Alleppey Backwaters

The Alleppey (Alappuzha) backwaters are the most-visited stretch of Kerala's 900-km network of lagoons, lakes, and canals. The Vembanad lake system and the connected Punnamada lake host hundreds of kettuvallam houseboats — converted rice barges, now floating boutique stays — that cruise overnight from Alappuzha town. The water is brackish, rice paddies sit below sea level, and the canal-side villages are reached only by canoe. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held on the second Saturday of August on Punnamada Lake, with 100-rower chundan vallam (snake boats) up to 41 metres long racing in front of crowds of 2 lakh. The Alappuzha Beach, the Karumadi Buddha statue, and the Krishnapuram Palace make a useful day-trip itinerary on land. Houseboat bookings are best made in advance October–March; watch for backwater pollution warnings during peak season.