This region is meshed by a vast tangle of cerulean lakes, serene backwaters and freshwater rivers, and hence is referred as the Venice of the East. The city is thus the centre of fabulous backwater cruises.
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Flora and fauna - The emerald backwaters offer a spellbinding sight with the wobbling ducks and other water birds floating and lounging along the bank overgrown with green vegetation and small colorful flowers. Marine life includes various fishes, prawns, crabs and so on.
Apart from its striking backwater destination, Alappuzha is also famous for the yearly Nehru Trophy Boat Race (Snake boat races), pristine beaches, romantic houseboat holidays and coir industry.
Major Attractions
House Boat Cruises: Alapuzzha is famous for its house- boat cruises. The vista of a majestic Kettuvallam moving amidst the vast expanse of water is awe- inspiring.You can have a memorable experience of spending some quality time in these well-furnished, cosy Kettuvallams(houseboats) and glide through the serene, emerald waters, gazing into the transparent water that abounds in marine life. You can also gorge on the delectable traditional Kerala and seep the toddy (local wine of Kerala)that is available in these houseboats.
A choice of houseboat cruises like Alappuzha-Kollam, Alappuzha-Kottayam, Alappuzha-Kochi are offered by many houseboat operators.
Snake Boat Races: Alappuzha backwaters host the illustrious snake boat races every year in the month of August. The gigantic snake boats known as Chundanvalloms race against each other to win the prestigious Nehru Trophy. Hordes of people flock to Alappuza to witness the exciting and spectacular vista of hundreds of skilled oarsmen rowing these boats at a breath-taking speed in the lakes of Punnamada and Chambakkulam.
Another noteworthy race is the Payipad Boat Race, which begins from the 'Onam' festival day and continues for three days.
Alappuzha is also famous for its coir products and carpets.
Places of Interest
Kuttanad- Renowned as the rice bowl of Kerala, Kuttinad is the region where farming is done below sea level. It also has beautiful backwaters and is the important site for the rice boat and houseboat cruises and the legendary snake boat races.
Alappuzha Beach: This beach offers ideal ambience for picnics and provides great entertainment opportunities in its beach park known as Vijaya Beach Park. This park has a swimming pool and offers boating facilities. This beach also houses the dock that is about 137 years old.
Pathiramanal A trip to Alappuzha is not complete unless you visit the island of Pathiramanal which is a home to the exotic species of birds and is a bird watcher’s delight.
Shrines: The important Hindu Shrines are-Mullackal Temple, Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, the miraculous Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple. The pldest temples are Kottamkulangara Mahavishnu Temple and Devi Temple.
St. Andrew's Church is also located in Alappuzha.
Connectivity
The intricate network of canals and backwaters connect the city to the districts or cities ofkottayam and Kochi.
Air: You can reach Alappuzha by air. The closest airport is at Cochin, 64 km. The
Thiruvananthapuram Airport is 159 km away.
Rail: There are Railways connected to Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram.
Road: NH 47 passes through Alappuzha. Alappuzha is linked to MC Road by the Changanassery Road.
Water: Boat services to Cochin 5.30 hrs, Kollam 8 hrs, Changanasserry 3 hrs and Kottayam 2.30 hrs.
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