Alleppey Backwaters

The Alappuzha backwaters are among the most celebrated natural attractions in India, a vast network of interconnected lagoons, canals, rivers, and lakes stretching across the Kuttanad region. The area is often called the Venice of the East and the Rice Bowl of Kerala. Traditional houseboats called kettuvallam, converted from old rice barges, offer overnight and multi-day cruises through narrow waterways lined with coconut palms, paddy fields, fishing villages, and churches. The experience of waking up on a houseboat with mist rising off the water and village life unfolding on the banks is unlike anything else in India. Shorter canoe and kayak tours through narrow village canals offer a more intimate perspective. The backwaters are at their most atmospheric during the monsoon months and around the Onam season in August.