Cochin Tourism | Cochin Travel Guide | Cochin Travel Destinations

History

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the history of Kochi is somewhat obscure. Kochi rose as an independent kingdom from the ruins of the Kulasekhara Empire. The advent of the Portuguese in Kochi proved to be the turning point in its history. The Kochi Rajas readily welcomed the Portuguese, seeing in them a valuable ally against the common enemy, the Zamorin of Calicut. The Town of Cochin is basically in three parts.

Fort Cochin, which is on the seaward side, was built to safeguard the city. Willington Island, which was a man-made creation of the 1920's by dredging the bay to increase the depth of the entrance to the harbour and the Navy has an established base over here, and also is where the Cochin Railway Terminus and Airport are located across the causeway from Wellington Island is Ernakulam. Immediately opposite the jetty at Ernakulam is Bolgatty Island and further away is Vypeen Island. Cochin known as the “Queen of Arabian Sea” is a city tucked in the beauty of coconut palms and endless blue waters and it is the commercial hub of Kerala.

Sightseeing Places In And Around Cochin

Dutch Palace
This palace in Mattancherry was built by the Portuguese, and presented to the Raja of Cochin in 1555. Though built by the Portuguese, it is popularly known as the "Dutch Palace", as the Dutch renovated it during their brief reign here. The glory of the Palace lies in the murals which are in the best traditions of Hindu Temple Art.

Jewish Synagogue
The synagogue was built in 1568 A.D. The Great Scrolls of Old Testament and a number of copper plates inscribed in the Hebrew Script are preserved in this Synagogue. The Jewish Synagogue in Kochi stands out as a testimony for the communal harmony in the state for centuries.

St.Francis Church
This church was built by the Portuguese in 1510 A.D. It is believed to be the oldest European Church built in India. Vasco - da - Gama was buried here. Fourteen years later, his mortal remains were taken to Portugal.

St.Francis Assisi Church
It is popularly known as Naduvileppalli, the most beautiful and old church in Ernakulam city, the blend of Portuguese and Kerala style of architecture. The unique feature of the Church’s roof is that the entire roof rests only on the centre pillars on the either sides.

Chinese Fishing Nets
At the entrance to the harbour these nets are a fascinating sight. It is a mechanical method of catching fish by local fishermen in Fort Kochi. It was first brought to Kerala by the Chinese traders from Kubla Khan's court.

Wellington Island
This is a man made island created from earth dredged, while deepening the Kochi Port. Lord Bristow was the architect of this island. The Harbour, Air Port and Harbour Railway Terminus are in this island.

Bolghatty Island
Bolgatty palace on a narrow stretch of land built by the Dutch in 1744 is situated here. The building was once a Governor's Palace for the Dutch and later a home for British Governors. Now it is converted to KTDC Hotel.

Hill Palace Museum
This is situated 12 Kms. away from Ernakulam on the Ernakulam - Chottanikkara route. It is the largest archaeological museum of Kerala. Different types of sculptures, collection of rare coins, old weapons and collections from the Cochin Royal Family are exhibited here.

Cherai Beach
The beach at Cherai on Vypin Island is 35 Kms away from Cochin. This is a beautiful and clam beach is well known for seafood and country wine.

Museum Of Kerala History
It is situated at Edapally 10km on the National Highway from Ernakulam on the Aluva Route. The entire history of Kerala is displayed here and it is helpful for school children.

Kaladi
Kaladi is 45 kms from Cochin.Kaladi is a famous Hindu Pilgrim centre 45km away from Kochi. The great Advaitha philosopher and Bhakti saint of 8th century Adi Sankaracharya was born here. The international temple of Sri. Ramakrishna Adwaitha and Ashram is located here.

Thatekkad Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhoothathankettu is located at a distance of 50 kilometers from Cochin, this beautiful patch of unexplored land lies near the famous Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. This lush green haven is an ideal spot to hang out with family and unwind you in nature. There is a scenic dam with boating facilities situated in a vast virgin forest. The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (also commonly known as the Thattekad Sanctuary) is located in the Kothamangalam Taluk of Ernakulam district on the northern bank of the Periyar River. The sanctuary was the richest bird habitat in peninsular India, comparable only with the eastern Himalaya.

Guruvayoor Temple
It is one of the most important and holiest pilgrim centers in Kerala, South India, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all over India. The Guruvayoor temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and non – Hindus are not allowed inside the temple. There is a dress code for this temple, women should wear only sari and men should wear only dhoti. 3kms from the temple is the famous Punnathurkotta (Annakottil) which is one of the largest elephant sanitarium in all over the world.

Kumbalangi Village Visit
Kumbalangi is a small backwater village in Ernakulam District and the place is well known for four types of Fishing: Crab Catching, Jumping the fish, casting the nets and catching the fish with hands. We can also see the local life of village people and the activities like coir making, mat making etc..

Other Services Provided In Cochin

Harbour Cruise
As per the clients interest we can provide harbour cruise in the morning and in the evening. By taking a cruise one might get the chance to see dolphins very close and we need to pay 400Rs for 1- 20 Persons per hour. From October onwards the rate will be 500Rs .

Kathakali Dance Show
Kathakali dance is a traditional dance form of Kerala. In Kerala, the Kathakali dance form is often known as the King of theater performances. The dance includes ballet, opera and pantomime and it highlights complex body movements and facial expressions. The make up is the main attraction in this dance. It is done according to 5 main types of characters. Each color has its own importance and highlights the significance of the character and the dominant role of that character. The 5 main types of make up are Pacha (Green) for noble characters, Kathi (Knife): for villainous characters, Kari (Black): for demonesses, Minukku (Prettying Up) for female characters and sages and Thadi (Beard) for super human and evil characters. There are four Kathakali centers in Cochin.

Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu is an ancient form of martial art of Kerala dating back to almost 2000 years. This martial art derives its name from two words, "kalari" which means arena of the fighters and "payattu" which means practice. Kalaripayattu is not kicking and punching. It requires a unique synchronization of mind and body. Along with energy, there should be flexibility of the body and sharp focus of the mind. Kalaripayattu is learnt in four stages. The first stage involves increasing the flexibility of the body, the second stage involves learning how to handle wooden sticks and other wooden weapons, the third stage involves handling metal weapons and the final stage involves fighting with bare hands. There are two Kalaripayattu centers in Cochin: Sivasakthi Kalari centre, Kaloor and ENS Nettur Kalari Centre.

How To Reach There
The nearest airport is at Karipur, Kozhikode, about 93kms south.Kannur railway station is an important rail head of the Southern Railway and is well linked to major towns up country as well as within the State.Kannur is also well accessible by road.