An important tourist hub in central Kerala, Alappuzha is a truly picturesque place with abundance of backwaters, criss-crossing canals, monuments and beach. This former port town of Travancore kingdom was a major trade centre in the medieval era. Alappuzhas legacy and geographical phenomenon aptly earned it the title Venice of the East. Regarded as the nerve centre of Kerala backwater tourism, Alappuzhas lovely backwaters also hosts some of the prestigious snake boat races namely - Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Aranmula Uthrattadi Boat Race, Champakulam Moolam Boat Race and Payippad Boat Race. Another chief speciality of Alappuzha is its native coir products whose quality is renowned internationally.
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A lovely island on the Vembanad Lake, Kumbalangi is located about 15 kilometers away from Kochi city. The beautiful backwater shores dotted with hundreds of Chinese fishing nets, dense mangroves and rich aquatic life made Kumbalangi the first model tourism village in the state. Here one can see how tourism has grown without disturbing the natural beauty and ecological balance of the place.
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Neighboured by Kottayam town in central Kerala, Kumarakom is a group of small islands on the Vembanad Lake, the largest backwaters in Gods Own Country. Apart from an exotic backwater cruise spot, Kumarakom houses a Bird Sanctuary with rich flora fauna where a large number of migratory birds can be seen.
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