Alleppey Travel Guide: Kerala's Backwater Town

Where Alleppey is

The town sits on a strip of land between the sea and Vembanad, India's longest lake at up to 96.5 km. The Vembanad-Kol wetland around it has been a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance, since 2002. South and east of the town lies Kuttanad, where farmers grow rice 1.2 to 3 metres below sea level on fields held back by mud dikes — a system the FAO lists as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. This mix of lake, canals and sunken paddy fields is what people mean by the Alleppey backwaters.

How to get to Alleppey

• By train: Alappuzha railway station is on the coastal line. Direct trains from Ernakulam Junction in Kochi take about 50 minutes.
• By air: Cochin International Airport is the closest, roughly 70 to 80 km away and around two hours by road.
• By road: Kochi is about 55 km to the north.

Houseboats and shikaras leave from Punnamada Finishing Point, on the edge of town. It is not the public ferry jetty near the bus stand; the houseboat boarding point page has distances and directions.

When to go

• November to February: cool, dry and the busiest months. The late-December holidays are the most expensive time on the water: houseboat prices rise by half from 20 December to 10 January.
• March to May: hot, with afternoons up to about 37°C, and fewer visitors. Mornings and evenings on the lake are still pleasant.
• June to September: the monsoon, heaviest from July to September. The backwaters are at their greenest, and houseboat prices are lower from 15 June to 30 August.

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held on the second Saturday of August on Punnamada Lake, the same lake the houseboats leave from. First run in 1952 for Jawaharlal Nehru's visit, it sends long snake boats, each rowed by a large crew, down a 1,380-metre track. If your dates fall on race day, book early.

Things to do in Alleppey

Spend a night on a houseboat

A houseboat is the classic way to see the backwaters. An overnight stay boards at noon, cruises across Vembanad Lake and past the paddy fields, moors for the night and is back at 9:00 AM. The 6-hour day cruise covers the afternoon route without the night. Private boats with 1 to 5 bedrooms and rooms on a sharing houseboat are all on the Alleppey houseboats page.

Take a shikara into the narrow canals

A shikara is a small canopied boat that slips into village canals only about five feet wide, where houseboats cannot go. Rides last 2, 3 or 4 hours from Punnamada, and the 3-hour ride from 4:00 PM ends with sunset over Vembanad Lake. Routes and prices are on the shikara ride in Alleppey page.

See the paddy fields below sea level

The R Block and C Block polders of Kuttanad are among the few places in the world where rice grows below sea level. The houseboat route passes them in the afternoon, and the 4-hour shikara goes deeper into C Block.

Alappuzha beach, pier and lighthouse

The town beach is a short ride from the centre. The ruins of an old pier recall the port's 19th-century trade, and the red-and-white lighthouse, built in 1862 and 28 metres tall, can be climbed for a view over the town and the sea.

Marari beach

About 11 to 14 km north of the town, Marari beach at Mararikulam is quieter and lined with fishing villages — a good half day away from the water.

Ambalappuzha temple

The Sree Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha, 14 km south, is famous for its palpayasam, a sweet milk porridge made as an offering.

Pathiramanal island

A 10-acre island in the middle of Vembanad Lake, reachable only by boat, where about 90 species of birds have been recorded.

Krishnapuram Palace

An 18th-century Travancore palace at Kayamkulam, about 47 km south, known for its murals. It makes a good stop if you are driving on towards Kollam.

How many days to spend

• One day: a shikara ride in the morning or late afternoon, and the beach and lighthouse in between.
• Two days, one night: a night on a houseboat, plus a shikara ride or the beach. The Alleppey package bundles a night on a sharing houseboat with a speedboat ride, sunrise kayaking, a village walk, the temple and the beach for ₹6,000 per person.
• Three days or more: add Marari beach, Ambalappuzha and a second night on the water, or a day in Kumarakom across the lake.

What a trip costs

These are regular-season rates for the boats we book. Weekends add 10%, festival dates add 20 to 50%, and the off season from 15 June to 30 August is cheaper.

• Shikara ride: ₹2,000 for 2 hours, ₹3,000 for 3 hours or ₹4,000 for 4 hours, per boat, for up to 15 guests
• Sharing houseboat: ₹5,500 per room per night
• Private houseboat: ₹9,000 a night for 1 bedroom, ₹13,000 for 2 bedrooms, then ₹6,000 per bedroom
• Alleppey package: ₹6,000 per person for 2 days and 1 night

The full rate card, with seasons and extra guests, is on the houseboat price page.

Getting around

Autorickshaws and taxis cover the town, the beach and Punnamada. On the water, the State Water Transport ferries from the town jetty are the cheapest way between villages and on to Kottayam. To explore the narrow canals or the open lake at your own pace, you need a shikara or a houseboat.

Where to stay

We book boats, not hotels, so we have no rooms to sell you on land. Most travellers choose between a night on a houseboat, a lakeside resort, a beach stay at Marari or a guesthouse in town. The trade-offs between the first two are on the houseboat or resort page.