Things to do in Alleppey

Backwaters, a coast almost nobody visits, and two of Kerala's best heritage sites an hour south. The district is flat; the problem is always the jetty.

Getting around Alleppey

Distances here are short and the driving is easy, so the value of a car is that it waits: at Punnamada while you are on the water, at the beach until after dark, at Krishnapuram until you are done with the mural. Boats are hired separately at the jetty and every experience below says so up front.

Experiences

• Vembanad backwaters, a day on the water: Off the main channel, into the canals people actually live on
• Alappuzha beach and the 1862 lighthouse: The pier, the light and a sunset the backwaters never show you
• Ambalapuzha temple and Krishnapuram Palace: Payasam, a Gajendra Moksha mural, and the road south along the coast

Best months

November to February. The Nehru Trophy snake boat race is the second Saturday of August, when the town is at its busiest.

Getting there

Alappuzha has its own station on the coastal line, 1.5 hrs from Ernakulam; Cochin airport is about 3 hrs by road.