Alleppey Homestays

The old trading port of Alleppey, midway between Kollam and Kochi, is at the heart of the Kuttanad Backwaters. Its interconnecting canals and wealthy trading history has leant it the title “The Venice of the East”. Alleppey offers a range of backwater tours, from punted rice barges to enormous and well equipped houseboats. Particularly enjoyable are village tours by boat, where you can get a taste of the lives of villagers in the remote parts of the backwaters; boat rides can take you to the Vembanad and Punnamada lakes, and to nearby towns such as Kottayam and Kollam.

When exploring Alleppey town it is a good idea to rent a bicycle for visiting places such as the old side-streets with colonial era factories, backwater canals and the long white sand beach, whereas the main bazaar on Mullackhal Road is best negotiated on foot.

Perhaps the most famous festivals held in Alleppey and in the surrounding villages are the annual “snakeboat” races. Alleppey has held the Nehru Trophy snakeboat race in August for over 50 years, where magnificently decorated longboats are rowed by around 120 oarsmen whilst the 25 enthusiastic singers onboard sing the “Vanchipattu” (song of the boatman). In late December each year, Alleppey holds a beach festival involving various cultural events and even a procession of 50 elephants. What’s more, smaller versions of the traditional “Sadya” feast of Kerala’s Onam harvest festival in August are served all year round: the meal, presented on a banana leaf, is made up of rice and several different curries, vegetables and pickles, followed by the typically Indian sweet, “payasum”.

Alleppey is surrounded by several idyllic villages and interesting sights which are worth a visit. Some, like Champakulam with its 16th century Portuguese church, are generally on the route for backwater tours, whereas others, such as the Nagaraja “snake” temple are best reached by auto rickshaw or bus.

Practical Information

• The railway station is on the far side of Alleppey’s Commercial Canal, in the southwest of the city; Alleppey station is on the main Ernakulam- Thiruvanantahpuram line
• The KSRTC bus stand, served by most major Keralan towns (i.e. Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kollam), is on the northeast edge of the town
• The main boat jetty is on Vadai Canal, with ferry connections to Kollam and Kottayam
• The DTPC tourist reception centre and Kerala Tourism office are on the VCSB road, by the Vadai Canal
• ATDC’s main information office is on the second floor of the Municpal Shopping Complex, on the corner of Mullackal and VCNB road
• Auto rickshaws and taxis are readily available for travelling around the town
• The climate in Alleppey is generally quite humid, and is at its most pleasant during winter, when it is not too hot. The temperature ranges from 22 to 35°C in summer and 20 to 32°C in winter, with monsoon season between late May and September.