Area Attractions

Alleppey is a historic and picturesque town, often called the Venice of The East for its canals. It is also truly unique in that it is one of the few places where visitors can enjoy both the seaside and the lake.

The Vembanad Lake
The backwaters of the Vembanad Lake have been listed as one of the 'World's Greatest Places' by National Geographic. A visit to Kerala is considered incomplete without a boat cruise on these placid and verdant waterways.

The lake is situated below sea level and is the only place in the world where paddy is cultivated at such an elevation. It is home to a large variety of local and migratory birds.

The houseboats or 'kettuvalloms' as they are locally known offer an incomparable experience as one cruises through the myriad waterways and canals of the lake.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race
This annual boat race takes place on the second Saturday of August and is Alleppey's biggest event. Several types of canoes take part in this regatta including the snake boats which each carry more than 100 oarsmen. Nehru Trophy Boat Race is said to be the world’s largest water carnival.

Alleppey Beach
The Alleppey Beach is barely a kilometer from Wayside Inn. It is home to a historic pier and lighthouse.

Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum
This museum houses the largest collection of Swarovski crystals in the world. It also showcases rare and priceless Tanjore paintings, ivory carvings, porcelain and other artifacts from all over the world.

Arthunkal Church
St. Andrews Church in Arthinkal is about 25 kilometers north of Alleppey (near Cherthala), was build by Portuguese missionaries in 1581. This historic church has since been rebuilt several times. There is an important festival associated with the church in January. This church was recently upgraded as Basilica

Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple
Located 15 km from Alleppey, it is famous for its murals and daily offerings of payasam.

Marari Beach
Marari Beach is barely 11 km from Alappuzha (Alleppey) town, this sleepy little village (also called Mararikulam), is an idyllic location for a vacation. The beach is clean and is said to be safe for swimming.

Mannarasala Snake Temple
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple is a very ancient and internationally-known centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of serpent gods (Nagaraja). The famous Nagaraja temple "Mannarasala" is nestled in a forest glade, like most snake temples. The Mannarasala Temple has over 30,000 images of snakes along the paths and among the trees, and is the largest such temple in Kerala. Women seeking fertility come to worship here, and upon the birth of their child come to hold thanksgiving ceremonies here, often bringing new snake images as offerings.

A special turmeric paste which is available at the temple is credited with curative powers. The temple is located about thirty five kilometers south of Alleppey.

SriKrishnapuram Palace
The Krishnapuram Palace is a tourist attraction, just 400 m from NH-47 located between Kayamkulam town and Oachira. The palace is maintained by the Archaeological Department and contains exhibits that belonged to the Palace and its former occupant, the Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma. It is also famous for a large pond within the palace. It is said that an underground escape route runs from the bottom of the pond as a possible escape route from enemies. The Gajendra Moksham, mural painting in the palace is the largest in Kerala. The two-edged Kayamkulam Vaal(sword) is also on display here. The palace also houses, in its courtyard, one of the four statues of Buddha in Alappuzha District.

Other Places of interest
Karumady is a village three km east of Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district. It is famous for Karumady Kuttan, the eleventh century black granite statue of Sri Buddha. The left hand side of this statue is missing.

Kuttanadu in Alappuzha is well known for its picturesque vast paddy fields and its geographical peculiarities. It's the region with the lowest altitude in India, and one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level. It’s also one of the historically important places in the ancient history of South India. It is the major rice granary of Kerala, where vast stretches of verdant paddy fields are interlaced with enchanting backwaters create some of the unforgettable sights. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala is all about an agrarian community, striking a chord of harmony with its physical setting. Noted for its farming below sea level (about 4 to 10 feet) the land of Kuttanad possesses a socio-cultural fabric of its own. Four major rivers in Kerala viz. Pampa, Meenachil, Achankovil and Manimala flow into the region.

Other Facts: Alleppey is the nerve centre of Kerala's famous Coir industry. The district is known as the traditional home of coir in Kerala. The easy availability of of raw materials and existence of backwaters and canals suitable for the wetting of green husk and accessibility of transportation are the main factors for the development of this industry