Alappuzha is a small city on the Arabian Sea coast in Kerala state, India. This small city is famous for its Backwaters and is called ‘The Venice of the East’. A visit to Alleppey is one of the best options for any tourist to  God’s own country.

The beauty of Alleppey or Alappuzha is that the land level is below the water level; still, it does not get flooded. This has been done by making a man-made bund (embankment). This bund (embankment) was made almost a century back. The intention was to create agricultural land, a scarce resource in the middle of the backwaters. This land was primarily used for the cultivation of paddy and coconut. These areas were once called The rice bowl of Kerala.

Alappuzha has Vembanad Lake, a backwater lake, to its charm. It meets the sea at Alappuzha. A day’s backwater cruise by Alleppey houseboats on the endless backwaters of Vembanad Lake is the best option to explore the beauty of Alleppey and its neighboring areas like Kumarakom in the nearby Kottayam district.

The houseboat is known as Kettuvallam, as it is made by joining two country boats. Joining in the local language is called kettuka (tying). Hence, the name Kettuvallam. If you are looking for houseboat numbers in Alappuzha, please look at the website of the Kerala Houseboat Owners Association.

Boat Crusie at Allapuzha

Sight Seeing by Vega-2

Vega-2 is a sight-seeing vessel that is operating at Alappuzha backwaters. Ticket fare is A/C Rs.600/- (One side is Rs.300/-). Non A/C charges are Rs.400/- (One Side is Rs.200/-). 40 AC seats and 80 non-AC seats are there. Boarding is from Alappuzha Boat Station. The cruise is for four hours.

It goes through the Punnamada and Vembanad backwaters. Muhamma, Pathiramanal Island, Kumarakom, R Block, Marthandam, Chithira, C Block, and Kuppapuram are covered on this cruise trip. Except for Kumarakom, all are islands. Marthandam and Chithira are Rice cultivating islands in the backwaters of Vembanad Lake, developed by Joseph Murickan.

Other Boating Options

If you are looking for a cheaper boat cruise, Kerala state water transport boat services are available. You may take a short cruise for even Rs 10/-.

Alappuzha to Kollam boat cruise costs only Rs. 400/- and the traveling time is around 7 hours.  The government boat starts at 10:30 a.m. from Alappuzha Boat Jetty.  Alappuzha boat jetty is inside the city. You can hire a cab or auto-rickshaw at the Alappuzha boat jetty. There is also a similar service from Kollam to Alappuzha for the same fare. These boats will be stopping en route for lunch. Kollam boat Jetty is on one side of Kollam KSRTC bus station.

Tourists on a country boat in Vembanad Lake.

Alappuzha District Tourism Promotion Council also conducts Daily backwater tours.

There are many islands in the Alleppey backwaters. Pathiramanal, Kakkathuruthu Island (Island of Crows), R Block, etc., are a few. You will get fresh fish curry, fish fry, fresh coconut toddy, lobster, etc, here in Alleppey. A Houseboat ride in Alleppey’s backwaters can take you to all these places. There are tour packages for those who want to enjoy the beauty of Alleppey.

How Do I Go to Alappuzha in God’s Own Country?

Alappuzha is 4 hours drive from the capital city of Trivandrum alias Thiruvananthapuram. National Highway No NH 544 (the old number is NH47, connecting Salem to Kanyakumari) passes through Alappuzha.

Train services connect Alleppey. ALLP is the code for ALLEPPEY railway station on irctc.co.in, the online booking systems of Indian Railway Ticket Booking system developed by the Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

The nearest airport is at Nedumbrassery, near Cochin (Kochi). Driving from Alappuzha takes around one and a half hours to reach Nedumbrassery.

Is Accommodation Available at Alappuzha?

There are a large number of hotels in Alappuzha. Lake Palace Resort is the leading resort on the Vembanad Lakeside in Alleppey, near the finishing point of the world-famous Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race.

Hotel Prince is another good hotel in the city, owned by the Vellappally Group of Hotels. They have another hotel, Travancore Palace, in the nearby town, Cherthla. They also own the Karapuram Hotel near the Near Mararikulam Beach in Allapuzha. Vahada Hotel is near the Ambalapuzha Bus station, 20 minutes from Allapuzha.