Termed ‘Venice of the East’, Alleppy or Alappuzha, is situated in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, South India. Alappuzha was once ranked among the wealthiest ports along the Malabar Coast and acted as a clearing house for spices, coffee, tea, cashews, coir, and other produce brought from inland.  Paddy, banana, cassava, yam etc are the main produce of the region. Alappuzha is still a hub for the coir industry.

Today, as a travel destination of India, Alappuzha is famous for backwater tourism.  With the Arabian Sea on the west and a vast net work of lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers criss- crossing it, Alappuzha is a district of immense natural beauty. It is no wonder that it has become very popular as a backwater tourist centre, famous for its house boat cruises and boat races. ‘Kettuvallam’ or house boats, motor boats, paddle boats, and ‘shikara’ style boats ply the water, giving intimate and close up glimpses of life on the water side.

Alappuzha really springs to life on the second Saturday of August, in the middle of the Monsoon, when it serves as the venue of one of the major spectacles - The Nehru Trophy snake boat race in the lakes of Punnamada and Chambakkulam.

Like any other part of India, Alappuzha also has a number of temples with unique legends attached to them. The Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna temple, built in the typical Kerala architectural style, is famous for its Palpayasam. The serpent shrine at Mannarsala situated 32 kms south of Alappuzha, draws devotees in large numbers as it is believed to give fertility to barren women.

The region called ‘Kuttanad’ in Alappuzha is known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Kerala and is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level.

Pathiramanal is a small island located in the Vembanad Lake where hundreds of rare migratory birds sojourn. Alappuzha has the distinction of being the only district in Kerala without any forest.