Kochi Holidays

Head out into Fort Cochin and Mattancherry with a local guide to discover more about the fascinating heritage of these historic regions. Learn about the importance of Fort Cochin as the entrance to the port and how the Arabic, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese settlers shaped its architecture and culture. Mattancherry is the heart of historic Cochin and is home to many of the city’s main sights such as the Mattancherry Palace, Jewish Synagogue and Jain Temple.

Enjoy views of the skyline of the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’ from a different perspective on a two-hour sunset cruise. As the sun dips below the horizon, catch the ever-changing colours of the sea and buildings that line the shores of Lake Cochin. Keen photographers will have the opportunity to catch an iconic shot of the famous Chinese fishing nets silhouetted against the vibrantly coloured skies (weather dependent).

Learn the secrets of Anglo-Indian cooking with a lesson from your host, Jeanette who loves to meet guests as she puts her heart and soul into her cooking. As a Portuguese descendant, the dishes served have a Portuguese touch fused with Keralan style. It’s a totally different way of cooking. Even the flavoured rice tastes different. The Portuguese make great use of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and spices, ingredients which are always incorporated into the dishes as it’s also very good for your health.

On a visit to the market, you will be introduced to the vendors and browse the fish, meat and all the spices (which they sell wholesale in bulk) before taking the ingredients home to cook. During the cooking demonstration, guests can get involved in cleaning the fish, always a popular ingredient on the menu, or grating the coconut. Sometimes it may be a coconut rice ball curry, which is an Anglo-Indian way of cooking. Even the desserts are Portuguese style, like caramel custard and payasam (sweetly spiced rice pudding). You may even get to try some homemade grape wine, ginger wine and sometimes homemade sweets.

A visit to Kochi would be incomplete without witnessing the mesmerising art form of the region – the Kathakali dance. Kathakali is a classical dance form which traces its origin to Kerala and is deeply absorbed into the culture of Kerala. This classical Indian dance performance tells stories of Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata through footwork and hand gestures.

Kochi is one of the best places to witness this heritage dance form. Kathakali artists wear elaborate, billowing costumes with intricately painted faces, flowing scarves, detailed decorations and magnificent crowns. This tour will give you the chance to see the artists applying their makeup before witnessing a performance of this traditional dance.

To see the action of a Keralan fishing village involves an early start, but it’s well worth it. Leaving Kochi at around 6.00am you will be taken to the beach where you’ll see the fishing boats returning with their catch before witnessing the lively auctions. Afterwards, you’ll walk, cycle or take a tuk-tuk around the neighbourhood for a further insight into the local economy.

Starting at the beach, you’ll see as many as 300 people on the banks and around 50 boats going in and out to sea. The first catch comes in about 7am and if it’s a good day, the fishermen go back again and again until about three in the afternoon bringing with them several baskets at a time of sardines, mackerel and anchovies. You’ll also have a glimpse of the lively auctions.

After you’ll walk, cycle or take a tuk-tuk around the neighbourhood for a further insight into the local economy. You’ll see houses selling breakfast and ladies selling crushed ice for preserving the fish. You are then taken for lunch at a traditional family house near the backwaters. You’ll learn all about Indian weddings over banana curry using a family recipe which you won’t find anywhere else in Kerala. Next, visit the open-air village market also used as an important meeting place. In the early morning, after their tea, the men frequent the reading rooms where they read all the different newspapers and start debates about the world around them. There is also a homeopathic clinic and western medicine hospital which offer a huge range of medicine from modern to Ayurveda. To get back to the ferry it’s a beautiful ride through the paddy fields.

Start the tour of Kochi on the western side of the peninsula to soak up the early morning activity. Strolling along the promenade you will see the Chinese cantilever fishing nets and onto Saint Francis Church. Other highlights include the Dutch Palace and the Paradesi Synagogue.

You will start the tour of Kochi on the western side of the peninsula to soak up the early morning activity. Strolling along the promenade you will see the Chinese cantilever fishing nets in action and perhaps catch the fishermen mid song. A little further on is the fish auction selling everything from sardines, mackerel and bream to local prawns and lobster. Passing a dilapidated Portuguese fort, you will reach Saint Francis Church, said to be the oldest European building in India. During the course of its existence it’s been a Catholic, Protestant and Anglican church. Here, they ask you to remove your shoes due to the delicate 19th-century tiles rather than for religious reasons after which you’ll see its incredible wood ceiling resembling the hull of a ship. People come here mainly to see the tombstone of Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama.

You will then be driven past the Dutch Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries (1724) in the country. Then pass the southern naval headquarters and the local laundry place originally used to launder the uniforms of the Dutch army. Cross over to the eastern side of the peninsula to see the Dutch Palace, located in the Jewish quarter and gifted by the Portuguese to the King of Kochi as compensation for destroying a nearby temple. Inside you’ll see rich murals and beautiful Hindu art.

Then it’s onto the Paradesi Synagogue praised for its beauty. There are chandeliers from Belgium and Murano as well as Chinese porcelain tiles. Under the protection of the Cochin Maharaja and the Dutch, the Jews were able to grow as a community and you’ll see the distinctive architecture with pagoda-like tiled roofs - and the Star of David outside. These are interspersed with shops selling petit point embroidery and of course local spices. The perfect place to shop for a souvenir.