With its beautiful setting on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, Cochin or Kochi reflects the eclecticism of Kerala. Here you find the oldest church in India, winding streets crammed with 500 year old Portuguese houses, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, an old Jewish community and a palace built by the Portuguese. Cochin is a good starting place in order to do some backwater cruising. Cochin consists of the mainland Ernakulam and the islands of Willingdon, Bolgatty and Gundu in the harbour, Fort Cochin and Mattancherry on the southern peninsula and Vypeen Island, north of Fort Cochin. The best time to visit it is from December till May. We used the package from JET Airways starting from Mumbai. The package included the following:
Flight MUMBAI-COCHIN-MUMBAI
3N Accommodation at The Trident (***)
Free food and soft drinks worth 2000 INR for every 2 nights
Special conditions for children
Jet Airways Cochin Package
The package was booked through:
NEW DELHI TCI
Cost of the package for 2 Pax 30128,- INR
TRANSPORT RATES
Pick-up at the airport was not included. We took a prepaid taxi (Ambassador non A/C) to Willingdon Island at the rate of 470 INR. Taxis on Willingdon Island have following rates.
Airport drop – 400 INR
Allepy drop – 600 INR
Marari beach – 500 INR
Puthanangadi – 500 INR
Sightseeing tour Fort Cochin 2 Hr ½ - 250 INR
Ernakulam Shopping 2 Hr – 200 INR
Kathakali dance/back hotel - 250 INR
Mattanchery drop – 125 INR
Ernakulam town station – 130 INR
ISLAND TAXI DRIVER’S ASSOCIATION
Tel: 666616, 666617 and 668234
WHAT TO SEE
FORT COCHIN
St Francis Church
India’s oldest European-built church was constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars who accompanied the expedition by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. The original structure was made of wood, but the church was rebuilt in stone in the mid 16th century. The church is presently used by the Church of South India. Vasco da Gama died in Cochin in 1524 and was buried here for 14 years before his remains were transferred to Lisbon in Portugal (the tombstone can still be seen in the church).
Santa Cruz Basilica
Chinese Fishing nets
Introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, the cantilevered fishing nets can be seen at the tip of Fort Cochin. They require at least four men to operate them.
The Jewish Synagogue – Jewtown
The Synagogue was originally constructed in 1568 but destroyed during a Portuguese raid in 1662 and rebuilt by the Dutch two years later. The area around the Synagogue is know as Jewtown and one of the centers of the Cochin spice trade.
The Dutch Palace (Museum)
BOLGATTY PALACE
Built in 1744 as a Dutch Palace and now run by KTDC as a government hotel. It does not look palatial at all, so don’t loose your time. The view of the harbour from the old palace is although nice.
HARBOUR CRUISE
We did a one-hour cruise visiting the harbour and Bolgatty Island, courtesy of the Taj Malabar while sitting at the Waterfront Café in the late afternoon. KTDC offers daily boat cruises around Cochin harbour, departing from the Sealord Boat pier, North of the Tourist Centre.
MINI BACKWATER CRUISES
In Cochin there is a possibility to make a mini backwater cruise. They are two options being a 3-Hr tour in an open canoe and a 6-Hr tour in a more luxurious boat. The cruise goes along coir villages and coconut plantations, giving the opportunity to see daily life along the canals. The short tour is at 300 INR/Paw, while the longer one – including a “meal for the ghosts” costs 800 INR. Transport from and to the hotel is included.
HOTEL
The Trident
Bristow Road, Willingdon Island
Cochin 6822003
Kerala
Tel: +91- 484/669595, 666816
Fax: +91- 484/669393
E-mail: reservations@tridentcochin.com
www.oberoihotels.com
Located on Willingdon Island. Provides A/C airport transfers at the rate of 430 INR per person, which is quite expensive compared with the available non A/C Ambassador taxis at 400 INR. Excellent hotel. Good service, although it cannot compete with the beautiful and splendid location of the Taj Malabar. If I did it again, I would go to the Taj Malabar with its “Waterfront Café” and very excellent Thai restaurant, “The Thai Pavilion”. The latter is the best Thai restaurant we found in India until now (my wife being Thai, can now it. We did several “Thais” in Delhi “The Lemon Grass at South Extension”, “The Baan Thai” of the “Oberoi Hotel” and “The Blue Elephant” of the Grand Inter Continental, but none was better quality than the Thai restaurant of the Taj Malabar. Service at the Taj Malabar was more than excellent, be at the Waterfront Café, the Mattanchery bar and the Thai Pavilion.
TAJ MALABAR
Tel: +91- 484/371471
Fax: +91- 484/365161
E-mail: trn.cochin@tajhotels.com
www.tajhotels.com