A favourite amongst honeymooners, Alappuzha, or commonly known as “Alleppey”, is one of the most famous destinations in Kerala, especially because of its enormous network of waterways and thousands of houseboats. Skip the tiny yet busy city centre and head to the backwaters and you are in for a treat. The town of Alleppey is pleasant and full of greenery which overlook the backwaters, and these combined with the many houseboats, makes the location a perfect choice for romantics trying to take a break from the usual chores of life. It is also suitable for vacationers looking for peace and quiet. This is Kerala’s one of the most beautiful experiences and no wonder it is known as the “Venice of the east”.
The main attraction here (apart from spending days on one of the many comfortable and luxurious houseboats) is the Alleppey beach. It is located roughly 2 km from the city centre. There are no shelters at the beach and swimming is not advisable but it is worth coming here for the beautiful sunsets and breath taking sunrises. There are also a few places where you can stop for a quick bite and a couple of drinks.
If you are up for some water sports, look for Kerala kayaking which is the first and the only kayaking agency run by a rather young crew. They provide excellent guided kayaking tours through the backwaters. A 4 hour trip costs roughly INR 1000 per person. There are trips with longer duration available as well. Check www.keralakayaking.com.
If you are planning your vacation here purely for relaxing, a great choice will be to book a three/five/seven night Ayurvedic treatment package with Shri Krishna Panchkarma Centre which offers accommodation and yoga classes as well.
Almost all guesthouses and hotels offers canoe trips and houseboat tours of the backwaters.
There are many trains to and from Ernakulum and Trivandrum via Kollam. Four daily trains stop at Varkala. The train station is roughly 4 km from the town.
Frequent buses ply between Trivandrum, Kollam, Ernakulum and Alleppey. There are buses to and from Kottayam, Kumily, and Varkala. There are ferries which run to Kottayam from the boat jetty on the Boat Jetty (VCSB) Road.
">CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Dow Hill