Alappuzha
From World travel guide
Alappuzha is in Kerala, a state in South (India). It is also known as Alleppey. Also known as a Venice of the East, it is a quaint relatively small town located 70 kilometres south of Cochin.
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Understand
The best thing about Alappuzha and Kerala in general is the weather. Due to its proximity to the ocean it is more temperate than central India. The temperature rarely goes above 35 degrees Celsius and never below 20 degrees. The best time to visit is from August to March. Monsoon is always heavy.
Get in
By plane
Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport. Alternatively come to airports at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kozhikode (Calicut), Madras, Bangalore and catch a train to Alappuzha.
By train
You can also reach Alappuzha from other cities like Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Madras, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta by train.
By bus
There are bus services operating from cities like Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Madras, Bangalore, Coimbatore to Alappuzha.
By car
Alappuzha is well connected to other cities Kochi, Kottayam, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Madras, Bangalore, Coimbatore by road.
Get around
By bus
Alappuzha has an excellent local bus service system and it is cheap.
By autorickshaw
This is cheap way of transportation between attractions.
By taxi
Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. There are many Car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self drive.
By boat
When you are visiting places like Kuttanad, it's better to opt for boats, as many places in Kuttanad are inaccessible by road.
There are also good ferry services between islands.
By walk
Many attractions are near by one another so you could walk between them.
See
- Alleppey is known for its snake-boat race - the Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race [1], held on the second Saturday of August. It is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, who inaugurated it in 1952. The race is very popular with the locals. Traditional snake boats, each manned by over a hundred local people compete for the Cup. Tourists could rent a houseboat and watch the race close up from those boats.
- If you are visiting Alappuzha, enquire about the schedule of temple festivals. Alappuzha is one of the few towns in Kerala where non-Hindus are generally allowed enter the temples. Most of the famous Kerala temples do not allow such thing, and if you are white you are immediately branded as non-Hindu and prevented from entering. Alappuzha temples are generally not that narrow-minded. The Ambalapuzha temple festival is particularly impressive. Five elephants carry the Krishna idol for quite a long distance with a music accompaniment. The temple itself is 14 kilometres away from Alappuzha. It is famous for its rose palpayasam. The temple makes this traditional very sweet milk-based dish as an offering. Because of long boiling the milk condenses turning light pink colour.
- Alleppey has a high percentage of Christians. St. Mary’s Church (Champakulam) is believed to be one of the seven churches established by St. Thomas.
Do
- Houseboats Alappuzha is inlaid with channels that support its thriving backwater tourism. Any tourist coming to Alappuzha should take a cruise along the backwaters. Houseboats can be rented for a few days equipped with an air-conditioner, cook and all other facilities. From the boat one can observe the everyday life of people, stop for toddy (traditional mildly alcoholic drink made from coconut sap) with grilled prawns, watch birds, and relax in the middle of the lake. It is nice to go towards Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, where rice farming is done below sea level.
- Alleppey beach is another nice place to hang out. However, it is not a place for swimming. The water is very deep and the current is very strong. Multitude of local males with nothing better to do stare at every passing woman, so don’t even consider sun tanning there.
- Main industry in Alleppey is coir manufacturing. Coir is made of coconut husk. Some of bigger producers organize tours of their facilities.
Buy
- Another fun thing to do in Alleppey is to wander through Mullakkal – the central area of the town. It is worth checking out the local gold and silver stores there. The silver anklets with bells are very pretty and cheap.
Eat
Kreamkorner is a nice place to have Indian and Chinese dishes. They are located in the Mullackal street.
Drink
Sleep
Raheem Residency, classic Indian colonial villa refurbished in a grand style by European owners;now a recognised Heritage Hotel of India; swimming pool imported from France; rooftop restaurant overlooking the Arabian Sea; Ayurveda. Described by Lonley Planet 2005 as "the only top-end place worth considering".
Get out
- Sree Nagaraja Temple in Mannarasala is 32 kilometers south of Alappuzha near Harippad. It is a Brahman family owned snake temple featuring beautiful stone carvings of snakes throughout its territory. It is headed by a priestess. The temple deity is credited with restoring fertility in women. The turmeric paste available there supposedly cures many diseases.
- 18th century Krishnapuram Palace is located 47 kilometers south of Alappuzha on the way to Kollam. Its two-story building is typical of Kerala architecture. It contains impressive murals worth watching. The palace also housed a museum of antique sculptures and artefacts.
External links
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