Alleppey

Alleppey, formally known as Alappuzha, is the principal gateway to Kerala's backwater network — a 900-kilometre labyrinth of lagoons, canals, and lakes threading between the Arabian Sea and inland paddy districts. Converted rice barges called kettuvallam serve as slow-moving accommodations, drifting past coir-working villages and coconut groves. The town itself sits at the confluence of several canals and has historically been called the Venice of the East for its grid of waterways.