From Wikitravel

Cochin (now known as Kochi) is Kerala's most cosmopolitan city with a bustling commercial port. It is the financial capital of Kerala.

[edit] Understand

The city of Cochin is separated into numerous distinct areas that are not particularly close to each other. These include the mainland areas of Ernakulam City (where the train stations to the rest of India leave and arrive), Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi (the primary tourist enclave), Mattancherry, Kumbalangi and outlying islands. These distinct neighbourhoods arose as the result of a mixed past.

Cochin merchants began trading in spices such as black pepper and cardamom with the Arabs, the Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese, Chinese more than 600 years ago.

Cochin has a lot of remnants from the past still clinging on. The famous landmark of Cochin is a row of Chinese fishing nets at the mouth of the harbor leading to the Arabian sea in Fort Kochi, the oldest part of the city. In Ernakulam, the latest in skyscrapers and modern shopping can be found, while the old quarter -- the Fort Kochi area and Mattancherry area -- maintains a colonial air. This makes Cochin one of the best places to travel [1].

Cochin is comparatively cleaner and quieter than many other Indian tourist places. Having said that, Cochin is still a health and sanitation problem. Trash and rubbish litter most public areas. The infrastructure of proper sidewalks and grey water control remains a problem. Be careful walking especially at night as poorly lit areas and multi-level sidewalks are common. Often gaping holes could land you in a puddle.

This area boasts of hundreds of islands, some even uninhabited, and is part of the Backwaters of Kerala. A famous island is that of Boghatty (local name Mulavukad) where the Dutch built a palace. This palace was later used as house of the British Resident administrator. Right now the Dutch Palace is a tourist hotel, and you are welcome to live there as guest.

Rainy season is from June to September. Temperature 22-34° C depending on season. Use mosquito repellent cream while traveling during night, and consider a mosquito net for sleeping.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Cochin International Airport [2] is located in Nedumbassery approximately 29 km from the city. There are flights to and from Colombo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Sharjah, Jeddah, Muscat, Kuwait, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Take a pre-paid taxi to your destination.

[edit] By train

You can reach Cochin from other cities Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kozhikode (Calicut), Chennai, Bangalore, Bombay, New Delhi, Kolkata by train.

There are two major Rail station in Cochin( Ernakulam Town and Ernakulam Junction, locally known as North and South railway stations). The Indian Railways [3] serves Cochin with a number of train services connecting it to other parts of the state and the country. One of the best ways to get to Cochin is to take the Konkan Railway train from Mumbai that passes through the Konkan coast. The train ride is renowned for the breathtaking scenery and the natural beauty of the terrain that the train passes through.

[edit] By bus

Cochin (Kochi) is accessible from all parts of the state of Kerala, through the extensive state run Kerala Road Transport Corporation (K.S.R.T.C.) bus service. These buses are generally cheap and reliable, but the drivers are notoriously reckless, although they have excellent control over their vehicles. There buses are classified as Ordinary Passenger, Limited Stop, Fast Passenger, Super Fast Passenger, Lightning Express and Garuda. The last is an air-conditioned service operating on the Thiruvananthapuram-Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram-Calicut routes, both passing through Kochi. These are modern buses and compare with buses in Europe, with well-maintained interiors and comfortable seats.

There are also numerous private buses or 'route buses' that connect pretty much every single district in Kerala to Cochin. Both the K.S.R.T.C and the private buses offer very basic comforts and are rarely air conditioned.

There also exists daily services to and from other major cities in South India including Mumbai, Bangalore(12 hrs), Mangalore (12 hrs), Coimbatore (4.5 hrs) and Chennai (14 hrs). These are run by both private operators and by the respective State Transport Authorities. The private buses offer better comfort, are cleaner and more modern, and are more expensive. A ticket on a private operator-run bus, especially an A/C Volvo bus, is costlier than a 3-AC train ticket.

[edit] By taxi

Trivandrum to Kochi around 220 km

[edit] By boat

Cochin can be reached by sea in yachts or by occasional cruise ship from Goa or Bombay.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By bus

Cochin has an excellent and cheap local bus service system, operated by private bus operators. The numbering system is rarely used although it appears to exist. The buses are red in color, and though they may vary in appearance, they still can be distinguished as city bus services.

Destination boards display signs prominently in Malayalam and in small letters the English version. Using the local bus service is not that difficult as most bus conductors would be able to provide assistance with basic knowledge of English or Hindi or even Tamil. Remember however that peak hours on weekdays can lead to overcrowded buses. That is not the best time to use these buses, like in any busy city.

Travellers must remember that a certain number of seats are allocated for ladies in the forward portion of each bus. Unless these seats are empty, gentlemen are not expected to occupy them, and they must be vacated when a lady wishes to sit there. The standard precautions of being wary of pickpockets and other anti-social elements must be maintained.

Several important points serviced by Cochin's city bus service include Fort Kochi, Thoppumpady, Edakochi, Mattancherry, Island (Willingdon Island), Thevara, Kaloor, Palarivattom, Kakkanad, Kalamassery, Edapalli,North Paravur, Alwaye, Tripunithura, and Vytilla Jn.

Many key routes that pass through the city (from Alwaye/Kakkanad etc to Fort Kochi/Thevara Jn etc) will have the following route/stops

1. Kaloor (interchange for Long Distance Private Bus Services for Kottayam, Palai, Changanacheri, Mundakayam, Erumeli, Pathanamthitha etc.)
2. Lissie Jn (Some Private Long Distance Luxury Bus Operators)
3. Town Hall (Closest point to Ernakulam Town (North) Station)
4. Kacheripady Jn (KSRTC State Transport Bus Stand - 1 km away & MG Road Start)
5. High Court (KSINC Boat Jetty for Ferry to Vypeen, Mulavukad, Panambukadu, Ochanthurth, Murikkumpadam & Bolgatty, Long Distance Private Bus Services to Guruvayoor,Thrissur, Calicut,Irinjalakuda,Kodungaloor,North Paravur )Private ordinary Bus Services to Vypeen,Munabam,North Paravur,Kodungaloor via Goshree Bridges

1. Marine Drive (GCDA Complex)
2. Main Boat Jetty (Boat Jetty for Ferry to Vypeen, Fort Kochi, Mattencherry, Willingdon Island, Vallarpadam, Varapuzha, Perubalam, Karthedom, Mulavukad) Also KSRTC's ordinary limited stop buses to North Paravur, Kodungaloor,Guruvayoor,Thrissur, Calicut starts from here.
3. Shenoys/YMCA (Some services only & services towards Kaloor) - (Closest point to KSRTC State Transport Stand - 0.5 km)
4. Jos Junction - Virtual Centre of Ernakulam (Alighting Point for Ernakulam Jn (South) - 0.5 km, Private Bus Operators to Thekaddy/Kumili, Munnar, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Idukki and Private Long Distance Luxury Bus Operators - To Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Mangalore Coimbatore etc.)
5. Ravipuram - Main Business & Commercial Area. Buses for Thevara, Edakochi, Fort Kochi, Mattancherri, Thoppumpady & W. Island Pass through here.
6. Thevara Jn
7. Island (Old Airport)
8. Thoppumpady
9. Mattancheri
10. Fort Kochi

Buses from/to Tripunithura/Vytilla Jn will deviate after Jos Junction to pass through:

1. Kadavanthara
2. Vytilla Jn.
3. Tripunithura

Buses from/to Alwaye follow the following broad route Kaloor Jn., Edapally, Kalamassery, Alwaye

Buses from/to North Paravur follow the following broad route Kaloor Jn., Edapally,Varapuzha,North Paravur

Buses from/to Kakkanad follow the following broad route Kaloor Jn., Palarivattom Jn., Palarivattom Bye Pass, Chembukmukku, Padamugal, Kakkanad

Some services may operate directly between Alwaye, Edapally, Kakkanad and Vytilla Jn using the Byepass Road via Palarivattom Bye Pass.

[edit] By autorickshaw

This is a cheap way of transport between attractions. You can find an auto stand at almost every bus stop. This is the ideal way to cover short distances. Make sure you agree on a fare with the driver before the journey because almost none of the autorickshaws have working meters. Beware of autorickshaw drivers who charge extra if they know you are tourists. One easy solution is to approach pre-paid auto stands (they are available in railway station) if you are coming through the rail.

[edit] By taxi

The taxis in Cochin are very convenient and comfortable. Most of the vehicles are Tata Indica cars or Ambassador cars, which are much safer than Auto rickshaws, and the drivers are polite. If you are alone or going to an unknown destination, you are strongly advised to choose this option, even though the rates will be double that of an auto.

Unlike most Western countries, taxis are not usually marked with 'TAXI' signs on the top. In fact, you must call for a taxi, as it is nearly impossible to hail one unless you are at a major point like the airport. When you call, you should negotiate a fare (or agree on using the meter) and get the taxi's 'number'. The taxi will come pick you up, and call you when they are close. When you go out on the street, look at the license plate for the number they gave you -- it will be the last four digits of the license plate. Taxis are generally white in color and have yellow license plates with black letters.

Although it can be hard for Westerners to realise at first, this process is very effective. If in doubt, ask a member of your hotel staff to help you, and when your taxi comes be sure to tip the helpful staff member Rs. 10 or 15 for the assistance.

[edit] By private car

Most taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers will be more than happy to offer you either a daily rate or an hourly rate, and take you around wherever you need to go. Alternately, your hotel or a travel company can arrange a private car.

If you find a good taxi or auto driver, this can be a great way to go for a foreigner. You'll certainly pay a lot more than if you bought individual rides, but you'll always have a driver waiting for you, and he can help with recommending local tourist sites, finding a good restaurant to eat at, and otherwise coping with day-to-day life. This can take a lot of the stress out of traveling.

Rates are generally something like Rs. 50 to 100 per hour for an auto-rickshaw, and Rs 150 to 250 per hour for a taxi. Rates for a private car booked via the hotel will probably be more. Like everything else in India, rates are very fluid.

[edit] By ferry

There are also good ferry services between islands.

A useful service is the 'Junkar' between Fort Kochi and Vypeen. There are regular boat services, every 20-30 minutes, from Ernakulam to Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Vypeen and Willingdon Island which are much cheaper than the buses. This ferry service is also faster also in many cases because a bus or taxi has to travel longer & through crowded routes. E.g. if you are somewhere near M.G. Road and travelling to Willingdon Island or Mattancherry, it will be cheaper & faster to catch the ferry from Ernakulam Main boat jetty.

[edit][add listing] See

• Hill Palace Museum - The erstwhile Cochin Raja's palace, now converted to a museum along with a small zoo, is 12 Km south-east of Ernakulam at Tripunithura. Has paintings and epigraphy from the collections of the Travancore & Cochin royal families.

• Museum of Kerala History - at Edappally, 10km. north of the city

• Pareekshith Thampuran Museum contains oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and Mughal paintings, and models of interesting temples and traditional Kerala buildings.

• Fort Kochi
• Mattancherry There is a beautiful Jain temple here. It is great to visit at about 12:15hrs when the pigeons are feed by Jain mandir people, which they have been doing for the past 17 years. A huge number of pigeons first take three circles of the temple and listen to mantra before eating.
• Willingdon Island - An large artificial island made out of sand dredged from the backwaters to deepen the Kochi Port.
• Vypeen and Gundu Islands - The Island boasts a lighthouse at Ochenthuruthu, beaches and the early 16th century
• Bolgatty - built in 1744 as Dutch Palace; one of the KTDC Hotels with green lawns and Golf Course.
• Chinese fishing Nets - at Fort Kochi.
• Dutch Palace - constructed by the Portuguese in 1568 for Maharaja of Kochi Veera Kerala Varma. Later rebuilt by the Dutch.
• St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi - constructed by the Portuguese[1503]. Vasco da Gama was buried here [1524] and later his remains were transferred to Lisbon, Portugal. His tombstone can be seen inside the church.

• Jew Street and Synagogue - at Mattancherry, the synagogue was constructed in 1568 and rebuilt in 1662.
• Santacruz Cathedral- at Fort Kochi
• Art Complex - Madhavan Nayar Foundation - Gallery of Paintings and Sculptures at Edappally, 10 km. north of city. (There is the Kerala History Museum, history students take note!)
• Thirumala Devaswom Temple - at Mattancherry. A temple built by the Gowda Sarawatha Brahmins, Lord Venkateswara the main deity, famous for second-largest brass bell in Asia. The North Gopuram is fully roofed with copper.
• Ernakulam Siva Temple - situated at the centre of the town, near the Durbar Hall Ground.
• Durbar Hall Ground - venue of many fairs during festivals
• Kalady - Birth place of Sri Shankaracharya (Adi Shankara) [786-820], the great Indian philosopher and founder of the Advaita philosophy. Shrines of Shankaracharya here are open to all pilgrims, irrespective of religion or caste. 48km north of the city.
• Kanjiramattam Mosque - Muslim pilgrim center, venue of Kudikkuthu Festival, 30km east of the city
• Chendamangalam - Historically the seat of Paliath Achan, the Prime Minister of Kochi Kingdom, old Oriental Jewish synagogue and colony. Now a centre for handloom weaving and coir manufacturing, view of annual fair "Mattachanda" (Barter Systems). It is 42km north-west of city near North Paravur .
• Pallipuram Fort - built by the Portuguese in 1503, one of the oldest existing European monuments in India. Situated in Vypeen island at Pallipuram.
• Aluva - called "Alwaye" till a few years ago, town on the way from the international airport to Kochi, has some places of interest - Sree Narayana Guru's Advaita Ashram and the erstwhile Travancore king's palace.
• Aluva Manalpuram - is famous for the Shivarathri festival on the sandy banks of the Periyar river.
• Malayattoor Mount - A Christian pilgrimage centre, supposed to be a place visited by St. Thomas. (St. Thomas visited Kerala in AD 52. Don't forget Christianity reached India much before it reached Europe!)
• Cherai Beach - near North Paravur is a new-generation tourist hot-spot with golden beaches (with big sand grains, like those of river sand used in construction, probably deposited by the Periyar river at some point in time), coconut palm corridors, backwaters, and historical monuments. You can reach Cherai Beach by bus, auto rickshaw, etc., from Ernakulam town though bus is a lot cheaper. Frequent buses are available from High Court that go through Goshree bridges and Vypeen Island.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Elephant Training Centre (in Kodanad). A rewarding experience.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

Jewtown has numerous antique and craft stores. Bargains are available but be warned that many 'antiques' were probably made in the owners backyard! Shop with care and bargain hard.

• Isidore Art Palace, Jewtown, Cochin 662002 (Next to the Synagogue) (isidore@vsnl.com). Will reliably ship stuff outside India. Bargain hard! edit

Depending on what you are looking for, many clothing and jewelery shops along MG road and Marine Drive are available. Prices are reasonable for western budgets. Shopping Malls are a new concept for Cochin and the new Bay Pride Mall offers air conditioned comfort with a small food court and a nice coffee shop.One of the latest additions to the city's lifestyle shopping needs is "My Kingdom" on MG Road, a one of its kind store spread across 4 levels catering to different generations of the family.

• Hamlet, Kurien Towers, Banerjee Road
• DC, Kurien Towers, Banerjee Road
• DeeCee, Island Castle, Chitoor Road
• Shankar, M.G rd,Padma Road
• Alphabet, Kadavanthara Road
• Bay Pride Mall, Marine Drive
• GCDA Shopping complex, Marine Drive
• Mall-O, Edapally

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Fort Kochi

Plenty of great, fresh seafood is available all over Fort Kochi. Visit Fort Kochi beach where you can buy fresh fish near the Chinese fishing nets and get it cooked in the nearby food stalls for a small fee. Fish mongers will sell you a kilo of tiger prawns for around $6USD and a kilo of squid for around $5USD. For a fillet of fish you may have to do a little bargaining. Try and find out what the locals are paying and work for that. The food stalls will charge you between 40 and 50 Rupee per person to cook your fish (grilled, curry, whatever...) and provide you with a serve of chips and salad! It is done reasonably hygienic so you shouldn't worry to much about the salad.

Fish fry, fish molly, fish curry and fish peera are the favorites, usually taken with rice or steamed tapioca (cassava). Also worth trying are the traditional rice based breakfast snacks - puttu and kadala, appam and stew. Try the "thattukadas" where you get hot, fresh-cooked, foods, where they don't have refrigerators to preserve the balance food.

[edit] Cochin/Ernakulam

• Dawat - E - Khas - Jos Junction, MG Road.
• Pizza Hut
• Chic King - M.G Road - It looks, smells and tastes pretty much like KFC
• Hot Plate - Avenue Center, Panampilly Nagar
• K.R BAKES - Cheap hygienic food. Both the bakery and restaurant offer pretty good food
• BIMBIS - A self-service joint offering north indian, south Indian veg food & variety of sweets
• WYTE FORT - Bypass road
• Brindavan - Palarivattom ,reasonably priced good vegetarian food
• Varkeys - Supermarket & Bakery
• KFC - Mall'O', Edappally

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Karikku / ilaneer (tender coconut)
• Sambhaaram (buttermilk), especially on hot summer days
• Fresh toddy from the coconut tree, especially around the Kumarakom area. Take caution as adulteration of the brew is very common. Your best bet would be to get it from a local who has given over his coconut trees for extraction.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Fort Kochi

It is quieter and more scenic than the rest of the city. There are quite a lot of tourists so prices are relatively high, but that’s still very cheap by western standards. Some of the heritage hotels are located here. Home stays are common.

• Brunton Boatyard
• Malabar House Hotel
• Ballard bungalow
• Hotel Fort Queen
• Koder House
• Old Harbour
• Dream Catcher Home Stay, Vasavan Lane Road near Thamaraparambu School. Res: 0484 2217550. Mob: 9746017881. Email: dreamcatcheronita@vsnl.net- Friendly and helpful family, great home-cooked food, clean rooms. RS.600-1200. Will pick up from Bus/Railway station free of charge (Airport additional charge).
• Green House Home Stay, H.N 1/1040, Kunnumpuram Road. Mob: 0091-9895262296. Email: greenhousehomestay@yahoo.com / kumarkochin@yahoo.com.in. Very nice and friendly home stay in a good location close to Princess Street (where Kumar has a shop, so try to track him down there if you can't reach him otherwise), which also offers a TV and a fridge in the common room/living room. In high season doubles are around Rs500 (or more if you want A/C), whereas we paid Rs250 during the low season (May 2008).

[edit] Willingdon Island

• Taj Malabar, [4] on the tip of Willingdon Island, without exception, is the best located property in Cochin. Perhaps the best as well. In its heritage wing, built in 1935, graceful Victorian interiors aptly reflect the inherent beauty of Cochin. Its tower wing houses newly renovated guestroom suites, each a delicate mix of the classic with the contemporary.

Attractive Holiday packages are available with worthfull rates.

• Trident Hilton
• Casino Hotel

[edit] Ernakulam City

• Cherai Beach Resort[5] the resort for Honeymoon Couples, Families and Corporates.
• Hotel Presidency [6] This 4 Star hotel is conveniently located near city centre and Cochin's busy commercial hub. A haven of modern comforts and style, Hotel presidency offers stunning views of the sea, the sunset, and Cochin’s harbour. Attractive Holiday packages are available with worthfull rates.

• Abad Plaza
• Abad Fort
• Gokulam Park Inn, A very nice hotel with good food, clean rooms and excellent service.
• Abad Metro
• Hotel Mermaid
• White House
• Abad Airport
• Abad Atrium
• Best Western Avenue
• The Grand Hotel, Don't miss the Ammachi Kozhi curry.
• Hotel Ceylon Bakehouse
• Casino
• Le Meridien Presidency, Five star hotel with a quiet location yet not far from the city centre.
• Renaissance
• Taj Residency [7] This hotel is conveniently located on Marine Drive, just minutes from the city centre and Cochin's busy commercial hub. A haven of modern comforts and style, Taj Residency offers stunning views of the sea, the sunset, and Cochin’s harbour. Attractive Holiday packages are available with worthfull rates. In addition, the piles of garbage all around the hotel's gates give you the immediate sense of 'yes, I must be in India' adding to your tourist enjoyment. The stench of the nearby sewage canal, while nearly unbearable, adds to your appreciation local flavor of Ernakulam--a tired armpit of India.

• Thomas Inn, [8]. Clean, safe and spacious rooms, great hospitality, reasonable rates. edit

[edit] Airport

• Cochin Durbar Hotel[9], The luxury hotel for Honeymoon Couples, Families And Corporates.

• Abad Airport Hotel Cochin, The hotel has 56 guestrooms, each equipped with industry-standard amenities for guests' comfort.
• Hotel Ned Tower, AC/Non AC rooms - Multi cuisine Restaurant - Ample car parking NedTower.com

[edit] Internet

Wireless internet through Tata Indacom is available at the Avenue Regent (approximately 110 RS/2Hr) on MG road

[edit] Get out

• In Ernakulam District
  • Kallil Temple - an old Jain temple but now a Hindu temple is 13 Km from Perumbavoor.
  • Kodanadu - Elephant training centre.
  • Bhoothathankettu - A Dam, 8 Kms north east of Kothamangalam.
  • Thattekkad - Bird sanctuary near Bhoothathankettu.
  • Paniyeli Poru - The sight of river Periyar through the forests and rocks is an amazing sight. 60 Km from Cochin and 15 km from Perumbavoor. Its a stunning scnenic spot.
  • Iringol Kavu - a kavu - protected small vegetation area near a temple - of around 50 acres! 15 km from Perumbavoor
• Idukki District is a hilly region with lots of hill resorts.on the way to Idukki are
  • Thommankutthu waterfalls in Idukki District via Muvattupuzha
• Athirappilly waterfalls near Chalakudy,Thrissur
• Munnar a hill resort in Idukki District is 130 km east.
• Thekkady and other places in Idukki
• Alappuzha is famous for House Boats, is 70 km away.
• Kumarakom in Kottayam

• Guruvayoor and Thrissur

• Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud in Tamil Nadu

• Lakshadweep is 5 day (seasonal) cruise from the Cochin port.

• Cherai is some 25 kms away from Cochin city near North Paravur and its beautiful with a nice beach and local cousine.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!