Also known as the Venice of the East, Alappuzha is famous for its breathtaking backwaters and canals. Situated at the south western tip of the Vembanad Lake, Alappuzha is a small strip of land sandwiched between the Vembanad Lake and the Arabian Sea. The Nehru Trophy snake boat race held on the second Saturday of August (During Onam) every year, at the Punnamada Backwaters is a real feast for the eyes! Alappuzha is also a major centre producing coir products in Kerala.
Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, is a little hamlet with unending stretches of paddy fields, small streams and canals lined by lush green coconut palms. The village was known from as early as the Sangam Age. History says that Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece and Rome in the B.C years and in the Middle Ages. The vast expanse of lakes and canals has made the place a busy inland fishing port. Already one of the major tourism spots of Kerala, the place has greater scope for the lake side tourism which is a thriving business now.