Explore the real and hidden treasures of Kerala

Region

Kochi is strategically located across the south-western coast of India. Kochi or Cochin is a typical harbor city or a commercialized port city wherein trade happens via shipping containers. The trading history the city has dates to as early as 600 years from now. The city is the queen of the Arabian Sea. You have the city as the commercial, financial, and industrial capital covering the state of Kerala.

If you look at how the overhauling of the city has been done, this is how it goes. The city has a neat string of islands that are interconnected by ferries. The city also has a cosmopolitan tinge attached to it. You have the finest range of art galleries, vintage accommodation homestays, and upscale stores too. Alongside, you also find a typical western archive in the name of fashion stores, pubs, restaurants, shopping hubs, etc. You find some of the finest beaches, palaces, temples, and heritage sites marking their presence here. Come on, let us go on to unveil some of the most intricate Kochi tourist places, as a part of this travel guide. While you explore much more too!

Culture

Kochi, as you all must be aware, was recently called Cochin. It is an Indian city in the state of Kerala. You find a diverse culture spanning across the city. You find a typical South Indian culture here. However, owing to the foreign tourists coming here in huge numbers, the Western culture is brimming here too. The vibrant city has a mix of Hindus, Muslims, Konkani, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists living in equal harmony with one another. High-profile fashion shows have artists showcasing western outfits too.

Onam and Vishu are typical Keralite festivals that are celebrated with pomp and splendor throughout Kochi. However, Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Easter, Milad-e-Nabi are celebrated with equal fervor and grandeur amongst the floating population here. The Kochi tourism department organizes the flower festival every year.

History

As we had already seen, it is the typical sea area wherein trade and commerce had flourished across harbor hubs prevalent across Kochi. It was the Jewish community that had a greater influence across the city’s economic strata. The Jews are now settled within Israel and the United States of America.

It was the Syrian orthodoxy that was practiced here for a very long time. It was during the 16th Century the Portuguese invaded Kochi. A proper Catholic Christianity began flourishing too. The British Raj then invaded via their troops from the late 17th Century until 1947 wherein the country received Independence from colonial rule. Here, we get a brief gist of the historical influences, the city came under.

Tourist Places to visit

If you look at some of the most authentic and best tourist spots in Kochi, you have quite a number of them. Let us take a sneak-peek into some of the best touring hubs you can get hands-on to the moment you reach the vibrant city indeed! So, shall we get started?

Mattancherry Palace

You can get hands-on with the lovely architecture of the Portuguese via the Mattancherry Palace. It is a Dutch palace that has a splendor worth describing. You now have a museum right here wherein artifacts of ancient rajahs have been displayed across the premises. Visitors get an overall glimpse of the nostalgic yesteryear era. You have the palace wherein the exterior façade depicts the Portuguese architecture, while the interior mansions have been renovated via a typical Kerala style. Across the Mattancherry Palace, you discover a central courtyard wherein you find a temple too. The murals depict portraits and exhibits of the Rajahs of Kochi. The paintings exude the art and culture of the city of Cochin in a visually compelling manner. Hence, this is one of the best tourist places in Kochi.

Fort Kochi

Are you looking for yet another authentic spot amid Kochi tourist places? Then, Fort Kochi is the one you must be looking at. This is a sea-side town across the South-western part of Main Kochi. This place holds a nostalgic charm for tourists who come here from every part of the globe. You find a complete vintage-styled colonial era and remnants of British rule across the town. You can also discover Dutch or Portuguese colonialism that ruled the city of Kochi across centuries. Not to forget toy-train streets, European or Victorian buildings, and the picturesque view of the city-based coastline. You get an overview of small towns that belong to Southern Europe.

Jewish Synagogue

This is yet another exotic hub amid Kochi tourist places. This is a renowned UNESCO world heritage site too. This temple hub or palace façade was constructed in the year 1567. You find pretty looking chandeliers, a clock tower, a brass-railed pulpit, Chinese hand-drawn paintings, and a striking architecture that can leave tourists on a spell-bound note indeed. During wartime, this particular synagogue was ruined by the Portuguese. However, the palace was renovated by the Dutch two years down the line.

Chinese fishing nets

Amid discovering tourist places in Kochi, getting a glimpse of what Chinese nets are all about, invokes excitement and curiosity amongst the vacationing crowds out here. The place has been named Cheenavala. Here, you find vast fishing nets for facilitating fishermen with their sea-food catch. The place is the most vibrant of all. It attracts photographers who throng here from every part of the globe on a holidaying pinnacle.

The nets are fixated around bamboo and teak poles indeed. The nets are then let down into the sea using unique mechanisms, as the matter of fact. To maximize the sea catch large stones are tied down into the sea along with ropes. The nets are left in the sea before the ropes are pulled again with a significant amount of catch. Four to six fishermen operate these fishing nets while it is an exotic experience for the passerby crowds to even watch the spectacle.

Willingdon Island

This is one of the most authentic tourist places in Kochi, worth deserving a special mention indeed. This is a mesmerizing island that is man-made. The island is named after the British Viceroy of India. Namely the Lord Willingdon. You have the island providing traders and fishermen with vantage points covering Kochi along with national and international ports.

You also discover a sprawling bridge that connects Willingdon Island with Kochi's city center. Along with the mainland of Kochi, the island also connects the Ernakulum Jetty seamlessly. You also have home-stay resorts and commercial hotels surrounding the vicinity. Alongside, a nature view can be mesmerized by tourists via boat rides that are offered by local ferries periodically.

Veeranpuzha

This is one of the most beautiful tourist places in Kochias a matter of fact. You find a sprawling arena of backwaters overlying the Malabar Coast. You find lagoons and greenery in the form of lakes out here. As the lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Malabar coast, you have beautiful backwaters adding to the backdrop. The Kochi tourism department has been maintaining the beautiful place to attract more tourists around the same.

Mangalavanam Bird sanctuary

The Mangalavanam bird sanctuary spreads over a sprawling area of 2.74 hectares. The wildlife hub is situated at the heart of Kochi. This is one of the best tourist places in Kochi indeed. Here, you discover the home to almost 18 mangroves wherein a large variety of migratory birds thrive upon. You also find a vibrant variety of trees and plants that can be an eye-catching experience indeed. You have this place as a picture-perfect hub for having family get-togethers or excursions done. The shallow lake in the middle of the sanctuary with a backdrop of thick vegetation and backwaters of Kochi main can be a mesmerizing one for tourists or visitors indeed.

Bolgatty Palace

The Kochi tourism department proudly showcases the authentic Dutch-styled museum at the heart of the city. This was built in the year 1744. The palace façade has stood the tide of time. You also find lovely gardens surrounding the landscape. This is again one of the iconic tourist places in Kochi worth deserving a mention on.

Marine Drive, Kochi

Just like how you find Marine Drive in Mumbai mesmerizing, the Marine Drive in Kochi is also one of the best touring hubs across the city center. You find a beautiful three km trekking area for those of you who would love to take a stroll across the lake. While you also discover Ernakulum jetty to its south. Boating drives can be done by you amid family and friends. The Marine Walkway, Iconic Rainbow bridge, the houseboat bridge, and the shopping complex are housed within the arena. This is again one of the top-class tourist places in Kochi worth discovering.

Sunset Cruise

Would you love getting hands-on to multiple tourist places in Kochi? Then, the Sunset Cruise is the one you must be looking at. You have a two-hour boating drive across the Arabian Sea. The cruise would ideally cover the Fort of Kochi, Mattancherry, Bolgatty Island, Chinese fishing net arcade, Willington Island, and the Cochin shipyard. Kochi tourism promotes the package for those of you who would love to cover the exotic places of Kochi via a travel deal.

Hill Palace Museum

The Kochi Tourism department lays down a special emphasis on this iconic tourist hub indeed. The museum was built in the year 1865. The imperial administrative office and the residence of the Maharajah of Cochin were run at the Hill Palace in Kochi. Today, this is an archeological museum that has a vintage-styled garden, deer park plus you have artifacts displaying the yesteryear era. You have a children's play area too. While you get engaged visiting the interiors of the museum, your little ones can play swing or the slide.

These are some of the best places you can get hands-on to while visiting the city of Kochi for the first time. Let us move to the best shopping and food hubs here at Kochi.

Best food and shopping

As Kochi is a harbor zone, seafood is prepared in households. Plus, you can get spicier varieties of the same at hotels or restaurants. Lobster, crab, and fish are authentic seafood delicacies that are eaten with fervor among local inmates and tourists visiting the place. Appam and stew are for the vegetarian counterparts while Fish Curry, Fish Peera, and Fish Molly are for the non-vegetarians that cover 3/4th of the population of Kochi. Thoran, salty banana chips, pachadi, pottu, and Kalan occupy a banana leaf for an authentic Kerala platter.

Spices like cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon are famous products for shopping throughout Kerala. So, stores in Kochi will be selling them at wholesale prices. You can also get whole cashews at compatible prices. Handicraft items and Kasavu saris are authentic souvenirs that can be carried away home. You also get fresh banana chips that are made from coconut oil. Plus, you can take home jackfruit jam or chakka varetty. Tea, coffee, and coir products can also be availed from local stores out here.

Tourist activities

When you look at must-do tourist activities, then Kochi is a place that can keep you on your feet. Approach the Kochi tourism department to book travel packages including food, accommodation, and sight-seeing. Again, you have plenty of tourist places in Kochi that are mesmerizing. Kerala receives bountiful rains. So, nature lovers can view the city of Kochi post-monsoons. You can find lush greenery wherever you glimpse into it. You can take a Sunset Cruise on a two-hour note. Have lunch and do shopping in the evenings. Viewing the Malapuzha dam can be an enchanting experience near the vicinity. You can arrange home-stay boats for a back-water experience. Viewing high-rise Victorian buildings can lend a nostalgic touch to the yester-year European era indeed. Likewise, you have plenty of tourist or vacationing activities amongst warm and friendly people.

Conclusion

So, we have covered the end-to-end aspects covering the aesthetic city hub namely the Kochi. You have panoramic vistas of nature, hill town views, areas of archeological interest plus the cosmopolitan touch that would add a perfect mix to the city-side culture. The thick blanket of Portuguese and European culture also takes its charm via buildings, churches, and palaces that are vintage styled.

So, haven’t you packed your bags yet!