Alleppey or Alappuzha
Also known as “Venice of East”, Alappuzha has always enjoyed an important place in Kerala tourism. Situated on the South Western tip of Vembanad Lake, Alleppey is a small strip of land sandwiched between the Vembanad Lake and Arabian Sea. The vast expanses of paddy fields, small streams of free flowing water, a good network of canals, lush green meadows have made the place a busy inland fishing port and the most visited places of Kerala. Today the place is famous for its boat races, backwater holidays, beaches, marine products, coir Industry etc. The Nehru Trophy snake boat race held on the second Saturday of August during the Onam a major festival of Kerala every year at the Punnamada Backwaters is a visual retreat for the visitors. Already among the major tourism spots of Kerala the town has a great scope for the lake side tourism which is the thriving business in today’s scenario. The houseboat cruises at Alappuzha is a delightful experience for the visitors. These floating villas on the backwaters are festooned with all the modern amenities like well furnished living rooms, attached modern bathrooms, kitchen and even balconies for angling etc. where one can enjoy an un interrupted view of backwater and enjoy the life of the natives in close corners.
Places of Interest in Alleppey
On an Alleppey tour visitors come across several places of great tourist interest. Few of them are as below:-
Alappuzha Beach:- Alappuzha Beach is one of most popular spots in the districts of Alappuzha. Long stretch of sandy beach has a beautiful garden Vijay Park and Sea Park on the shore that is a visual retreat for the visitors. Boating facility is also available in both the gardens. Imposing buildings of a colonial past, a pier which extends into the sea is more than 140 years old is a rare sight for the visitors.
Kuttanad:- Also known as the rice bowl of Kerala , the place is immensely popular for its extensive paddy cultivations. The beautiful village is situated at the very heart of backwaters. It is perhaps the only region in the world where farming is done below the sea level. The boat trip to Changanachery passes through this beautiful region and provides the scenic views of sparkling waterways.
Champakulam:- Champakulam village is famous for the St. Mary Church built in 427 A D. The Church is one of the oldest Churches in Kerala and is said to be one of the seven churches established by St. Thomas. The Church is flocked by large number of devotees on the 3rd Sunday of October to celebrate the annual feast.
Mannarsala:- Situated at a distance of 32 km from Alappuzha near Haripad , Mannarsala is quite famous for the ancient temple of Sree Nagaraja, the king of Serpents .Pilgrims from all over the country assemble over here to celebrate the two day annual festival.
Ambalapuzha Temple:- Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is located 14 km away from Alappuzha. Constructed in typical Kerala style architecture the temple is quite famous for the Palpayasam, the daily offering of sweet milk porridge, which is offered to the presiding deity of the temple. The temple also witnesses the performances of Pallipana by Velans once in every twelve years. Paintings of Dasavatharam, the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu displayed on the inner walls of the temple are also the major attraction among the visitors.
Mullakkal Rajeswari Temple:- Dedicated to Goddess Rajarajeshwari, the temple has a special significance for the people of Alleppey. The nine day Navarathri festival is celebrated here twice a year. Another important festival of the temple is Thaipooyakavadi.
How to Reach Alappuzha
By Air:- The nearest airport to the town is Cochin International Airport which is situated at a distance of 54 km from Alappuzha
By Rail:- Alleppey has its own railway station. An excellent railway network connects Alleppey to all the major cities of south India like Cochin, Kozhikode and Chennai etc.
By Road:- Alleppey is well connected to the rest of the country with a sophisticated rod networks and national highways. Some of the National Highways that pass through Alleppey are NH17, NH49 and NH 47.
The Kerala Vacations provide its visitors some amazing holiday packages to explore its various amazing destinations and places of interest along with hotel packages. To know more about them just fill the form below or contact us.
