Alleppey (Alappuzha)

lleppey (Alappuzha) Travel Guide & Houseboat Packages

Alappuzha — still widely known as Alleppey — is where Kerala's backwaters are at their busiest and most beloved. The town grew into a trading port in the late eighteenth century under Raja Kesavadas, the Travancore Dewan who built roads, bridges and a network of canals to move goods to the sea. Those waterways, crossed by little bridges and lined with old warehouses, earned it the nickname "Venice of the East".

Just beyond the town lies Kuttanad, one of the few places in the world where farmers grow rice below sea level. Here, bright green paddies sit lower than the canals beside them, protected by mud embankments, and life revolves around boats — children rowing to school, ducks herded along the water, and ferries acting as village buses. The best way to experience all of this is aboard a kettuvallam, the traditional rice barge reimagined as a floating home. Once used to carry grain and spices, today's houseboats come with bedrooms, a sundeck and an onboard cook who prepares Kerala meals as you glide past temples, churches and toddy shops. Add a sunset on Alappuzha Beach, a drive to the fishing village of Marari and, if you time it right, the thunder of snake boats in August, and Alleppey becomes the highlight of many Kerala holidays.