Alappuzha

Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, lies between the Arabian Sea and the network of lakes, rivers and canals that make up Kerala's backwaters. Canals run through the town itself, which is why it is often called the Venice of the East. It was an important port and trading town from the time of the Travancore kingdom.

Most visitors come for the backwaters. Houseboats, built in the style of the old kettuvallam rice barges, cruise out from the town across Punnamada and Vembanad lakes and along the canals of Kuttanad. Kuttanad is one of the few places in the world where rice is grown below sea level, on land reclaimed from the lake and protected by dykes.

Every August, Punnamada Lake hosts the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, in which long snake boats, each with around a hundred rowers, race to the beat of traditional songs. The race began in 1952, after a visit by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Alappuzha Beach has the remains of an old pier and a lighthouse that visitors can climb. Marari Beach, a quieter fishing-village beach, is a short drive north.