First stop in God’s own country: Cochin

So the Pondicherry trip ended well and a couple of days in Chennai gave the right amount of time to catch up with friends and family. Having saved the best for the last, the next stop for me was Kerala.

This trip was supposed to be a solo one but when you have awesome friends, who are just as impulsive when it comes to making travel plans, then you never need to holiday alone. So Prasanth, who I met in Chennai, joined me on the journey to explore God’s own country.

Here’s a quick snapshot:

Getting there

Our first stop was Eranakulam. Eranakulam is the eastern, mainland of the Kochi City and is also the most urban part of Kochi. We boarded the night train from Chennai and reached Eranakulam railway station at 6 in the morning. The Eranakulam railway station is around 70 minutes away from Fort kochi and though I had booked a place to stay in Fort kochi we changed our plans and went to Angamaly instead to Prasanth’s house.

After meeting his family, freshening up and gorging on some local breakfast delicacies we left for Fort kochi. For the first time in my life I had homemade wine, prepared with grapes from the garden in his house. Thanks to Prasanth, aunty and the beautiful state they live in or else I would have missed out on this experience completely.

Marine Drive, Kochi

One of the greatest things about the state is the road transport system. The Bus service is amazing here and frequent buses are easily available for all over the state. We took the bus from Angamaly bus stand to Marine Drive (Yes, there’s one in Kochi too! ) and spent some time there looking at the Chinese nets and eating from the local food joints.

Fort Kochi

From here Fort kochi is just a ferry ride away. The Jetty depot is right at the end of the stretch of Maine drive and the jetty takes you into the heart of Fort Kochi where there are churches, Art galleries, amazing cafes and restaurants right next to the sea.

This is definitely the art capital of Cochin with spectacular art galleries, shopping options, cycling trip possibilities and more. The architecture is inspired from the European style and hence even a stroll in this area takes you into another era.

Fort kochi is different from the other beaches you will visit in Kerela. The architecture around it, the wall of the fort give the beach a different feel and look. Since it is a port, you can see a silhouette of ships far ahead in the ocean. As the sun sets, the lights from the different vehicles in the sea and the twinkle of the far ahead ships transform the sea into sky lit full of stars.

Fort Kochi is one of the best areas for tourists to stay in and there are a variety of Hostels, Home Stays and Hotels to choose from. I had booked a bed in the dorm of the Maritime Hostel, for which the rates were INR 600 for two days inclusive of breakfast. Another good option is Vedanta, Fort Kochi.

The ferry ride back from Fort Kochi was very different from the one we took to get there. The water definitely tells a very different tale than it does in the day and this time it was even more beautiful to see the lights floating in the water and the skyline of the lit up buildings against the sea.

After this eventful day we hurried to take the series of busses back to Angamaly as we had little time left before the start of our next journey to Kovalam beach, Trivandrum for which we had to board the 12 am bus. It was indeed a journey from one amazing place to another, one more night spent travelling.

Planning a trip to Cochin?

Here are some tips to help you plan better:

• Mode of Travel: Train, Bus (Direct train and buses from Bangalore, Chennai )
• Nearest Airport: Cochin (~50 KM)
• Who to take along: Friends, Family, or Go solo
• Food: Sea Food, Puttu for breakfast, Thali, Banana chips
• Duration: 2 days
• Major Attractions: Santa Cruz Basilica, Paradesi synagogue, Chinese nets, Wonderla Amusement park, LuLu mall, Marine Drive, Fort Emmanuel, Cherai beach, Fort Kochi and its beach
• Where to Stay:
  Maritime Hostel, 2/227, Calvathy Rd, Fort Kochi ; Ph: 0484 6867875 ; INR 300/day
  Vedanta Wake up! (Backpacker’s Hostel) Next to Fort Kochi Main Boat Jetty & Bu, Opposite Brunton Boatyard River Rd, Fort Kochi ; Ph: 022 6747 1628  ; INR 350/day
• Where to Eat: Seagull restaurant, Fort Kochi – Facing the backwaters, this is the perfect place to enjoy a laid back drink in the afternoon.
• Best time to visit: October to April
• Places Nearby: Allepy, Trivandrum, Thekkady, Kottayam, Chennai, Bangalore
• Cost: Approximately INR 3000 per person for a 2 day trip

If you want to take a printout/PDF version of this post to refer on your trip, you may request the same in the comments below. We will be glad to mail you the same in an attempt to make the planning process easier for you.

If you have already been here or to other similar places, share your experiences or engage in a conversation below. (Alternatively, here’s a link to the discussion on our facebook page)

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