Alappuzha, Aug 8 (IANS) Michael Boulos, businessman and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, made a surprise visit to Alappuzha on Saturday, taking a leisurely houseboat ride through the rain lashed backwaters even as the Kerala Police mounted elaborate security arrangements for the high profile visitor.

Boulos, who has been accorded State Guest status during his stay in Kerala, arrived in Alappuzha accompanied by an eight-member delegation.

With the district receiving heavy rainfall over the past few days, the main entrance to Punamada Lake was flooded, prompting the police to make alternative arrangements to take Boulos to the houseboat from another location.

Despite the inclement weather, Boulos appeared to enjoy his tryst with the famed Kerala backwaters.

Whenever he came out onto the deck of the houseboat, he waved at people who had gathered after word spread about the arrival of the prominent visitor.

The visit also brought an unusual buzz to Alappuzha, popularly known as the ‘Venice of the East’, and internationally renowned for its network of canals, lagoons and houseboats.

Boulos is expected to return to Kochi later in the day, according to sources.

The visit comes just days before Alappuzha prepares to host the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, one of Kerala’s most celebrated sporting and cultural spectacles, on August 22.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the chief guest at this year’s event.

The prestigious race is named after Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

During his visit to Alappuzha in 1952, Pandit Nehru jumped on to a traditional snake boat and was so impressed by the experience that he donated a trophy for a boat race, after he reached Delhi.

Boulos, who was born in Houston and raised in Lagos, is the husband of Tiffany Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump.

He married Tiffany in 2022, and the couple welcomed their first child in May 2025.

His unexpected appearance in Alappuzha, against the backdrop of monsoon rains and preparations for the Nehru Trophy, added an international touch to the normally bustling backwater destination on Saturday.

–IANS

sg/rad