Alappuzha
Introduction
Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is a city and municipality on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It serves as the headquarters of Alappuzha district and sits roughly 62 km south of the commercial city of Kochi and about 152 km northwest of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.
Before you go
Alappuzha takes its name from its setting — the land between the sea and the network of rivers flowing into it — and that geography shapes everything you'll experience here. Canals, backwaters, beaches and lagoons are woven through and around the city, a system of inland waterways first developed for transport and navigation in the second half of the 18th century, when Diwan Raja Kesavadas helped turn Alappuzha into a major port. Understanding that watery inheritance before you arrive will help you make sense of the place once you're there.
Thanks to its proximity to the ocean, the weather here is generally excellent, rarely swinging to extremes of heat or cold. Plan your visit between September and March for the most comfortable conditions. If you travel during the monsoon, from June to August, expect heavy wind and rain — but that season is also an excellent time to visit if monsoon tourism appeals to you.
Getting there
Alappuzha has no airport of its own; the nearest is Cochin International Airport. From there you can take a taxi into Cochin and continue by bus or train, or catch a local bus from nearby Athani, which you can reach by rickshaw. Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai and Bangalore also have airports, and from any of them you can pick up a train to Alappuzha.
Trains run to Alappuzha from across Kerala — Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode — and from major Indian cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Mangalore and Kolkata; from Hyderabad, the Sabari Express is the service to take. Buses connect Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore and Coimbatore, arriving at the KSRTC or private bus stands. Note that no bus runs from the KSRTC station directly to the beach area around Vijay Park, so you'll need an auto rickshaw for that last stretch. By road, the district is served by NH 66 through Alappuzha, Ambalapuzha and Cherthala, linking it with Kochi, Kottayam, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore and Coimbatore. Tourist taxis, available at most airports and railway stations, are the handiest way to move between attractions, particularly if you're travelling as a group.
Getting around
Alappuzha's canal geography shapes how you move around, so plan on mixing buses, autorickshaws, taxis and boats rather than relying on any single mode. Local buses are cheap and efficient, as elsewhere in Kerala, and you can catch them to almost everywhere from the KSRTC bus stand; note that there are two main terminals, the KSRTC stand and a separate private bus stand, with KSRTC services running from the depot near the boat jetty. One quirk to plan around: no buses run from the KSRTC station directly to the beach area around Vijay Park, so you will need an autorickshaw for that leg. Autorickshaws are a cheap and widely available way to move between attractions, hailed on the street or booked by phone, with a prepaid service at the railway station. Always agree on a price before you set out, and you can bargain or check with the tourist centre nearby to confirm the going rates. Local taxis are inexpensive by Western standards, and car rental companies offer chauffeur-driven or self-drive options, with rates rising for extras such as a driver or air-conditioning; if you are unfamiliar with the area or with driving on Indian roads, hiring a driver is the sensible choice, and a good one can also recommend places to eat and visit. Prepaid taxis are available at the railway station and the KSRTC bus stand, and you can book through apps and local operators.
A visit to Alappuzha would not be complete without a journey by boat, and for some destinations, such as Kuttanad, boats are the preferred method of transport because the locations are inaccessible by road. The government-run Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries that locals use widely and that offer a scenic, inexpensive way to get around; the SWTD boat jetty sits opposite the Alappuzha KSRTC bus stand, and you can alight at any preferred stop. A tourist boat service to Kollam district also runs from the Alappuzha boat jetty. One popular route links Alappuzha and Kottayam with multiple short stops along the way; the boat's motor is loud, so consider bringing earplugs. From Kottayam you can return by boat or by KSRTC bus, either direct or with a transfer in Changanassery. Water taxis are available at Alappuzha Boat Jetty for on-demand rides around Vembanad Lake, seating around ten people, and advance booking is recommended. Houseboats are available for day and overnight cruises if you want longer on the water. On foot, you can walk from the city centre to the nearby boat jetties, but most other sights lie in the outskirts where walking is too far; between the centre and the beach there are no paved sidewalks, and in parts you will be walking at the edge of the roadway.
Where to stay
Alappuzha's sleeping options range from beachside resorts to budget guesthouses and houseboats. In Mararikulam, a fishing village a short drive from the town centre, Abad Turtle Beach Resort sits on a large plot overlooking the white sands of Marari beach, with a rivulet running along one side. Nearer the beach in Alappuzha itself, Mandala Beach House & Cottages offers a small house and cottages, one with an excellent beach view, plus BBQs and bonfires on the sand and help arranging backwater trips. Zostel Alleppey is a laidback backpackers' hostel near Vijay Beach Park with hammocks in its rooftop area, though it admits guests aged 18 and over and does not recommend itself to families. Bamboostix Island Resort, an eco-resort on an island, is built from bamboo, thatch and coconut and organises activities such as bamboo furniture making, music lessons, overnight canoe trips and shared houseboat cruises.
For a heritage stay, Raheem Residency is a refurbished colonial villa with a swimming pool, a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Arabian Sea and Ayurveda. Punnamada Lake Resort sits on the bank of Punnamada Lake with its own houseboats, while Saj Home in Chungam offers independent cottages with air conditioning and greenery around a waterfront on the lake. In the heart of town, Hotel Royale Park is a three-star option opposite Seemati and Vireyya theatres, with a range of room categories, restaurants, a coffee shop and a bar. Budget travellers have several choices: The Dreamheaven near the Nehru Trophy finishing point is a clean guesthouse with big rooms and helpful staff, Palmy Residency north of the DPTC ladder bridge has spacious, well-maintained rooms and can arrange backwater barge trips, and Arcadia Regency is a decent, hygienic city hotel. Kerala Houseboats at Punamada Jetty runs one- and two-bedroom houseboats cruising between Alleppey and Kumarakom, and Venice of East Houseboats offers houseboat stays and water cruises into the backwater villages of Kuttanad throughout the year.
Food & drink
Alappuzha's food scene ranges from cheap and cheerful to genuinely special-occasion. For south Indian staples at low prices, head to the Indian Coffee House, which has two branches — one in the centre and one at Alleppey Beach — serving the same menu found across Kerala, along with ice cream and its signature coffee. Kreamkorner, with locations on Mullackal Road and Cullan Road, has an art-house feel and a multicultural menu that includes tandoori dishes; its cold coffee with ice cream is a highlight. On Mullackal Road you'll also find Himalaya Bakery, known for puff pastries with vegetarian or non-vegetarian fillings, samosas and sweets, with a small cafe attached serving coffee and chai — the banana and walnut cake is worth taking away. Premier Bakery, established in 1962 and located in the heart of the city, is well known for its fruit salad with ice cream and coconut cookies. Hotel Brothers specialises in hopopers and eggy onion curry, while Cafe Paradiso offers Italian coffee and masala tea.
For a more polished meal, Chakara Restaurant at Raheem Residency on Alappuzha Bypass Road is the most expensive place in town, but the creative menu blends traditional Keralan and European cooking, and wine is available. Vembanad Restaurant at the Alleppey Prince Hotel is one of the better eating options around, with poolside dining and live music nightly. Ramada hotel serves high-quality Indian and continental food in an elegant setting, at prices slightly higher than elsewhere but still reasonable. Dreamers, on the beach front south of Harbour restaurant, offers well-priced Indian food with some European dishes and a bamboo-raised terrace that's the spot to sit for the view. Arcadia Regency, a hotel that opened in 2006, has kept meal prices low to draw customers. Further out, Raja Teashop in Pallathuruthy, near Kannitta Jetty, is famous for parottas, beef and pazhampori, with fine backwater views. Many visitors eat aboard houseboats, where food is cooked on board by accompanying staff and generally carries a Keralan flavour. For drinks, Cafe Paradiso sits on the northern side of the main canal with shady benches, serving real coffee, juices, lassi and snacks, including iced coffee made with explicitly safe ice.
What to see and do
Exploring Alappuzha itself is a highlight, and seeing it by boat is one of the most memorable ways to take it in, so bring a camera for the waterways and beaches. On the western edge of town, Alleppey Beach is large, flat and clean, with an old pier that once served trade and carried three railway lines; stroll the promenade, stop for a drink or food at the Indian Coffee House, or grab an ice cream or peanuts from a stall. Locals play frisbee and volleyball, and camel and pony rides are available, but swimming is not recommended unless you are a strong, experienced swimmer, as the water is deep and the currents strong, especially during and after the monsoon. Sun tanning may not be a good idea given local conservatism. For a day trip, Marari beach at Mararikulam lies north of town and is reachable by local bus from the KSTC bus stand, getting off at Maraikulam Junction and continuing by autorickshaw; the area also has the Mahadeva temple and Arthunkal church. History and architecture seekers can visit the 9th-century black granite Buddha statue at Karumadikkuttan near Ambalapuzha, the calm Jain Derasar, and St. Mary's Church at Champakulam, believed to be one of the seven churches established by St. Thomas. Temple festivals are worth enquiring about, since Alappuzha is one of the few places in Kerala where non-Hindus may enter temple premises, though some inner areas remain restricted. The Ambalapuzha temple festival is particularly impressive, with five elephants carrying the Krishna idol accompanied by music over roughly 14 km to the temple. At the 15th-century Sreekrishna Swamy Temple in Ambalapuzha, look for the distinctive paal-payasam, a sweet milk and rice dessert with a closely guarded recipe, distributed daily at noon to those with prior booking and also available from the stall outside; the rose palpayasam is another traditional milk delicacy to try. Alappuzha is known for its snake boat races, held on the second Saturday of August, with boats carrying around a hundred people and boats available for rent by spectators. You can also take a public water transport to Kottayam, rent a bicycle to tour the town and surroundings while staying alert to unpredictable traffic, or take a ferry for village visits such as Kainakkary. The main industry is coir manufacturing from coconut husk, and some larger producers organise tours of their facilities. Ayurvedic massage and courses are available, and activities such as overnight canoe trips, bamboo furniture making classes, music lessons, yoga and painting classes are organised daily, along with boating and fishing expeditions on small foam boats. Houseboat touring is central to the backwaters here: boats can be rented for 12 hours to several days, including a hop-on, hop-off shared service through remote backwaters, and come with a furnished bedroom, sit-outs, kitchen and modern bath and toilet facilities, some with air-conditioning, manned by drivers and a cook. From the boat you can watch everyday village life, stop for a toddy with grilled prawns, and watch birds. Book through houseboat operators rather than touts who take commissions, and book online if possible rather than waiting until the last minute in high season.When to go
Alappuzha has a hot, humid climate, and much of the year is shaped by two seasonal monsoons. The southwest monsoon brings heavy showers and a wet, humid stretch with frequent rain, so expect damp conditions if you travel during those months. The northeast monsoon arrives from October to November, bringing rain that is offset by fairly cool and pleasant weather. These months are wet but comfortable, making them the most appealing time to visit if you don't mind occasional showers.Three days in Alappuzha
Day one: Begin in Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, and get your bearings along the canals that thread through the town. The waterways are the heart of the place, so spend your first hours simply watching them and the life that moves along them. Diwan Raja Kesavadas is remembered here for shaping the town, and understanding that history helps make sense of the layout. If you arrive by air, Cochin International Airport is the nearest gateway, and from Cochin you can continue by road or rail. Trains reach Alappuzha from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Mangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad, while the Sabari Express is one service that stops here. Buses also connect the town, with KSRTC running from places such as Mysore and Vijay Park, so you have options for getting in and out.
Day two: Give the day to the water. The canals and the Laccadive Sea define Alappuzha's character, and a boat journey is the best way to see how the town and the backwaters meet. Plan around the seasons: September to March is the most comfortable stretch, while June to August brings the heavier monsoon rains. If you are travelling onward, note that Athani is one place linked by road, and the rail network again puts Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and the other cities within reach. Keep the pace slow and let the waterways set the rhythm of your day.
Day three: Use your last day to fill in what you missed, whether that means more time by the canals or a final look at the town's Indian and Kerala heritage. Thanks to the rail and bus links, you can leave for Cochin, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or beyond without much trouble. If your onward journey starts at Cochin International Airport, allow time for the transfer from Alappuzha. By now you will have a feel for why the canals matter so much here, and you can plan a return in a cooler, drier month.