over there are so hospitality and we enjoyed back water there, had yummy traditional meal.

Shanmugham Rengasamy

4 years ago

Good app. It must be helpul to tourists

Ratheesh Ramachandran

6 years ago

Do not get cheated by taxi drivers in Alleppey. The taxi drivers will take you to some of their counterparts to get commission. They will scare you talking about security. You are free to hire any ho (Read More)use boats here. All registered. You may also go to District Tourism Promotion Council Office (DTPC) near to Boat Jetty and ask for house boat rates before hiring. Have a pleasant tour :-) Ratheesh

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Alleppey

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Alleppey Travel Packages

Munnar Alleppey Holiday Package for 3 Days

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Alleppey Travel Essentials

Allapuzha

"Backwaters, Beaches and Lagoons - Venice of the East"

Alleppey Tourism

Places To Visit In Alleppey

Top Hotels In Alleppey

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Venice of the East

History of Alleppey

Paddy Cultivation in Backwaters

Shopping in Alleppey

Restaurants and Local Food in Alleppey

Suggested Itinerary for Alleppey

Best Time to Visit Alleppey

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