Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Backwater canals, houseboats, and slow evenings on the water.
About
Backwater canals, houseboats, and slow evenings on the water.
Best time
Nov – Apr
When to go
JAN
Cool
Best
FEB
Cool
Best
MAR
Pleasant
Best
APR
Pleasant
Best
MAY
Warm
JUN
Rainy
JUL
Rainy
AUG
Rainy
SEP
Rainy
OCT
Pleasant
NOV
Pleasant
Best
DEC
Cool
Best
Nearby
Classic Vembanad backwater stay
Houseboats on Vembanad are the classic Alappuzha overnight: a slow cruise through canals, then a mooring by the lake. Most trips start from the Alappuzha or Kumarakom jetties and include a crew and meals on board.
Canals, paddy & village life
Canals, coconut banks, and paddy run off Vembanad Lake through Alappuzha. A canoe or houseboat from the town jetty is the usual way to see village landings and the wider lake.
Pier, lighthouse & sunset shore
Alappuzha Beach is the town shore beside the old pier and lighthouse. The sand is broad and the evening walk faces the Arabian Sea, with the pier as the landmark.
India's longest lake expanse
Vembanad is India's longest lake and the water under Alappuzha's backwaters, Kumarakom, and the Kochi islands. From Alappuzha you meet it as open lake beyond the canals, with houseboats and country boats crossing it.
Discover Thakazhi Memorial Museum in Alappuzha, Kerala
This museum in Thakazhi village remembers the writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, author of Chemmeen. The house and displays sit in the Kuttanad countryside he wrote about.
Discover Thottappally Beach in Alappuzha, Kerala
Thottappally Beach is where the spillway from Kuttanad meets the sea, south of Alappuzha. It is a fishing shore with a strong current, better for the view than for swimming.
Discover Karumadikuttan (Buddha Statue) in Alappuzha, Kerala
Karumadikuttan is an ancient black-granite Buddha in a small shrine near Ambalappuzha. It is a short stop in the paddy belt, often paired with a backwater ride.
Punnamada snake-boat waters
Punnamada Lake, just outside Alappuzha town, is the course of the Nehru Trophy snake-boat race. On ordinary days it is a wide stretch of Vembanad used for short cruises.
Discover Krishnapuram Palace, a memorable Kerala experience near Alappuzha
Krishnapuram Palace near Kayamkulam is a rare surviving Kerala palace, now an archaeological museum. Its best-known work is the large Gajendra Moksham mural in the palace hall.
In the app
Share this place with your group. Local food sits on the route.
