Best route from Thekkady to Alappuzha (Alleppey) - a scenic route for a pleasant drive
Are you looking for the best route from Thekkady to Alappuzha? We recently drove from Thekkady - Kumily to Alappuzha through Vandiperiyar - Peermade - Kuttikkanam - Mundakkayam - Changanassery to Alappuzha. Read more about this scenic route.
Thekkady and Alappuzha are very famous tourist destinations in Kerala. If you are planning to visit Kerala, don't miss these destinations.
Thekkady to Alappuzha is a very scenic route all the way from the beginning till the end. You will pass through a lot of plantations including cardamom, tea gardens, cocoa, rubber, coffee etc. The roads are pretty narrow in some places but are in very good condition. If you go for a self-drive car rental in Alappuzha you can enjoy driving on your own. Most part of the road is pretty busy but still, you won't come across any traffic blocks except during peak hours in some small towns. Please note that there are no medians anywhere in the route so you must drive very cautiously. Also, due to the lack of dividers, night drive may be difficult due to the light from the vehicles coming in the opposite direction. If you are not familiar with the route, better you avoid driving at night.
Thekkady to Alappuzha driving time: The distance from Thekkady to Alappuzha is about 138km. However, considering you are driving through hill stations and curvy roads, it may take about 4 hours to cover this distance. The average speed you can maintain is about 40 km per hour.
If 4 hours is too long for you to drive in a single stretch, you may stay overnight in one of the hotels, resorts or holiday homes along the route. Kuttikkanam, located in about half of the route, is an interesting place to stay in the lap of nature. I have reviewed a very nice holiday home called "Thusharam" at Kuttikkanam. It is an interesting cottage home along the side of a shallow river with an excellent view of tea gardens. This place is covered with mist often. Read my review of Thusharam holiday home in Kuttikkanam
Route: This is the easiest route from Thekkady to Alappuzha:
Thekkady > Vandiperiyar > Peermade > Kuttikkanam > Mundakkayam > Changanassery > Alappuzha
If you need to go to Kottayam, then take a diversion towards Kottayam at Changanassery.
Google map showing the best route from Thekkady to Alleppey with all the major tourist spots along the route.
As you drive from Thekkady towards Alleppey, you will see the amazing view of mountains slowly transitioning into the fabulous view of backwaters all over. Those who are planning for one night stay in Thekkady need to best yet the pocket-friendly resorts in Thekkady to make the trip economical. Once you reach Alleppey side, you will see backwater canals crisscrossing here and there. Public toilets and rest area
Sadly, there are not many rest areas along the route. Your options are limited to stopping by some of the good restaurants along the route and using the toilet facility there. The AVT Carady Goody Tea Outlet (look for Carady Goody Old Caffine Factory in Google maps) is a good choice since they have a small tea shop, restaurant, guest toilets, tea bag sales counter etc. There are some basic play structures for children.
Check out the major tourist attractions in Thekkady - Alleppey routeBuses from Alleppey to Thekkady
Kumily is a twin city of Thekkady. You will find a lot more buses to Kumily than to Thekkady from all nearby cities including Alleppey and Kottayam. A bus will take about 4 hours to reach Kumily from Alleppey. Once you reach Kumily, you can take a local autorickshaw or a taxi to reach your destination in Thekkady.
There are a couple of direct buses from Alleppey to Kumily. Thekkady by train
There are no railway stations or railway lines to Thekkady. Your nearest stations are Kottayam and Alappuzha. If you are arriving by train, get down at Kottayam or Alappuzha and then take a bus or cab. If you plan to take a bus, then Kottayam is a better option since there are plenty of buses from Kottayam to Kumily.
Read best homestays in Kuttikkanam in Thekkady route.
Regarding public toilet and restroom discussion, if you are travelling by a vehicle from Thekkady to Alappuzha, one of the options is to use the toilets of Petrol Pumps (Gas Station ) Since it is mandatory for these pumps to offer a free toilet facility, 90 % of them has well-maintained Restrooms