The Venice of the East

Aleppey or Alappuzha has served as the Venice of the East since it was given that name by George Curzon, Viceroy of India – it is a name that has well-suited the place. With Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in the whole of India, as well as the largest lake serving the state of Kerala, the status of the location can only be further justified. There are so many houseboats in the backwaters and some beautiful beaches which serve Alappuzha, making it a favourite destination for many. It is a location which I have visited multiple times, and there was a new journey to support the same again. Well, most tourists who visit Kerala, especially Kochi do add Aleppey to their list of places to watch.

The Venice of the East has maintained and lived up to that title, a realization which has elevated the status of Aleppey among the tourist destinations of South India. A vast network of rivers and canals has served the town really well. This journey to Aleppey can be combined with a straight trip from Fort Cochin on one side, stretching through the model tourism village of Kumbalangi and going further to reach the place past Andhakaranaazhi, another beach of interest. Some of the snaps from the last journey in that direction can be seen shared below. It was a one-day journey which took the route through Vyttila, Maradu and Cherthala, even though a tour from other directions including Kumbalangi would also be that interesting.

There is always enough of houseboats that we see around.

You see one of the houseboats and then you see many more.

There are always some houseboats which catch attention more.

You see those houseboats from a long distance away with beauty.

Like they say, you choose your destiny, or rather the houseboats.

Walk through the path that lead to the right houseboat.

The sunsets never get less beautiful around here.

The octopus sculpture made out of plastic waste on the beach.

Decommissioned Fast Attack Craft (IN FAC) T-81 on display.

The lighthouses are always there to keep us interested.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Aleppey.

TeNy

Kerala and Houseboats

During your journey to Kerala, you might have wandered around Alappuzha/Aleppey which is called the Venice of the East, and also through Kumarakom, both being huge tourism destinations on the Vembanad Lake – the longest lake in India, and the largest in Kerala. This lake which serves the three districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam, is also known by the names Punnamada Lake and Kochi Lake as it has Kochi’s significant islands located on it or bordered by the lake and the Arabian Sea. The houseboats or kettuvallams have been a major component of Kerala’s backwater tourism, and these will be the special attractions which you should have noticed during your journeys! Here are a few photos of them with the natural beauty of Kerala from around Alappuzha-Kumarakom area.

So, have you been to one of these houseboats or traveled through/near the backwaters of Kerala having one of the most beautiful waterways around? If this hasn’t been accomplished yet, when are you making an attempt? There are also some interesting temples and churches which you can also visit while doing the same. The Venetian Capital of Kerala and the other towns around awaits you, as a journey to the South of India won’t be complete without witnessing the charm of this area which has canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons within a few kilometres.

***The images used in this blog post were taken by me on my Sony Cybershot DSC-W310 around Alappuzha and Kumarakom during the period of 2010-2011, and it is a small selection from a big collection of photos.

TeNy