Kochi

Understand

A city born in storm, nurtured in rivalry and established as battling ground for European empires. This phrase is a good description of Kochi, which was formed as an ancient port city after the Great Floods of the Periyar River in 1341. With the partitioning of the Chera Kerala Empire in the 14th century, this region came under the control of a new dynasty, rivalled by other local feudal lords. With the advent of colonisation, Kochi became the first major battle ground of almost all colonial European powers.

Get in

As the financial capital of Kerala, Kochi is well-connected by air, road, rail and ferry from others parts of India, and to some other international destinations.

Get around

At peak hours, traffic moves at a snail's pace in Kochi, and air pollution is bad, despite being way better than smoggy Delhi. Limit your plans to three or four places in a day unless you have good knowledge of the geography or a trustworthy transport option.

See

thumb|A Chinese fishing net at Fort Kochi Beach

Buy

Day-shopping is more popular than night-shopping. All shopping outlets close by 8PM. During festive seasons, late night shopping (11PM-3:30AM) are organised to reduce day-time shopping congestion.

The Onam Festival (mid-Aug to Sep) is one of the best shopping seasons, when you get heavy discounts ranging between 10-50% for almost all items as well as regular consumer fairs. Christmas is the next best season. The Kerala Government has started the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (15 Dec–30 Jan), to promote Kerala as a shopping destination. Kochi is the main focal centre of this festival and you get heavy discounts at participating stores and regular lucky draws.

Drink

Keralites are well known for their drinking habit. Finding bars or pubs is not difficult in Kochi. For those who do not drink alcohol there are lots of excellent local options.

Fresh toddy (kallu) is an alcoholic brew from the coconut tree. Be careful as adulteration is very common. Your best bet is to get it from a local who has given over his coconut trees for extraction. Mullapanthal Kallushap near Thripunithura is a certified Kallu brew shop.

Karikku /ilaneer (tender coconut), could be found at many hawker stalls, especially in Marine Drive.

Sambhaaram (buttermilk), is especially popular on hot summer days when it is even distributed freely by some clubs.

Shakes, such as Sharjah Shake are good cool down options, and there are numerous cool-bars and juice stalls across the city.

Sarbath (sharbat) is a popular sweet drink which can be of various varieties. Soda lime, lime water, fresh lime, etc., are other common thirst quenchers available everywhere.

Stay safe

Kochi is one of the safest cities in India with excellent police coverage. Common sense is of course required when being alone at night. Also beware of moral policing groups as many incidents are reported.

Late night life is not common in Kochi. If you are planning on clubbing, make your own transport arrangements before hand, very few buses ply after 9:45PM, and none after 10:30PM. You can find autos and taxis, but only near railway stations or major bus stands. Be wary of eve-teasers, especially drunkards. Kochi is infamous for mosquitoes, due to presence of large water bodies across the city. Make sure any room you book, has mosquito repellents or at least a mosquito net. It's always better to have any anti-mosquito creams or spice oil extracts like lemongrass oil to ward off mosquito bites. Crossing roads - unlike in the other cities in India, vehicles do not tend to stop when you initiate crossing; so wait till there is a comparative lull in the traffic - the oncoming vehicles will slow down for you. Be wary of Private Line bus and KSRTC bus drivers on the roads. Pedestrians live a hard life especially during peak hours in Kochi. There are many cases of road accidents and hit-run cases involving private buses and pedestrians, thus earning them the nickname, Red Killers. Take extra care, while crossing the roads. If difficult to cross then do so only at major signal junctions or seek assistance of local traffic policeman. Kochi lacks good pedestrian walkways, though many…

Go next

Alappuzha (70 km) — (also called Alleppy) is famous for house boats, the heart of backwaters of Kerala with amazing maze of lagoons, backwaters, rivers, canals created by nature. ₹81 bus from the interstate bus stop. Athirappilly Falls — milky waterfall in Chalakuddy 18 km from Cochin International Airport. This 80-foot-high waterfall at the threshold of the Sholayar ranges on the Western Ghats is a popular picnic spot. Two amusement parks, DreamWorld and SilverStorm, are nearby. The falls are referred to as the Niagara of India - you can spot two large falls reminiscent of the Bridal veil and Horseshoe falls at Niagara, and a smaller falls nearby. The falls are most famous for being shooting locations for popular Indian movies such as Ravan, Punnagai Mannan and Guru. From the entrance, a 5-minute walk leads to the head of the falls. From there, a walking path criss-crosses downward to the foot of the falls. The water falls into a deep well, making the location unseemingly dangerous, so the water area is off-limits to tourists. ₹15. Bhoothathankettu (35 km) — scenic dam site with boating facilities is situated in a vast virgin forest. It is a popular picnic sport with Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary near by. Guruvayur (102 km) - A Hindu religious town that attracts 6-10 million pilgrims every year. Idukki (90 km) — a hilly region with lots of hill resorts, in Northern Travancore. Kumarakom (40 km) — popular internationally known bird sanctuary on edge o…