Things to do in Alleppey
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Alleppey
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Post monsoon green, calm canals and everything running, with peak prices December to February.
Hot, still and humid, outdoor days become dawn only.
Peak monsoon, flood season and cancelled small boat days, except for race week in August.
What's on
- Nehru Trophy Boat Race August, traditionally the second Saturday
Snake boat racing on the Finishing Point course on Punnamada Lake, traditionally the second Saturday of August.
- Onam Late August or early September (Thiruvonam day moves each year)
Kerala harvest festival, with flower carpets, snake boat races and the Onasadya banana leaf feast.
- Champakulam Moolam Boat Race Late June or early July, on the Moolam day of the month of Mithunam
Oldest race tradition in the calendar, on the Pampa river at Champakulam, opening the vallam kali season.
- Arthunkal Perunnal January
Church festival within day trip range, anchoring the January church calendar.
- Ambalapuzha Temple Festival March to April
Annual festival season at Ambalapuzha temple, with the daily palpayasam calendar for food pilgrims.
- Edathua Feast early May
Church feast within day trip range, anchoring the early May church calendar.
- Alappuzha Beach Festival late December
Town New Year season party on the sand at Alappuzha Beach.
Best things to do in Alleppey
Alleppey Houseboat Cruise, Finishing Point
Overnight kettuvallam cruise on Vembanad with meals aboard, best when booked as a named, verified boat.
Shikara and canoe cruises, Kuttanad
Small boats enter narrow Kainakary and Champakulam canals that a houseboat cannot reach.
Kuttanad
Cycle or walk bunds between paddy fields farmed below sea level, past churches and boatyards.
Alappuzha Beach
Broad town beach with old pier and sunset, plus the 1862 lighthouse panorama two minutes inland.
Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple
Classic Kerala temple famed for daily palpayasam, a slow cooked sweet milk and rice offering.
Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple
Temple and market street at the heart of the old canal grid, paired with the International Coir Museum.
Nehru Trophy Finishing Point
Race finishing straight on Punnamada Lake, best at dawn and for inspecting real houseboats before booking.
Marari Beach
Long palm backed fishing village beach for a chair, a book and sunset, far quieter than the town beach.
Where to stay in Alleppey
Punnamada / Finishing Point
first trip, all-round base
Houseboat jetties and lake resorts on open water, about ten minutes by auto from town food.
Alappuzha town centre / Mullakkal
cheap sleeps, food and transport
Homestays, cafes and the station and bus stand within reach, practical and local but noisy.
Alappuzha Beach / Sea View Ward
hostels and sunsets
Backpacker strip 200 metres from the sand with the lighthouse a walk away, lively and a little scruffy.
Mararikulam / Marari Beach
beach and switch-off nights
Fishing village with boutique resorts, Ayurveda and hammocks, and almost no nightlife.
Kuttanad / Champakulam / Kainakary
slow homestay night inside the landscape
Family houses on canals and paddy bunds where dawn kayaking and village life are outside the door.
On a houseboat
exactly one night
An experience with a bed in it, not a base, since you moor where the crew moors.
Think twice about
- NH-66 / bus-stand / station-road commercial core
Loudest and dustiest traffic strip in town, with nothing walkable you came for. A transit night only.
- Immediate Finishing Point jetty frontage
Jetty crowds, boat generators and the highest pressure houseboat sales in Kerala at cheap unreviewed rooms.
- Ground-floor Kuttanad homestays in peak monsoon
Kuttanad floods by design and lanes and ground floors can go under in heavy June to August rain. Ask in writing.
- Isolated backwater resorts reachable only by resort boat
You can leave only on the resort schedule, which becomes captivity when you want town food on night two.
Best restaurants in Alleppey
Bayroute Bistro
Polished multi cuisine dining room where locals book celebration dinners, strong on biryani and Arabic grills.
Thaff Restaurant
Biryani institution since 1991, with beef roast, porotta and Kerala meals at local family prices.
Halais Restaurant
The other biryani institution, famed for beef biryani and a wide Indian, Chinese and Arabic menu.
Aatumukham Toddy Shop
Licensed toddy shop serving same day Kuttanad cooking like karimeen pollichathu, duck curry and kappa.
Ocean Kitchen, Sterling Lake Palace
Luxury Kerala table over Vembanad, known for karimeen fry and a full banana leaf sadhya.
Choola Restaurant, Punnamada Resort
Lakeside Kerala and international dinner at Punnamada Resort, loved for setting despite slow service.
Cafe Paradiso Espresso Coffee Bar
Simple canal facing cafe for real coffee and breakfast while watching people and boats at Finishing Point.
Brews and Burgers Bistro
Casual bistro for burgers and American cafe food, the change of pace pick after days of fish curry.
Outdoor things to do in Alleppey
Kerala Kayaking, Alleppey
Sunrise kayaking in sheltered Kainakary canals as villages wake, with herons, ducks and waterside tea.
Full-day punted canoe village tour, Kuttanad
Six to eight hour poled canoe through the smallest canals, stopping for coir, toddy and a village lunch.
Alleppey to Champakulam cycling loop
Flat canal roads and paddy bunds by bike toward Champakulam and Nedumudi, starting at dawn.
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
Wooded marsh and lake paths with egrets, herons and kingfishers, best at opening from November to February.
Pathiramanal Island
Small uninhabited tree covered island reached by boat, a peaceful paved nature walk with lake views.
Marari Beach
Walk the long strand, cycle the village and swim only cautiously on calm in season days.
Krishnapuram Palace
Travancore palace holding the large Gajendra Moksham mural, the Kayamkulam sword and bronzes.
Ayurveda centres, Alleppey and Marari
Proper Ayurveda starts with a consultation at a classified centre and runs as a course over days.
Best hotels in Alleppey
Sterling Lake Palace Alleppey
Most complete land based luxury in Alleppey, with lake cottages, a pool in the lake and its own houseboats.
Punnamada Resort
Heritage villas and lake facing rooms in gardens, with Ayurveda and the Choola restaurant.
Ramada by Wyndham Alleppey
Large international brand hotel at the race finish, with pool and spa and a mixed service record.
Marari Beach Resort, CGH Earth
Thatched villas in a coconut grove modelled on the fishing village, with serious Ayurveda and beach access.
Spice Coast Cruises
Genuine luxury houseboat night, booked boat specifically with a named operator with a track record.
The World Backwaters
High volume lake resort mid ranger on the Punnamada side, aimed mainly at families.
Uday Backwater Resort
Lake resort with full facilities below Sterling prices, the other high volume mid range pick.
Malayalam Lake Resort
Smaller well liked lake edge stay on Finishing Point to Punnamada Road.
Is Alleppey expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹1,800 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹6,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₹16,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Alleppey Houseboat Cruise, Finishing Point: months ahead
- Shikara and canoe cruises, Kuttanad: a few days ahead
- Kerala Kayaking, Alleppey: a few days ahead
- Full-day punted canoe village tour, Kuttanad: a few days ahead
- Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary: a few days ahead
- Ayurveda centres, Alleppey and Marari: weeks ahead
- Bayroute Bistro: a few days ahead
- Ocean Kitchen, Sterling Lake Palace: a few days ahead
- Houseboats for December to January, Onam week and Nehru Trophy week need a named boat weeks to months ahead.
- Punnamada and Marari resorts in late December to February need 2 to 3 weeks minimum.
- Kayaking sunrise slots and full day canoe tours need a few days ahead in season.
- Bayroute and resort dinners on weekends should be reserved.
Is Alleppey safe?
- Do not swim at Alappuzha Beach, swim cautiously and briefly at Marari in season, never in monsoon or after dark.
- Insist on life jackets on small boats, especially for children, and do not swim in the canals.
- Use mosquito repellent at dusk, drink sealed or filtered water, and start early in heat. Emergency number 112.
Alleppey travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Houseboat bait and switch, shown a luxury boat and given an old poorly maintained one.
- Hidden extras for air conditioning, food upgrades, water and mooring on an all inclusive quote.
- Canal stop spice and coir showrooms at tourist multiples, buy in Mullakkal instead.
- Auto drivers steering you to a better cheaper boat office that is paying them.
- Toddy shop bills without a menu, agree dish prices before ordering.
Getting around Alleppey: public transport and more
- Cochin airport is 85 to 95 km north, allow 2 to 2.5 hours by pre-booked taxi.
- Alappuzha station has frequent trains to Kochi in about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- In town use autos between town and Finishing Point and agree the fare first, or use the station prepaid point.
- Carry small cash for State Water Transport Department ferries.
Who Alleppey suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Alleppey your trip
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