Alappuzha (Malayalam: [aːlɐpːuɻɐ] ), also known as Alleppey, is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in the state of Kerala, India. The backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and international tourists.Alleppey is a city and a municipality in Kerala with an urban population of 174,164 and ranks third among the districts in literacy rate in the state. In 2016, the Centre for Science and Environment rated Alappuzha as the cleanest town in India. Alappuzha is considered to be the oldest planned city in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the city is the first of its kind along the Laccadive Sea coast.The city is 55 km from Kochi and 155 km north of Thiruvananthapuram. A town with canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, Alappuzha was described by George Curzon, Viceroy of India at the start of the 20th century, as the "Venice of the East." Hence, it is known as the "Venetian Capital" of Kerala.
It is an important tourist destination in India. It connects Kumarakom and Cochin to the North and Kollam to the South. It is also the access point for the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race, held on the Punnamada Lake, near Alappuzha, on the second Saturday of August every year. This is amongst the most popular and competitive boat races in India.Alappuzha was home to the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Separate American Model independent Travancore proposal and also the revolt against the Feudal raj. Over 200 Communist party members were killed by the army of the Diwan at Punnapra. Coir is the most important commodity manufactured in Alappuzha. The Coir Board was established by the Central Government under the provisions of the Coir Industry Act, 1955. A Central Coir Research Institute is located at Kalavoor.
Cochin International Airport (). This is the nearest airport. Expect to pay about ₹450 for a taxi to get from Cochin airport to Cochin, and then more for a bus or train to Alappuzha. Another option is to take a local bus from nearby Athani, reachable by rickshaw. Alternatively, there are airports in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kozhikode (Calicut), Chennai, and Bangalore and you can catch a train to Alappuzha.
Alappuzha has a wonderful past that owes its modern existence to the efforts of Diwan Raja Kesavadas in the second half of the 18th century. Diwan Raja Kasavadas was instrumental in making Alappuzha a major port city in his time and for developing the system of inland canals, used for transportation and navigation, that is seen today.
The name Alappuzha means "the land between the sea and network of rivers flowing into it". It is a fitting name: there are a significant number of canals, backwaters, beaches and lagoons in and around the city.
Alappuzha, and Kerala in general, has excellent weather due to its proximity to the ocean. The temperature rarely goes above 35 °C and never below 20 °C. The best time to visit is from September to March. The monsoon, from June to August, always brings heavy wind and rains. This is an excellent time to visit if you want to partake in a bit of monsoon tourism.
