Summary
Alleppey (or Alappuzha) is one of Kerala’s leading tourist destinations. Nicknamed the ‘Venice of the East’ because of the series of canals and waterways which wind through its historic heart, it’s perhaps no surprise that Alleppey is renowned for the houseboats which cruises along this part of the Kerala backwaters. Guided tours of Alleppey are able to go well beyond its waterways alone however, taking in a striking nineteenth-century lighthouse, the significantly older Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Hindu Temple, and each August, dramatic Snake Boat Races (vallam kali) on Lake Punnamada in order to see which team takes home the Nehru Trophy.