Cochin

9° 56' 0.34" N 76° 15' 54.41" E [9.9334, 76.2651] (KML)

After rapid growth during the two last decades, Kochi is now one of the most densely populated town areas in India. Kochi [S] city consists of:

• Ernakulam Mainland City [S] — the heart and transport hub of Kochi with three distinct parts: the Central Business District (CBD) which has Mahatma Gandhi Road (MG Road [S]) as the main arterial road along with Marine Drive and Chitoor Road; Downtown with upscale residential areas and the business district at SA Road and Vytilla Junction and the Suburb which has many business and commercial areas.

• Willingdon Island [S] — large man-made island made from sand dredged from the backwaters to deepen the Kochi Port. Named after Long Willingdon, then-the reigning Viceroy of India, it houses the Kochi [S] Port, Southern Naval Command Headquarters of Indian Navy and many five star hotels.

• Islands of Mattencherry and Fort Kochi (Old Kochi [S]) — primarily a tourist enclave. Fort Kochi forms the upper part of the Island with neatly arranged colonial buildings, narrow well-paved roads, Anglo-Dutch influenced structures and large antiques shops. Mattancherry is primarily a trading city, famous for its thriving Gujarati settlement brought to the city in the 16th and 17th centuries by the spice trade.

• Bolgatty Island [S] — the island where the British established a Royal Residency, which is now converted into a five star hotel. Famous for its large golf course, horse riding tracks, marina and boatyards.

• Vallarpadom Island [S] — where the new Kochi International Mega Container Terminal (ICT) is under construction.

• Vypin Island [S] — one of the most densely populated islands in world with numerous fishing villages, tourist villages and the popular Cherai Beach.

• Aluva [S] — the second largest town in Kochi U/A, famous for its Periyar river banks. Kochi [S] International Airport is nearby.

• Thrikakara Town [S] — famous for the large Vamana Temple, the focal centre of Onam, the national festival of Kerala [S]. Also the home of Cochin [M] University and other educational institutes.

• Thripunithara [S] — the erstwhile capital of the Kingdom of Kochi is famous for various historical palaces, museums and temples, and as a centre of the arts.

• Maradu [S] — next door to Kochi city; an upcoming business district with numerous high-end hotels.

A city born in storm, nurtured in rivalry and established as battling ground for European empires. This phrase makes prefect understanding of Kochi which was formed as an ancient port city after the Great Floods of the Periyar River in 1341. With partitioning of Chera Kerala [S] empire in 14th century, this region came under control of a new dynasty, rivaled by other local feudal lords. With advent of colonization, Kochi [S] became the first major battle grounds of almost all European powers. However, least it made an impact over the fortunes of this city.

Kochi merchants began trading in spices such as black pepper and cardamom with the Arabs, Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese, and Chinese more than 600 years ago. This helped Kochi [S] to prosper and to become the gateway to old India. It was from Kochi that the colonization of India started. Portugal was first to establish its base in Kochi, followed by the Dutch and English. The Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814, compelled the Dutch to hand over Kochi to the British in exchange for Bangka Island in Indonesia. The British managed to establish their influence over Kochi, limiting their direct administration to a small enclave of Fort Kochi and British Ernakulam with their capital at Bolgatty Island [S]. The rest of the Kochi Kingdom was administered by Kochi Maharajas from their capital at Thripunithara [S]. However the real administration was done by Diwans (Prime Ministers), leaving the Maharajas to patronize culture, arts and focus heavily on public health and education areas.

The foundations of modern Kochi city started when Sir Robert Bristow, a senior Royal Navy Engineer felt need of a modern large port after the opening of Suez Canal. This made creation of largest man-made island of the country, the Willingdon Island [S] to house new Kochi [S] Port.

In the 1930s, the Kochi Maharaja joined the public outcry to form a common state of Malayalam-speaking people by merging with the Kingdom of Travancore and British Malabar. Kochi [S]

Since the formation of Kerala [S] in 1957, Kochi has been the commercial capital of Kerala as well as the seat of the Kerala High Court. Since 2000, Kochi has revitalized its economy, with a focus on tourism, information technology and the port.

Kochi has a cosmopolitian culture, highly influenced by historical trading partners, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, Chinese, and Japanese. Kochi is the seat of the Latin church of Kerala [S] and has many Catholic churches and followers.

Kochi was traditionally a potpourri of various Indian and international communities. Syrian Christians started the first wave of immigration, followed by Jews between the 7th and 10th centuries. Arab merchants also made a strong settlement in Kochi. In the 15th century, Gujaratis settled in Kochi, especially on Mattencherry Island, where they played a strong role in spice trading and other areas.

Later, at the beginning of the colonial era, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British all made their settlements in Kochi. The Portuguese had a strong influence in Fort Cochin [M]. British culture was strongly felt, lending Kochi a strong community of Anglo-Indians.

In the early 1970s, Punjabis settled here, focusing their strong presence on the local automobile industry. Tamilians, Telugus, Kannadigas have all formed small settlements since the days of royalty. Recently, students from Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, and Indonesia have settled down in Kochi for studies and research activities. Kochi has a sizeable expatriate population mainly from European countries who have settled in Fort Kochi. Most of them are senior citizens who settled down to enjoy retirement life and many run boutique hotels and restaurants in that area. Due to the rapid growth of the city, a majority of the local population are now immigrants.

Generally, Kochinites are modern and fashionable. Being a city that has a tradition of various cultures being given equal respect, a high level of tolerance exists. The city has a modern attitude, but some basic social modesty still prevails, especially in villages and rural areas.

Kochi has a typical tropical climate. Temperatures always stands near to 28°C during daytime and around 24°C during night. Kochi is one of the first places to experience the heavy Monsoon showers starting by mid of May. Kochi experiences heavy rainfall between mid of May to first week of September. Temperatures normally falls down to 20°C-25°C during these months. From September to early February, the weather is fine, marked with cool winds and light showers in between. However by February, summer season starts. Though temperatures never touches above 30°C, the presence of high humidity can make summers very harsh. This continues till early May. However frequent summer showers cool down the harshness of summer.

The tourist season is normally from August to February. December being the most tourist rush month has many festival and special attractions to welcome along with the famous Cochin [M] Carnival and X'mas celebrations. Onam season (mid Aug-mid Sept) is also a busy tourist season considering traditional line up of various festivities. Recently monsoon is being promoted heavily by tourism dept as a rejuvenation season which also slowly becoming a popular season to visit to experience the heavy rainfalls. However it is always advisable to avoid March and April, considering the harsh summer, though it is primarily Indian domestic tourist season.

Free information and city maps are available at state run Kerala Tourism Development Corp [S] (KTDC) offices at:

• Tourist Reception office [S] in Marine Drive (Ph:-+91-484-2353534) from where KTDC city tours starts/ends.
• Railway Tourist Office [S] at Ernakulam South Railway Station (Ph:- +91-484-2378723),
• Airport Tourist Counter [S] in Arrival hall of both terminals (Ph:-- +91-484-2611308/2611309)
• City Tourist Information Center [S] at Old Collectorate in Park Avenue (Ph:-+91-484-2381743).
• Central Toll Free Number [S] - 1-800-425-4747

The India Tourism also has its office at Willingdon Island [S] (Ph:-+91-484-2668352). The District Tourist Promotion Council (DTPC) also helps in providing information to tourists about other parts of Kochi District, which can be reached at Ph:- +91-484-2367334/2383988.

Kochi is well connected by air, road, rail and ferry from others parts of India, and to some international destinations.

Cochin [M] International Airport (IATA: COK, ICAO: VOCI) [1], General tel: +91-484-305-3000, Flight status and Airline desk transfer: +91-484-261-0115/261-1322/261-0033. Located in Nedumbassery, 29 km from the city center, this is the largest airport in Kerala [S] and one of major gateway to India.

Regular flights to the Middle East [S] and elsewhere in Asia [S]. There are regular direct chartered services from Europe [S] and the USA during tourist season, with scheduled connections there planned by 2011.

There is a duty free area at the international terminal, which has a good collection of international premium brands liquors, perfumes, chocolates and other items, at competitive prices. The domestic terminal has a good shopping arcade selling mainly Kerala-unique items.

Formalities and paperwork are quite straightforward, and one can get out easily, although recently security was heightened after the Mumbai [M] terror attacks.

Transit and early passengers can use the airport bedrooms on hourly as well as per night basis for Rs 750-2,000. Transit visas are available for selected nationalities and a short trip to nearby Kalady or Kodanadu or even the city is possible. The international terminal has good multi-cuisine restaurant which is reasonably priced as well as many cafes and snack corners in the waiting area. There is free Wi-Fi network, a small business center, free public telephones for local calls and large plasma televisions in the waiting lounge area. Premium lounges are available for first and business class passengers.

The airport has a good 18 hole golf course nearby. Golfers can register at the Airport Golf counter and pay green fees to use the facility. There is a small recreational center as well as bar lounge at the golf club.

There are four major airport hotels, all located opposite to the airport terminal. These offer rooms on an hourly basis. There are also many budget hotels and restaurants near to the terminal.

KSRTC operates four classes of bus service from the airport: regular, fast passenger, super fast express (operate every 10-20 minutes to most of the nearby towns and places), Orange-Bus [S] A/C Volvo service (operates every 30-40 minutes only to Kochi City via Aluva [S], Kalamassery, Vytilla and terminates at Fort Cochin [M]). The charge from the airport to city (Vytilla Junction- interchange for red/orange lines for entering into CBD) is around Rs 60, and around Rs 80 to Fort Cochin when using orange bus. All the bus services stop only at the bus point located near departure gate of the international terminal (city-side).

There are regular and prepaid white taxis with no signs. Regular taxis can be caught from the taxi stand on the right side of the departure gate of the international terminal. Pre-paid taxis need to be booked at the counter in the arrival hall of either terminal. Take a receipt and walk to the prepaid taxi stand to catch your taxi. For transfers to Kochi city or airport transfers, the standard charge is Rs 510 for non air-conditioned cab or Rs 650 for A/C Cab, with an additional premium of 15-25% as night charges (7PM-6AM), while it costs only Rs 250 for a trip to Aluva [S]. Cochin [M] Airport recently started pre-paid airport cab services using its own fleet of various segments for short tours, city tours and transfers to other airports which is priced at standard govt rates.

Many car rental companies operates counters in the arrival area of both terminals. Many hotels and travel agents provide free pick-up/drop-off services in their cars.

Pawan Hans, located in departure gate of domestic terminal, operates a wide range of helicopter services to almost all parts of city as well as state, which requires a prior booking. K-Air also operates air-taxi and private jets.

Kochi is well connected by train from all parts of India. Most Kerala-bound trains have a major stop here. There are two major rail terminals inside the city limits.

• Ernakulam Town Station [S] (North Station), (IR Code : ERN), +91-484-2395198, is mainly for Inter City trains and a few long distance trains.

• Ernakulam Junction Station [S] (South Station), (IR Code : ERS) +91-484-2353751 (service inquiries 131, 133, reservations 132, 1361) is a major Indian railways station. Most of the long distance trains to and from Kerala [S] pass through here. There is a good food court, large waiting areas, book shops, a medical shop and a few retiring rooms along with a dorm. Some of the major trains that pass through this station are:

Train Number	Train Name	From
2431	Rajdhani Express (Luxury)	Nizammudin(Delhi), Bhopal, Pune, Mumbai, Goa
2284	Duronto Express (Non-Stop)	Nizammudin(Delhi)
2623	Madras Mail	Chennai, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur
3351	Dhanbad Express	Dhanbad, Ranchi, Vizag, Chennai, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore
6324	Shalimar Express	Calcutta, Bhubaneswar, Vizag, Chennai, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore
2511	RaptiSagar Express	Lucknow, Kanpur, Bhopal, Nagpur, Pune, Vijayawada, Chennai, Coimbatore
7230	Sabari Express	Hyderabad, Tirupati, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore
2625	Kerala Express	New Delhi, Agra, Bhopal, Nagpur, Vijayawada, Thirupathi, Salem, Coimbatore
2643	SwarnaJayanti Express	New Delhi
2653	Kerala Samparkranti Express	Chandigarh
6346	Netravati Express	Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore
1098	Poorna Express	Pune
6309	Patna Express	Patna, Gwalior, Nagpur, Pune, Hubli, Mangalore
2683	Bangalore Super-fast Express	Bangalore, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad
2977	Marusagar Express	Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore
2507	Guwahati Express	Guwahati (Assam), Calcutta, Bhuvaneswar, Hyderabad, Salem, Coimbatore

Kochi has many suburban railway stations where long distance trains stop, such as Aluva [S], Thripunithara [S] and Angamally. Book in advance, as trains are usually crowded and reservations close 14 days before departure with all remaining travellers going onto a waiting list. You can also try using Tatkal which is an emergency booking system costing double the normal rate, opening only two days before the departure of the train.

One of the best ways to get to Kochi is to take the Konkan Railway train from Mumbai [M]. The train ride is renowned for the breathtaking scenery and the natural beauty of the terrain.

Kochi is accessible from all parts of the country as well as other parts of the state, through the extensive state run Kerala [S]

KSRTC operates six type of service; Ordinary (no frills), Limited Ordinary (limited stop), Fast Passenger(point-to-point), Super Fast(Regular and A/C services), Deluxe(premium A/C) and Garuda (luxury Volvo). Sleeper Buses also ply overnight routes. Karnataka State buses run daily services from Bangalore [M], Mysore [S] and Mangalore [M] with two type of services, the Rajahamsa (executive push-back service) and Airavat (A/c Sleeper service). Tamil Nadu SETC operates superfast and executive services to many destinations like Madurai [M], Palani [S], Ooty [S], Coimbatore [M], Salem [S], Erode [S] and Trichy [S].

Daily services to and from other major cities in South India such as Mumbai [M], Bangalore [M](12 hrs), Mangalore [M] (12 hrs), Coimbatore [M] (4.5 hrs) and Chennai [M] (14 hrs), are operated by national players mostly based in MG Road [S], where almost all services start and end. All these buses are executive or premium services offering air-conditioned travel with good facilities and higher prices to match.

There are also numerous private buses connecting almost every district, city and town in Kerala. All private buses start/stop their journey at the Private Bus Terminal (PBT) in Kaloor. These offer very basic comforts and are rarely air-conditioned.

Kochi is well connected by road from all parts of the state as well as other major cities. Three major national highways connect Kochi with other parts of country.

• NH 17, the 7th longest highway in India, connects Kochi with Mumbai [M] via most of major towns in Malabar, Mangalore [M], Goa [M].
• The heavily congested NH 47 connects Thiruvananthapuram [M] with Kochi and continues on to Coimbatore [M] and Salem [S] in Tamil Nadu via Palakkad and Thrissur [S].
• NH 49 connects Kochi with Ramaeswaram [S] in Tamil Nadu which passes through Madurai [M] via Munnar [S].

Kochi is well connected to other parts of state through various state highways.

Kochi can be reached by sea in yachts or the occasional cruise ship from Goa [M], Mumbai [M], Lakshadweep [S], Colombo and Male. Almost all leading international cruises on global voyages operate to Kochi from the US and Europe [S], but there is no booking office or boarding point in Kochi. There is a direct ferry service between Kochi and Colombo.

Getting around Kochi is not difficult. City transportation is not expensive even by Indian standards.

The main city arterial road is Mahatma Gandhi Road. Travelling inside the city at peak times (8AM-10AM, 1:30PM-2:30PM; 5:30PM-7:00PM) takes a lot of time, with frequent road blocks and traffic congestion. North and South Overbridges are two of the major bottlenecks. Knowledge of side roads and crossroads is very useful to avoid traffic blocks.

Kochi has a typical Indian-style address system which is a bit confusing, as there is no sector or house numbering system. Most buildings have their own name which are commonly used along with the road name for the address, eg: Alappatt House, Diwans Road, Near Lakshmi Hospital.

Some up-market areas have their own house numbering system. Panampally Nagar and Giri Nagar are divided into various zones and each house has its own zone number followed by a house number. Many residential areas have formed their own associations and established their own addressing system. In most of the residential colonies or areas, a map sign is located at the entrance. Fort Kochi has a more western-style numbering system, yet still locals use the nearby landmarks for addressing, rather than house numbers.

For communicating with auto/taxi drivers, you must know the nearby landmarks.

Kochi has an excellent public bus network with three types of buses. The most common option is privately operated Red buses [S] which provides a cheap no-frills journey. Using these is not that difficult as many destination boards have English lettering in small and most bus conductors can provide assistance in basic English, though route numbers exists only on papers. Peak hours on weekdays can lead to overcrowded buses, particularly Route 1. Most of red buses run primarily on the Big 4 Routes [S]. These cover virtually all parts of the city. There are other feeder routes, which interconnect places between these Big 4 Routes.The fares for all city buses are Rs 4 for the first km and 55p for every additional km. The average waiting time is 1-10 mins.

For premium travel low-floor air-conditioned Volvo services known as Orange buses [S], connects many important destinations. The rates are Rs 10 for first 5 km and Rs 2 for every km thereafter. The average waiting time is 10-30 mins. These buses do stop anywhere on the route, as per passenger's request.

For standard travel, KSRTC also operates Yellow bus [S], which is non air-conditioned low floor services which virtually links all suburbs to city center. This is very ideal for budget tourists as connects to many far away tourist attractions while maintaining excellent standards. The rates are Rs 5 for first 5 kms and 75p for every km thereafter. Currently only 3 lines are served, which would be increased soon. Like Orange Bus, these bus also stops anywhere on the route, as per passenger's request. Timetable for Orange/Yellow available at KSRTC site [2].

All city bus services start at 6AM and end by 9PM. A certain number of seats are allocated for women in the forward portion of each bus, and men must vacate them when a woman wishes to sit there.

It must be noted that different bus shelters/stops are used for bus plying different routes. Though route notices are put before each stop, it will be in Malayalam [S]. Route notices for Orange bus lines are now recently posted in English also. A query with locals or bus conductors helps a lot. The important city bus stations where all services touch are:

• Kaloor Bus Stand [S] - a major city bus station and interchange for long distance private buses
• Aluva Rajiv Gandhi Bus Station [S] - large bus station nearest to Airport and interchange for long distance services
• Fort Kochi Beach Road Bus Stand- is the major terminus, near to most of tourist attractions
• Thoppumpaddy Bus Stand [S]- major junction for Mattencherry
• Marine Drive-Menaka Bus Stands [S]- The heart of Ernakulam shopping with Broadway market nearby.
• Vytilla Bus Stands [S]- major interchange for intercity and city bus/premium services
• South Girls High School Stand [S]- nearest to South Railway station (ERS)
• Thripunithara Terminus [S]
• Palarivattom-Padivattom Bus Stand [S]
• Kakkanad Civil Station Bus Stand [S]

Kochi does not have any local intra-city train service. However, many suburban areas are well connected via regular passenger and long distance express trains. The most used route is between Ernakulam and Aluva [S]. Almost all regular passenger, express and intercity trains have a stop at Aluva. Regular passenger trains have 1 minute stops at Edapally, Kumbalangi, Angamally, and Aroor stations. Many long distance trains operate between Thripunithara [S] and Kochi North station.

It is a good idea to take the rail during busy peak hours when buses are overcrowded. Equally good idea, to take rail to Aluva [S] from city center which is the nearest point to Airport (12 km) from where a cab or Orange Route A bus can taken to avoid city congested traffic.

This is a cheap method of transport between attractions. You can find an auto stand at almost every bus stop, and at important places near junctions and residential areas. Make sure you agree on a fare with the driver before the journey. The govt fixed rates starts at Rs 10 for the first 1.25 km and Rs 6 per km thereafter with a premium of 15% at night (7PM-6AM). Pre-paid auto stands are available only in railway stations.

Taxis are convenient, comfortable, and safer than auto rickshaws. If you are alone or going to an unknown destination, this is a good option, even though the rates will be double that of an auto. Unlike in most western countries, taxis are not usually marked with signs on the top, and do not have taxi meters inside the cab.

There are two type of taxi services, regular and call taxis. Regular taxis are normally available at designated taxi stands located at places such as railway stations, the airport, boat jetties, major bus stations and in front of important hotels. If you need a taxi elsewhere, some of the better call taxi services are:

Connect Cabs [S], +91-484-40-50-60-1/2/3/4/5/6 Cochin [M] Cabs, +91-97461-45768, 98950-11572, 944-7777-574. Broadway Taxi [S], +91-484-236-007-4‎ Sankar City Cabs [S], +91-484-236-133-4/5/6/7‎

Yatra Cabs [S], +91-484-231-4778‎ Kumar Taxis [S], +91-484-222-5558/222-1213/222-3558/558-7222 Prince Taxis [S], +91-0484-235-2751/236-9997 Executive Cabs [S], +91-0484-237-1078

There is no need to negotiate prices, as most of them follow fixed rates. Regular taxis have tariff cards displayed on the dashboard. Call taxis have charges fixed by their respective companies (although they are normally uniform). The standard tariffs are Rs 50 for first 3 km　and Rs 8 per km thereafter. Add 10% for a cab with AC, and 15-20% at night.

Many cab companies offer full or half day services. Most of them are fixed on ad-hoc basis, based on the negotiating skills of the passenger. Typical rates are Rs 1,100/1,500 for standard/AC cabs for a full day and Rs 500/750 for a half day. These rates are not available after 7PM.

Unless you are into adventure seeking, self drive in Kochi is not recommended as driving discipline is almost non-existent. There are long stretches of roads passing through heavily populated areas that have no median breaks and most of them being bi-lane roads which are mostly congested. A few major roads like MG Rd, NH Bypass Rd and Marine Drive are two lane-dual carriageways with good medians. The speed limit inside city zone is 30 km/hr. Driving is on the left, and all foreign drivers need a valid International Driving Licence attested by the Road Transport Office (RTO). Driving outside the city limits is a fine experience with good scenery and far less traffic. Most of the bridges and few roads carry toll charges collected at manned toll plazas or checkpoints. Almost all tolls are uniformly charged separately for one/two way; 2 wheelers- Rs 3/5, 4 wheelers- Rs 5/10 and bus/minivans - Rs 15/25. Almost all the toll pass is valid for unlimited travel for a period of 24 hours, though a few bridges allow one time validity.

Car rental is not so popular among foreign visitors. Many car rental companies refuse to provide self-drive cars to Westerners. Normally a bank guarantee letter or security cheque/traveller's cheque to the value of the car or a passport are taken as security for renting the car. No security deposit is needed if the car is chauffeur-driven.

Most hotels with three stars or more provide private cars for their guests at rates slightly higher than elsewhere.

Kochi has an excellent system of cheap inter-island ferries. The Ro-Ro ferry service called Junkar between Fort Kochi and Vypeen is very popular. There are regular boat services operated by KSINC and other private operators, every 20-30 minutes, from Ernakulam to Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Vypeen and Willingdon Island [S] which are cheaper and in many cases faster, than buses. All services operates from 4:40AM-6:30PM with an exception to Fort Kochi-Vypin Junkar service which operates from 4AM-10:30PM. The major boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Jetty (located in Marine drive near High Court), Park Jetty (in Park Avenue next to KSRTC Bus station), Customs Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi Jetties. A few tourist oriented private ferries ply in non-scheduled routes during tourist seasons connecting mainly to Kumbalangi Tourist village from Ernakulam Main Jetty as well as from Aroor.

Kochi is traditionally not a pedestrian friendly city, considering the humid tropical climate, poor state of pedestrian walkways and reckless traffic. Fort Kochi is one of the better places to walk, with elaborate colonial-style stone pavements. There are many attractions in Fort Kochi which you can walk between.

Fort Kochi is a perfect place for cycling with dedicated tracks and walkways. There are several tourist firms that offers cycles and bikes on hourly basis. A popular option is Vasco Information Center in Fort Kochi (+91-484-221-6215), which rents cycles for Rs 7 on hourly basis. However, there is no separate cycling tracks on mainland city roads. Motor-Bikes are getting popular option for tourists to take a ride in other parts of city, to avoid congestion in city roads. Take extra care while biking in Kochi roads, considering the reckless traffic.

• Chinese Fishing Nets (Cheenavala), Fort Kochi Beach, Beach Rd (Next to Fort Kochi Bus stand), [3]. Serves as the offical icon of Kochi and are a testimony of relations between Ancient Chinese Empires and the Kochi Kingdom. It were gifted by Chinese Emperor Kubalagi to Kochi King in 14th century. There were more than 100, though currently only a few remain in working condition.  

Cochin [M] Royal Crown The biggest highlight of Hill Palace, is the display of Royal Crown, crafted in pure gold weighting 1.75 kg with 1,200 diamonds and 2,000 other precious stones. It was gifted by Portuguese to Veera Kerala Varma on his coronation day, which was regarded too extravagant for the Kochi Rajas, who were known for their simple lifestyle. This became a famous tradition that no Kochi Maharajas ever wore this crown, only to keep it on his lap as a testimony of their humbleness and simplicity. Nearly ten golden crowns were gifted to the Rajas by various colonial powers like Dutch, English, Chinese, Arabs etc which were never worn by the Maharajas.

• Hill Palace Museum, Hill Palace Rd, Thripunithara [S] (12 km southeast of Ernakulam), ☎ +91-484-2781113, [4]. M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM (Crown Gallery closes at 4PM). The erstwhile Kochi Maharaja's palace, now converted to a large museum along with a small zoo. Has paintings and epigraphy from the collections of the Travancore & Kochi royal families. This is the largest archaeological palace in South India with more than 500 artifacts divided into 16 galleries. The highlight of the Palace is the display of multi-billion worth Cochin [M] Royal Crown and Crown Jewels. The Crown Gallery is a high security zone which has elobrate security check procedures, photography and bags are prohibited. The Palace complex is huge with several buildings inside it. There is a good Deer Park along with peacocks. A small fauna garden was set up in 2003. Also the palace has more than 100 different species of trees and plants, many of which are of medical value. The palace has five large gardens and two large resting grounds of late Maharajas. Indians Rs 25, foreigners Rs 100 (including Deer Park and all attractions).  

• Santacruz Basilica, Cathedral Grounds, Fort Kochi (opposite Children's Park), [5] [S]. Daily 7AM-8PM. The first European Church built in Asia [S], by the Portuguese in 1502, also the first Cathedral of Asia and seat of second Catholic Diocese in India. The British modified the structure and added oil paintings. Today, it serves as the primary seat of the Latin church of Kerala. Pope John Paul II declared it a Basilica in 1984. It houses several historical paintings, decors and artifacts. Free.  

• St. Francis CSI Church (CSI Pally), Church Rd, Fort Kochi (Near to Fort Kochi Beach), [6] [S]. Daily 7AM-7PM. Constructed by the Portuguese in 1503 and the burial place of Vasco da Gama (his remains were later transferred to Lisbon). His tombstone can be seen inside the church. The church has a large cemetery which are resting grounds of many Portuguese army officials and soldiers. The church is the only Catholic Church not demolished by Dutch which was handed over to British to re-establish an Anglican church. A large war memorial can be seen on its backyard to honor the unknown soldiers who sacrificed their lives for World War-1 Free.  

• VOC Gate, Fort Kochi (opposite the Parade grounds). The only remains of the Dutch East Indian Company is this large wooden gate with a monogram (VOC, the emblem of the Dutch Empire).  

• David Hall, Parade Grounds East, Fort Kochi. Mon-Sat, 10AM-7PM. This 315 years old Dutch bungalow was the official residence of the Dutch Army commanders, the most famous being Hendrik Adriaan Van Reede Tot Drakestei who was the author of Horticus Malabaricus. Currently the complex belongs to Netherlands Govt agency CNO which recently renovated to open a large art gallery, a traditional Dutch performing arts center and large studio for young painters. The building is a classic specimen of colonial Dutch architecture with elobrate dutch gardens. For cultural performances, one need to check at the reception to know the schedule.  

• Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi. Typical Indo-Dutch architecture, this bungalow was built on the site of the erstwhile Stromsburg Fort, which was demolished during the Arab raids. Currently, it serves as the official residence of the Cochin [M] Sub-Collector and entry is restricted.  

• Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Kottaram), Palace Rd, Mattencherry, [7]. Sat-Thur 10AM-5PM. Constructed by the Portuguese in 1568 as a gift to Maharaja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma, after he granted permission to construct Fort Immanunel. During the Dutch siege of Kochi, many parts of the original palace were destroyed. However the Dutch Governor repaired the palace and renamed as Dutch Palace. The coronations of Kochi Maharajas are always held here. A large throne and coronation costumes are on display and there is an extensive collection of royal chariots, swords and other artifacts. The most interesting part is the mural room, which has the entire Ramayana and Mahabharat depicted in a single mural. Indians Rs 25, foreigners Rs 100.  

• Jew Street and Paradesi Synagogue, Jew Town, Mattancherry. Synagogue Su-F 10AM-5PM, Sa only open to Jews. The synagogue was constructed in 1568 after allowing Jewish refugees from Jerusalem to settle here during the Crusades making this the Commonwealth's oldest Synagogue. This is one of the very few functional synagogues in India and the structure is unique due to influence of native Hindu-Christian architecture as well as the only synagogue having two bimahs. Many Jews lived in the area until the creation of Israel, today there is only a handful. Jew Street is a heritage zone with several antique/handicraft shops. Rs 40.  

• Princess Street (Loafer’s Corner), Fort Kochi. The most famous street of Fort Kochi which gives you every single slice of authentic colonial European architecture. The only street that never faced any raid or demolitions in past, Princess street is a prefect destination for evening walk with numerous of western styled cafes, souvenir shops, art galleries and heritage complexes.  

• Chendamangalam Palace Fort, Chendamanalam, nr North Paravur. Historically the seat of Paliath Achan, the Prime Minister of Kochi Kingdom. Here the plans were forged for revolt against the British in the 1820s. A functional Jewish Synagogue and a large market are some of the attractions. Now, it is a major centre for handloom weaving and coir manufacturing.  

• Pallipuram Fort, Pallipuram, Vypin Island [S]. Built by the Portuguese in 1503, this is the oldest existing European fortification in India. It was later handed over to the Travancore Army, to become a major army base till 1903 when it was converted into a heritage museum. It has a small museum and good views of the lagoon on one side and the sea on the other.  

• Pierce Leslie Bungalow, Beach Road, Fort Kochi. The only surviving bungalow built in authentic Portuguese style, it was the home and office of famous English merchant family- the Leslies. Currently it has been restored into a boutique hotel. The hotel management however allows tourists to explore the grand exteriors and public interior spaces.  

• Holy Koonan Cross Church (Pradhankuriyacha Palli), Bazaar Rd. Mattencherry. 24 hrs. A historic church where Malayalee Christians in the 17th century revolted against Portuguese Jesuit missionaries' attempts to convert them into the Latin church. It was here native Christians received the Bishop of Persia and declared their affinities to the Orthodox Eastern Church. This was the first recorded revolt against Europeans in India, forcing the Pope to recognize native Christians and to establish a new church, the Syro-Malabar Church.  

• International Pepper Exchange, Jewtown, Fort Kochi. Kochi's answer to New York's Wall Street, but instead of money, its all about pepper trading. This is the world's only pepper exchange. Its worth to visit to see the wide range of pepper varieties as well as some of trading practices. free.  

• Durbar Hall Ground, DH Rd, Ernakulam City, [8]. The venue for many fairs during festivals and regular evening concerts and other programs.  

• Museum of Kerala History, NH 47 Rd (near Edappally Toll Gate), [9]. A good, well maintained museum with a 40 minute light and sound show (English and Malayalam [S]) about Kerala history. Depicts the history of Kerala through life-like wax statues. Adjacent are the Museum of Dolls with nearly 1,000 dolls from various countries, and M.N.F Art and Sculpture Gallery that has many good collections of paintings and sculptures. This museum has a small, well maintained garden. Rs 40.  

• Pareekshith Thampuran Durbar Hall Art Gallery, Dubar Hall Ground, DH Rd. Contains oil paintings, old coins, sculptures, Mughal paintings plus models of temples and traditional Kerala buildings. This was the official Durbar Hall of Kochi Maharajas, now converted into a large fine arts gallery, named after last Maharaja of Kochi, who was an oil painter. A small studio is nearby promoting young artists. Free.  

• Indian Naval Maritime Museum, INS Dronarcharya, Fort Kochi. Built by the Indian Navy. Many battle scenes are recreated with life-size models, a huge display of naval arms and ammunitions, replicas of large naval ships, personalities, are some of the major highlights.  

• Indo-Portuguese Museum, Fort Kochi. A modern museum highlighting the start of European colonization of the Orient in the 16th century. The museum showcases the growth and decline of the Portuguese life in Kochi with focus on the growth of the Latin Church.  

• Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village, Kumbalangi island (15 Km from city center). India's first and only eco-tourist village, this award winning initiative stress on tourists exploring and enjoying the authentic rural culture with cooperation of natives without disturbing their natural lifestyle. Tourists to this island village have chances to explore rural work styles, a specialized local paddy cultivation, canoeing in country boat in a maze of mangrove forests or enjoying fishing or partying in rural style with locals. In order to maintain best eco-protection practices, several restrictions are placed on use of plastics, smoking or even carrying soft-drinks etc  

• Mastyafed Milky-way Aqua-Tourist Village, Malipuram Village, Vypin (12 Km from city center). 10AM-5PM. A unique concept, where a large shrimp farm of state run Mastyafed organization is converted into an Aqua-tourist village with wide options of fishing fresh prawns, crabs and shrimps of the farm (the caught fish can be brought by the person on paying a nominal amount), canoeing within a mangrove forest, sun-bathing, swimming in a private beach nearby and to enjoy sun-set picnic cruise. The breakfast and lunch, which is included in entry costs have wide range of fish delicacies, fish pickles etc. Rs 100 per person.  

• Thrikkakara Temple, Thrikkakara. The only temple in India devoted to the Hindu deity Vamana and a major centre for celebration of the Onam festival. Get here during Onam and you can catch ten days of festivities, peppered with performances of Kerala's traditional arts and ending with a Onam feast.  

• Thirumala Devaswom Temple, Mattancherry. Built by the Gowda Sarawatha Brahmins with Lord Venkateswara as the main deity. It is famous for housing the second largest brass bell in Asia [S]. The North Gopuram is fully roofed with copper.  

• Ernakulam Siva Temple, (at the centre of town, near the Durbar Hall Ground). Has three temples within its complex.  

• Aluva [S] Manalpuram. Famous for the annual Shivarathri festival on the banks of the Periyar river.  

• Chottanikara Devi Temple, (at Thripunithara [S] 15 km from city). One of the 108 large Devi (Goddess) temples of India. The temple is famous for treatments of various psychic disorders like split personality syndrome as well as for its annual Makam festival (mid Feb-mid March).  

• Poornathresya Temple, (in the heart of Thripunithara [S]). Devoted to Lord Vishnu was once the royal temple of Kochi Maharajas. This temple is famous for its Panthizhuaari (Milk Dessert made of rice flakes) distributed during afternoons and grand temple festivals twice in a year.  

• Dharmanath Desar Jain Mandir, Gujarathi St, Mattencherry. Popularly known as Gujarathi Mandir is one of the oldest Jain temples in India, established by the Gujarathi community who settled here more than 300 years ago. This is a major Theerth (pilgrimage) for Jains and all major North Indian festivals are celebrated in grand way. Pigeon feeding during noon, is one of the main rituals here.  

• Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, (in Perumanoor in Thevera, south end of MG Rd). Is the lone Sikh Gurudwara of Kerala, established by the Punjabi community of Kochi in 1955. Special rites and Guru ka Langar rituals are held every Saturday and Sunday.  

• Malayattoor Mount, (26 km away). A major Christian pilgrimage center believed to be the place where St. Thomas performed his first miracle in AD 52. Today, it is famous for its annual Holy week-Easter pilgrimage.  

• St. Mary's Cathedral, High Court Junction, Marine Drive (behind Verapoly Archdiocese HQ). Locally known as Kappalpalli (Ship Church due to its ship shaped structure), this is dedicated to Our Lady of Ships and Ports.  

• St.George's Church, Edapally, NH 47 Rd. A popular church, also amongst non-Christians. Famous for its poison cure treatments.  

• Kanjiramattam Mosque, (30 km to the east). A major Muslim pilgrimage center and venue of the Kudikkuthu Festival. It is famous for the annual Urus festival. The imams of this mosque are famous for being leading scholars, who were advisors to Kochi Rajas.  

• Chembittapally Mosque, Fort Kochi. Famous for its large super-imposing structure having large shining copper domes (thus the name, which means Mosque having Copper Roofs).  

• Subhash Park, Park Avenue. One of the largest parks in Kochi.  

• Children's Park. With children's rides, a musical fountain and a small boating lake.  

• Indira Renewable Energy Park. Has unique rides and gadgets which run on renewable energy.  

• Beach Children's Park, Beach Rd. A good small park, which is well maintained for evening strolls.  

• Managalavanam, Tatapuram-Pachalam Road (Behind High Court Complex). A thick 80 acre mangrove forest located in the heart of Kochi and declared a flora sanctuary. More than 30 unique flora are found here and it is also a major bird sanctuary, where migratory birds feed and rest when they escape the cold northern winters.  

• Poru, (near Kodanadu, 14 km from city center). An unexplored beautiful scenic river bank. The Periyar river flows here in its original pure form, without any kind of pollution. During Summer season, when the volume of river water is at its lowest, it is very easy to cross the 2 km wide river from one bank to other. Beware during rainy reason, when a large volume of river water flushes this area and it is extremely dangerous to swim.  

• Cherai Beach, North of Vypin Island [S] (Take Route-3 bus from High Court stand). Golden beaches with big sand grains, coconut palm corridors, backwaters, and historical monuments. Cherai Beach is one of the most safest beaches to swim or play water sports or beach games. A very large beautiful backwaters just 250 meters from beach famous for its scenic beauty and boating. Cherai Beach surpasses all with its swimming facility and coconut groves. Occasional sights of dolphins is also an added attraction.  

• Kodanadu Elephant Training College (Ana Thothil). 9AM-6PM. Lies on the southern bank of the Periyar amongst the scenic beauty of the high ranges, Kodanadu is extremely famous for its unique elephant training college, elephant orphanage and a mini zoo with deer and peacocks here. Wild elephants are first tamed in special cradles and then taken to the nearby training college, where they are trained. The elephant orphanage rears baby elephants until they are ready for training college. Elephant safari is one of the most sought tourist activity here along with kids playing ball games with baby elephants.  

• Fort Kochi Beach, Fort Kochi. A historic beach where 1st Portuguese-Dutch war broke out in the 17th century. Once a very large beach, it has reduced to a quarter in size after the Tsunami. A beautiful, small walkway is constructed recently, making ideal for evening strolls. One can find remnants of Old Portuguese Immanuel Fort along with parts of Dutch Stormberg Fort with some canons still kept intact. An obsolete boiler that once used for powering cranes of old port and a very large anchor of an old Portuguese ship are displayed on the walkway. Works for creating a new artificial beach is undergoing near to this old beach with help of Tsunami development funds.  

See Festivals of Kerala [S] for further details.

• Cochin [M] Carnival (Dec 20-Jan 2) is the biggest carnival festival in the city. It started in 1582 as part of Portuguese New Year's celebrations. A wonderful array of colourful rallies, fancy dress parades, regular competitions, bike races, beach games, sports, theme festivals, concerts and dances, fireworks and most important, the night beach parties, make it one of the largest celebrations in India. The New Year's Eve party is the highlight of this festival, when a large parade carrying a huge statute of Papanai (a Santa Claus-like image) is taken to the beach, where it is set on fire on the stroke of midnight. This is followed by a grand party. The carnival ends with the Grand Parade on the afternoon of January 1st.

• Onam Festival [S] (ten day festival mid-August to mid-September). The state festival of Kerala originating in Kochi. It is based on the legend of welcoming home the mythical King Mahabali, whose capital was believed to be at the current site of Thrikakkara Temple. The ten day festivities start off with an parade on Atham day called Athachamayam. It is held in Thripunithara [S] starting from the Atham Grounds and has many tableaux, dance parades, cultural art forms ending at Thrikakkara Temple.

• Shiva Temple Festival [S] (first week of January), takes place at the Shiva Temple and Durbar Hall Ground, famous for its ten elephant parade and host of cultural activities. The last day of the festival, Pakalpooram, is famous for its traditional Kerala percussion ensemble, a huge display of fireworks and a 21 gun salute by the Indian Navy and Kerala Police.

• Fireworks Festival of Maradu Kottaram Devi Temple [S](mid March - mid April), hosts India's second largest fireworks as part of their temple festival finale. The festival takes place in the festival grounds of Maradu [S], which has mega fireworks display lasting for 1.5 hours for last two days.

• Thripunithara Vrishikolsavam [S] (mid November - mid December) at Thripunithara [S]

• Chendamangalam Matta Chanda [S] ( 2 days prior to Vishu [S] Festival ) near Chendamangalam Fort, is the only official barter market in the world, as reminiscent of olden market style. The recorded history of this market is nearly 300 years old, where traditional & heritage items are sold in exchange of modern items of equal value. Matta Chanda is today a tourism attraction and a traditional ritual rather than serious shopping, hence only traditional Kerala specialties can be brought in exchange of modern and regular items like branded soaps, perfumes, clothes, hair accessories, electronic components, batteries, medicines etc, as agreed mutually buyer and seller.

• Veegaland Amusement Park in Kakkanad, this is second largest theme park in South India. Spread over 50 acres of land with more than 50 Rides and various shows, it has well maintained gardens and five restaurants as well as small cafes. Open 9:30AM-7PM.

• Silverstorm Water Park [S]. A good family theme park with 29 water and dry rides, a very large park and a Chinese village. Near Athirampally Waterfalls area, this park is located 50 km from Kochi City, 18 km from the airport.

• Scary Horror House [S], 3rd floor, Oberon Mall [S]. Part of a national chain, this is a good place which will test your nerve. A 15 minute experience, through a dark scary house filled with ghosts, hidden spirits, sounds and skeletons.

• Mirror Maze [S], 3rd floor, Oberon Mall [S]. A maze of mirrors and it may take 20-40 minutes and a lot of brain work, to finally find your way out.

Kochi has got some good sporting facilities. Football is the official game here and is regularly played by locals in open areas. Cricket is extremely popular and regularly played by youngsters.

• Cochin [M] International Stadium located at Kaloor, has good open football court and a cricket court, where locals play regularly, for which no fees are required. The badminton and tennis court located next to this ground can be used on payment of prescribed fees at sports office of St.Albert's College as it belongs to them.

• Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium [S] located at Kadavanthara [S], has badminton, tennis, squash, volley ball and basketball courts. Rooms for chess, caroms, table-tennis and board games are also available. For an entrance fees payable at the indoor sports office, you can play there or join with regular users. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness complex and large billiards-snooker pool inside this stadium. An Olympic-sized swimming pool is available outside. Large football and cricket pitches are available free of charge. Locals play regularly here and you can join them.

• Water Sports [S] is popular in Kochi, particularly in Fort Kochi beach and Cherai beach where water skis/jets and water scooters are available. Cochin [M] Marina in Bolgatty Island [S], the Yacht club in Thevera and Ramada Resort in Panagad operate a wide range of water sports games. Para-gilding is not allowed in any areas, due to presence of several strategic military installations.

• Maharaja's Stadium Grounds, located at KPCC Jn in MG Road [S] has large athletic grounds, a state-of-the-art synthetic track, which is popular among athletic enthusiasts.

• Football pitches [S]. There is a large football pitch at Parade Grounds in Fort Cochin [M], where locals play regularly in evening and you will likely be welcome to join in. Likewise at Maharaja's Football and Cricket pitches [S] near College Ground in MG Road [S], Ambedkar City Stadium near KSRTC Bus station in Rajaji Rd and at the Marine Drive ground.

• Cricket pitches [S], Palace Oval Grounds located in Tripunithara is the most popular large open cricket pitch where the Kochi Royals used to play their favourite past-time. Apart from this, there are new large pitches in Parade grounds of Fort Kochi and in Kadavanthara [S] (near GCDA Nagar).

• Beach Sports [S]. Fort Kochi Beach, Cherai Beaches are very popular among locals for playing beach volley-balls. Try a tough game of beach-football being very popular here. Water ski and biking is also popular in Fort Kochi beaches.

• Go Karting @ Aiport. A short karting circuit is located at the city side of Cochin [M] Airport, just opposite the airline complex. Regular karting competitions are held on weekends and a few rallies are also organized.

• Cochin [M] Golf & Country Club, Cochin Airport Area, +91-484-3053598. A new 18 hole golf course. Nice scenery and located very near to the airport. A country club is under construction, though the recreation center with a small bar, lounge and changing rooms is available.

• Cochin [M] Golf Club, Bolgatty Island [S], +91-484-2750908/2098178. Established in 1922 by the Hon. British Resident to Kingdom of Kochi and Travancore. Today it became one of the oldest golf courses in the country. It is a 10 hole course open for non-members on payment of green fees. Guests of the Bolgatty Palace Hotel can use without any extra charge.
  Bolgatty Palace

• Naval Golf Course, Naval Enclave, Willingdon Island [S]. One of the largest golf courses in the country which is not open to general public. You can play though by invitation from a naval officer. Guests of the navy and the Kochi administration have access to this large golf course..

Major private gym chains include Ernakulam Men's Gym (South Railway station road, 0484 2378798‎), Destination Health‎ [S] (Edapally, 0484 4014353‎), Bio-rhythm Wellness and Spa center [S] (0484-4099908), Talwalkars [S] (0484-2382696‎) and Women's World Muti Gym Health Club‎ (Janatha Junction, Palarivattom, 0484 2349294‎). Many gyms are branded as Health, Wellness or Slimming centers to avoid the traditional association of the word gym with men only centres. Most are open 7AM-8PM.

• Boating on the Kochi backwaters, (at Marine Drive). Get the real feel of the Vembanadu Lake through boating. There are many cruises offered by many private players as well as the Kerala State Inland Shipping Corp. Sunset cruises are popular. Many guesthouses offer the trip and in the centre you can arrange it by yourself as well. Recently speedboats started plying the backwaters. Some premium hotels in Willingdon Island [S] and Fort Kochi offer motorised watersports for its guests.  

Kochi has some good Cineplexes, featuring regular Malayalam [S], Tamil, English and Hindi movies. Most of the theaters have uniform movie timings. On all weekdays, there will be 4 shows, noon show (11:30AM/noon), Matinee (2:30PM/3PM), First Show (5:30PM/6PM), Night Show (9:30PM/10PM). At weekends, there is usually a 10AM morning show.

• Cinemax Multiplex [S] (4 screens); 4th Floor, Oberon Mall [S], NH Byepass road - A modern multiplex, it has 4 screens offering Malayalam [S], Hindi, Tamil and English movies on regular basis.

• Shenoys Cineplex [S] (2 screens); Shenoys Junction, MG Road [S], Ph-0484 2353233‎- It is a two screen theater. The main Shenoys is a large theater with a seating capacity of 1,000 in three class configuration. Little Shenoys, a small 250 seater theater in single class configuration. Mostly Malayalam [S], Tamil and Hindi movies are screened. English movies are screened sometimes, though rare.

• EVM Kavitha [S] (1 Screen); Kavitha Junction, MG Road [S], Ph-0484 2352777‎- A good air-conditioned 1200 Seater, 2 class configuration theater. Mostly Malayalam [S] and Hindi movies are screened here.

• Padma Cinemas [S] (1 screen); Padma Junction, MG Road [S], Ph-0484 2354233‎- A modern, well maintained 800 seater theater in 2 class configuration. It has a good cafe and Texas Wild theme restaurant called Cafe 20. Mostly Malayalam [S], Tamil and Hindi movies are screened here.

• Sridhar Cinemas [S] (1 Screen), Marine Drive, Ph-0484 2352529‎- A modern, well maintained 900 Seater theater equipped with 3D facilities. It has a good cafe called Sridhar Cafe. This theater regularly screens Hollywood English movies. Malayalam [S]

• Saritha Cineplex [S] (3 Screen), Banerjee Road, Near Marine Drive, Ph-0484 2366183- Its a 3 screen theater. The large one is called Saritha, which is a 1400 seater theater in 3 class configuration. The middle one is called Savitha, which is a 900 seater theater in 2 class configuration. The smallest one is called Sangeetha, which is 450 seater single class configured theater. Mostly Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi movies are screened.

• Kanoos Theater [S] (1 screen), Ravipuram [S] area, MG Road [S], Ph-0484 2357330- Its a 800 seater 2 class configured theater. Tamil and English movies are screened on regular basis.

There are many performing arts complexes across the city, offering a good experience of various artforms and culture. Kochi has the largest number of regular evening Kathakali theaters, offering the best insight into this traditional dance-drama artform of Kerala. Apart from Kathakali, many other events are regularly performed in Kochi.

• Kerala Fine Arts Complex [S], Foreshore Road. This is one of the oldest centres, with regular cultural performances. Many require prior booking, as they are organized by prestigious societies and groups. There are some performances that have free entry, and the monthly cultural programs of Bank Employees Union is one such.

• Kalikotta [S], Palace Rd, Thripunithara. This is the official concert palace hall of the Kochi royal family, who are patrons of more than a dozen cultural institutions and societies. Most performances are free. The mega Kathakali festival organized prior to Temple festival of Thripunithara Poornathresya Royal temple, is one of the largest Kathakali events here.

• JT Pac Cultural Theater [S], Choice House, Choice lane, Kumbalam. One of the most modern and upscale performing arts complexes, which has regular concerts, drama festivals, dance programs and other arts and cultural activities. A 1000 seater theater, it also has a good gallery and latest visual-audio systems. Booking may be necessary to secure seats and the theater has strict dress code regulations.

• See India Foundation, Kalathil Parambil Crossroad, nr Valanjambalam Temple, Chitoor Road, (tel: 0484-2376471). An evening Kathakali theater, where daily performances take place from 6PM-8PM. This is the oldest and first evening Kathakali theater in India. The show is preceded by a detailed discourse of Kathakali history and philosophy, elaborate make-up performances and a demonstration of Kathakali techniques.

• Greenix Tourist Theater [S], Greenix Village, Kalvatty, Fort Kochi. A good cultural theater with a gallery, food court and mini museum.

• Kerala Folklore Theater [S], nr Thevara-Island bridge, Folklore Junction, Thevara. A good cultural theater with regular evening performances, a state-of-the-art museum and cultural gallery.

Ayurvedic pleasure treatments are widely available. Some of the better spas and massage centres are:

• Kerala Ayurvedics in South (Near Arun's Studio, Warriam Road- between MG ROAD and Chitoor Road)
• Punarva Spa and Ayuvedic Hospital (Edappally North, NH 17)
• Birla Kerala Spa (Hotels Woodlands, Jewel Junction)
• Ela World Spa, (4rd floor, Oberon Mall [S])

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

The Onam Festival [S] (mid of Aug-Sept) 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. X'mas is the next best season. The Kerala Government has started the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival [S] (15 Dec - 30 Jan), to promote Kerala as a shopping destination. Kochi is the main focal center of this festival and you get heavy discounts at participating stores and regular lucky draws.

The narrow strip sandwiched between Marine Drive and MG Road [S]

Jew town in Fort Cochin [M] has numerous antique and craft stores. Most of the antique shops sell colonial era and heritage pieces, as well as Jewish items from the traditional Jewish homes of the area. You can also find many kinds of Indian sculptures, decor, interior artifacts and souvenirs. Bargains are available but be warned that many 'antiques' were probably made in the owners backyard. Shop with care and bargain hard. Never trust touts, who get hefty commissions from unscrupulous antique dealers.

• Isidore Art Palace, Jewtown (next to the Synagogue), (isidore@vsnl.com). Will reliably ship stuff outside India. Bargain hard.  

• Galleria Synagogue Art Gallery, Jewtown (walk down from the synagogue), ☎ 484 - 2222544. Showcases art work from many different local artists. Prices are reasonable, and they very often have exhibitions showing some amazing art work from the region.  

• Cochin [M] Crafts Antique Shop‎, Jewtown (walk down from the synagogue), ☎ 484 - 0484 2221927‎. Good collection of crafts and antique shops.  

• Crafters Exports‎, Jewtown (walk down from the synagogue), ☎ 484 - 0484 2227652‎‎. This shop has certified large collection of artifacts and heritage pieces. Its a very popular option.  

Try at state run emporiums that offer high quality certified antiques/artworks, however there is no bargain or discount. Check at Kerala's state emporium showrooms, Kairali & Surabhi and Karnataka's Cavery, all located in MG Road.

Large western style shopping malls are new to Kochi and more than 30 are under construction in various parts of city, all scheduled to open between first quarter of 2010 and the end of 2013. Currently only two are functional. Apart from shopping malls, there are numerous of shopping complexes in Cochin [M] (a shopping complex in local terms is a large complex having many shops close to each other, selling mostly only one type of product).

• Oberon Mall [S], nr Padivattom Signal Junction-NH Bypass Road). The first large scale multi-format shopping mall in a western style. A typical mall, having a wide range of branded stores, a large hypermarket, an anchor store of Reliance Trends [S] (multi brand apparel store), a book/stationery store, spa, beauty saloon, a large food court, a four screen multiplex and lots of entertainment options like Horror House, Mirror Maze [S] and a cricket bowling center.

• Bay Pride Mall [S], Marine Drive. A small sized family mall located in heart of city with a few brand stores, a small food court, a fitness center, a gift shop and a music store.

• Grande Gold Souk [S], Vyittila Junction. Now only partially open, it will be the largest mall in South India with more than 150 stores selling various jewellery brands and branded/unbranded apparel. The Mall will be fully open by the end of November 2010.

Kochi also has many famous designer boutiques, mostly located in Convent Junction (between MG Road and Marine Drive). Panampally Nagar also houses many premium exclusive designer boutiques. MG Road (the arterial road) is lined with many premium brand stores, leading apparel shops and boutiques. The cloth bazaar in Broadway Market [S] is one of the largest apparel market selling unbranded fabrics and apparels at lower rates. For dress and fabrics the best options are:

• Graffitti [S], Kavitha Junction, MG Rd. Sells cheap, trendy summer clothing. It has an extensive men's collection and fairly good ladies collection.

• Jayalakshmi Silks [S], Shenoys Junction, MG Rd. The oldest and most popular destination for bridal collections and popular throughout Kerala. It also houses a very large men's collection with many traditional and modern outfits. It is suitable for a wide range of budgets.

• Kalyan Silks [S], General Hospital Rd. One of the largest silk saree showrooms and a good place to get many kinds of Indian and western clothing, including popular western brands, at very reasonable rates. Silk Sarees are its trademark and most of them are well priced.

• Kasavukada [S], South End of Foreshore Rd near Church Landing. A good place to buy a wide range of ethnic Kerala dress like Mundu, Kasavu Mundu Neyriyattu and ethnic men's Jubas.

• Maharajas Textile Supermarket [S], Durbar Hall Rd. A good option for those who are budget conscious. An extensive collection of cheap apparels of all ranges and interests.

• My Kingdom [S], Shenoys Junction, MG Rd. An upscale apparel and accessories store. Spread over four stories, each of which is designed for different age groups and gender. Has an extensive collection of latest clothing. Also a spa, beauty saloon and baby center.

• Reliance Trends [S], 1st floor, Oberon Mall [S], NH Bypass. One of the best places to buy men's fashion brands. Best for its vast T-Shirt collection, western formals, casuals, office and party wear collections. It also houses an in-house Indian ethnic collection.

• Seematti [S], North End, MG Road. One of the posher silk and dress fashion centres and a trend setter in creating unique designs and special materials for its Sarees. Its owner - Beena Kannan - is a leading fashion designer and new designs come every six months. Most of its sarees are out-of-traditional kind, making its unique. It is comparatively more costly than other brands. The men's area is not so elaborate and has only few collections.

There are numerous of bookstores in Convent Junction as well as in the Fort Kochi area. Pressclub Rd in Convent Junction is a hot-spot for book lovers.

• Kurien's Tower, Banerjee Rd (opposite Saritha Cinemas). Has many good book stores within it. Some of the popular are Book-Port (Ph: 0484-2397129,9746401310 [10]), Hamlet (Ph:0484-2395389) and very large multi-lingual store of DC Books.  

• DeeCee, Island Castle Complex, Chittoor Rd (Opposite YMCA), ☎ 0484-2362796. A very large multi-lingual bookstore, famous for wide range of English fiction books.  

• Reliance [S] Time Out, 3rd Floor, Oberon Mall [S], Edappally. A popular store with books, music, entertainment, gifts and cafe option, it has a small library within it.  

• Pai&Co, Broadway and MG Rd. The first bookstore of the city, its very popular for all kinds of reading materials.  

• Treasure Island, MG Rd (near Padma Junction). An upscale bookstore with a music store and gift shop operating inside.  

There are many shops selling footwear and luggage in all price ranges. For budget options, try the shops near both railway stations. Be aware that many of these shops offer cheap varieties which may not last a long.

• Sylcon Footwear [S], Oberon Mall [S]. A leading Kerala footwear chain, that offers many national and international brands as well as luggage.

• Reliance Footprints [S], Oberon Mall [S]

• Footwear Bazaar [S], small dedicated bazaar in at the northwestern side of Broadway Market [S].

Kochi is famous for its gold, silver, diamond and platinum jewelry. Most of the jewellers are concentrated at Jewel Junction (Woodland Junction), on MG Road near Hotel Woodlands. Normal gold purity in India is 22 carat. 24 carat gold ornaments (thankam) are not so popular, but are available. Lightweight collections in 18 carat gold have become popular among youngsters and teenagers.

• H. Venkatesha Naik Jewellery [S], Rajaji Road, Near Kavitha Junction, Tel: ‎ 0484 4041890.‎ Offers modern designs and lightweight collections. It also has an extensive diamond gallery and trendy collection of watches.

• Alapatt Gold [S], Jewel Junction, MG Road, Tel: 0484 2381862.- One of the oldest jewellers with an extensive gold collection, ranging from traditional to modern.

• Malabar Gold [S], Jewel Junction, opposite Grand Hotel, MG Road. Tel: 0484 2352916. An extensive gold, platinum and diamond collection. It has one of the largest watch gallery selling latest international premium brands like Rado, Tissot etc.

• Kirtilals‎ [S], opposite Maharaja's College Ground, MG Rd. Tel: 0484 2372911. A grand exclusive diamond gallery, featuring more than 2,000 diamond collections and platinum jewel designs.

• Bhima Silver Palace [S], Jewel Junction, MG Rd. Large collection of silver ornaments, souvenirs and cutlery.

For cosmetics and womens accessories, Convent Junction is the haven for fair sex. Many international cosmetics and personal care brands can be bought at prices lower than in western countries.

• Goodwill Collections [S], TKM Park, Convent Junction, tel:-+91-484-2380142. One of the largest cosmetic store with collections of jewellery and bags.

• Le Mars [S], Civil Lanes, Palarivattom,. tel: +91-484-2339142/52/62'. A very popular multi-brand women's store.

• Alphonsa Cosmetics Collections [S], Convent Junction, tel:+91-484-2366676. A good collection of all international and national cosmetics brands.

You can buy electronic gadgets at comparatively low rates, than most of other regions in India. For the latest technology, Kochi hosts many large consumer electronics fairs and every new technology gadget gets into store very fast. The Electronics Street [S] (opposite Medical Trust Hospital in Pallimukku) and Kadavanthara [S] are the prefect place to buy most of electronics gadegets. Penta Menaka [S] and GCDA Mall [S] are famous for mobile phones. Atlantis Junction [S] and Ravipuram [S] are well known for various computer/laptop hardware shopping.

Food shopping is mainly done at supermarkets and bakeries. Bakeries normally sell bread and branded food products, while most supermarkets sell household provisions and packaged food items.

• Varkeys [S] is the most popular supermarket chain in Kochi. It is a locally-owned chain with many branches elsewhere. Has a good in-house bakery.

• Reliance [S] has many branches in Kochi, in 2 formats, Fresh (offers a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits with limited other grocery items), Super (large supermarket, offering groceries and vegetables/fruits). Reliance is a pure vegetarian supermarket chain but outside the supermarket, they operate a small store called DeLite that offers non-vegetarian items, including fresh meat.

• Kerala State Civil Supplies Corp [S], popularly known as Supplyco, operates an extensive chain of small stores branded "Maveli" and regular supermarkets branded as Supplyco throughout the city. They also have a medical pharmacy attached to the supermarkets, offering English medicines at a 30% discount.

• KR Bakes [S] and Best Bakery [S] are the most popular local bakery chains, with many locations.

Almost all national banks operate in Kochi and most have branches in MG Road, as do a few international banks such as HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered and Oman Bank. ATMs are uniformly spread across the city and most major shopping places have an adjacent ATM.

Most of the nationalized banks are authorized to carry out Forex activities. Western Union and Moneygram have many franchises in the city.

• American Express Foreign Exchange Services Pvt Ltd; 39/1728, Tharakan House, MG Road. Phone: 0484-2375839
• Muthoot Exchange Co (P) Ltd [S]; G.F.13, Muthoot Chambers, Kurian Towers, Opp. Saritha Theatre, Banerji Road. Phone: 0484-2395345
• Pheroze Framroze & Co (P) Ltd [S]; Behind Woodland Hotel, Layam Road. Phone: 0484-2367943
• Thomas Cook (India) Ltd; Palai Towers, 1st Floor, Right Wing, M G Road. Phone: 0484-2369729
• UAE Exchange [S]; Opp Maharaja's College Ground, M G Road. Phone: 0484-2360037
• Wall Street Finance Ltd [S]; G 42, Pioneer Tower, Marine Drive. Phone: 0485-2372149

For the past 600 years, Kochi has catered to many vistors from around the world including Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, French, English, Dutch, Russians and Japanese. This has made the city a melting pot of various cultures, and this diversity is evident in the cuisine.

Being a coastal city, plenty of fresh seafood is the local speciality. With the backwaters, freshwater fish is also popular here. Prawns, squids and shrimps are easily available and cooked in many styles. The most famous of Kochi's specialty dishes is Meen Molagitta Curry (smoked freshwater fish with chilly and coconut milk). The English popularized smoked fish with steamed bread and mashed potatoes. One of Kochi's traditional vegetarian specialties is Kurukku Kalan (a thick yogurt curry with toasted banana and hot rice). Packed Kurukku Kalan as well as Palada (a sweet dessert with rice flakes and milk) are sold in many supermarkets and food stalls, especially during festive times.

At Fort Kochi beach you can buy fresh fish and have it cooked at the nearby food stalls. Fishmongers will sell you a kilo of tiger prawns for around Rs 300 and a kilo of squid for around Rs 250. Food stalls will charge you Rs 40-50 per person to cook your fish (grilled, curry, whatever) and provide you with a serve of chips and salad. Conditions are reasonably hygienic.

Fried fish, Fish molly (a coconut milk sauce based curry almost like stew), Alleppey fish curry (traditional curry with tomato sauce and fish tamarind) and Fish Peera (chunks of fish toasted with grated coconuts with fish tamarind sauce), Varatharacha Kozhi curry (semi-fried chicken toasted with coconut and chilly) are the favorites, usually taken with rice or steamed tapioca (cassava). Also worth trying are the traditional rice based breakfast snacks, puttu and kadala, appam and stew.

This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget	Under Rs 50
Mid-range	Rs 50-300
Splurge	Over Rs 300

Kochi has a variety of cheap restaurants all over the city. A full meal should cost less than Rs 50.

Thattukadas [S] are streetside food hawkers, where you can get hot, fresh-cooked delicious food, costing a maximum of Rs 50 for a good filling meal. Most offer set meal combinations served from portable cooking trolleys with a few benches or chairs nearby. The most famous delicacies are stuffed or plain thattu dosas (thick dosas almost like pizza bread), hot Kerala porottas (flat bread of milled wheat), Kerala roast beef with chappatti and kanzhi (rice porridge). The main concern is the lack of hygiene and constant reuse of oil for frying.

Kochi has some home-grown fast food chains: KR Hot Chicken, 61 Pai Dosas, Luciya's Food Court, Potpurri, The Oven, Krispy Chicken, Arabian Treat, Papa Milano's and Breadworld Broasted Chicken have a presence in most parts of town. Foreign franchises such as KFC, Chicking, Noodle Kings, Marrybrown, Pizza Hut and Domino's also have a presence here.

• Arya Nivas, Chitoor Rd (opposite South Bus Stand). A chain of vegetarian restaurants run by Tamilians, famous for typical south Indian foods.  

• Bimbis Foodcourt, Jos Junction, MG Rd. Famous among backpackers and budget tourists, it has a wide range of veg options from North Indian, South Indian, Continental and Chinese food courts.  

• Hotel Thali, (opposite Little Flower Church, Near Kadavanthra). Very good Kerala style cusine. Try their Dum Biriyani.  

• Hotel Unnikrishnan, Pallimukku (opposite Medical Trust Hospital). Famous for Kerala style fish fries and set meals.  

• Indraprastha Gujarati Food Court, MG Rd (Ground Floor, DD Food Court, near Shenoy's Theatre). Famous for its unlimited North Indian thalis and various sweets. A full plate thali with five dishes, Roti and rice costs Rs 50.  

• Krishna Kripa Seafood Restaurant, Fort Kochi (opposite SantaCruz Basilica Church). Good Kerala-style food, low prices and a great location.  

• Mughal Restaurant, South Railway Station Rd. Has a good range of north Indian foods and a good juice bar.  

• Shala, 1/605 Peter Celli St, Fort Kochi, ☎ (0)484 2216036. A delicious Keralan restaurant with a small menu which changes daily. Lovely surroundings.  

• Sree Krishna Cafe, Gujarathi St, Mattencherry. This is a Gujarati restaurant famous for its stuffed parathas and vegetarian curries.  

There are many street side Arabic restaurants offering shawarma and grilled chicken. Popular options are Real Arabia, Arabia Dreams and Grill Arabia, which are dotted all over the city. Most supermarkets and bakeries have a Shawarma Corner outside, which is a cheap, yet filling sandwich. most budget Arabic restaurants are open from 5PM-midnight.

• Street Menu, (Opposite SBT Bank, Padma Junction, MG Rd). Offers a lot of grilled options at low prices.  

• Royal Food Court, (Near North Railway Station). Good food with Arabic-Lebanese delicacies around the clock.  

Most of the restaurants in Kochi are mid-range and there are lots of them.

• Banana Leaf, Jos Junction, MG Rd (near Jos Collections), ☎ 4022334. noon-3PM. Good traditional Kerala food with non veg and veg options. Rs 55.  

• Dal Roti, Lily St, Fort Cochin [M]. Authentic North Indian tastes. Arrogant owner.  

• Delhi [M] Durbar, Pallimukku, MG Rd. A good, if small, North Indian restaurant.  

• Fort House Restaurant and Hotel, 2/6A Calvathy Rd (next to Coast Guard), ☎ 0484 2217103, [11]. At the water front offering good Kerala food and great views.  

• The Grand Pavilion, Grand Hotel, Jewel Junction, MG Rd. Popular especially during evenings for its seafood, particularly karimeen pollichathu (smoked pearlspot fish) and alleppey fish curry.  

• Kadaloram, Abad Plaza. Good typical Kerala buffet at about Rs 150 per head.  

• Khyber Pass, First floor, Bimbis Restaurants, Jos Junction, MG Road. A North Indian/Afghan food outlet with a wide range of tikkas and kebabs.  

• Mirch Masalas, TD Rd (near to Temple). Veg Punjabi restaurant with good ambiance.  

• Sharma's Restaurant, Broadway, Marine Drive (Just behind Penta Menaka [S]). Good North Indian food at lower prices.  

• South Star, Bimbis Menaka, Near Penta Menaka [S], Marine Drive. Well maintained, nice interiors and good food of all types, North India, South Indian, Chinese and Arabic. Famous for their wide range of Biriyanis  

• Ceylon Bake House, Opp. Avenue Regent, South area, MG Rd. Famous for its Ceylon parathas and Sri-Lankan styled chicken dishes.  

• The Chyang Shek, Next to Providence Church, Banerjee Rd. One of the oldest Chinese restaurants.  

• FenFang Restaurants, Opposite Manorama, Manorama Junction, SA Rd. A modern Indo-Chinese outlet.  

• Chinese Garden, Dwaraka Junction, MG Rd and Kadavanthara [S], SA Rd. A good restaurant, serving lots of Indianized Chinese dishes.  

Most of the upscale restaurants are located inside hotels with 3 stars or more.

• BTH Kempa, BTH Hotel, BTH Junction, Durbar Hall Rd. A classic hotel which dates back at least 100 years. Its restaurant, Kempa, is extremely popular among high end vegetarian travellers. Serves North Indian, South Indian and Kannadiga-Udupi dishes.  

• Hotel Dwaraka, Dwaraka Junction, MG Rd. Dwaraka was the first star hotel in Kochi and it remain a most popular option for Indian vegetarian food.  

• Sreekrishna Inn, Warriam Rd, Durbar Hall Rd. This restaurant is famous for its classic look and theme, and offers a large range of Indian vegetarian dishes. The Dosas are most famous, and a must try, along with its elaborate Thalis.  

• Ila, Near to Hakkoba Lodge, Marine Drive. 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. Very tasty Travancore Food, with both Southern Travancore veg options and Central Travancore Syrian Christian non veg specialities. moderate/expensive.  

• Chillis Andhra, Layam Rd. Very tasty, as well as extremely fiery food, particularly the chicken options. Very few vegetarian options.  

• Tandoor, Layam Rd, near Hotel Woodlands, Woodland Junction, MG Rd. 11AM-11PM. The best and most tasty North Indian, particularly Punjabi, food. The Kadai chicken and ginger chicken is truly world class, and no other place in Kochi can offer than unique taste. The peas masala is also really superb. Their trademarks are romali Roti and stuffed bread options. A full Kadai Chicken serves at least 4-5 people. Caution, it's very spicy. Expensive.  

• Arctic Circle, Next to Hokkoba Lodge, Marine Drive, near to Coffee Beanz. 11AM-11PM. The best steaks and sizzlers are available here. There are more than 14 sizzlers and 20 European dishes, along with a few continental salads. A few American styled sizzlers with Texas mashed potatoes with mushroom sauce is a great combination. Expensive.  

• Conucopia, Mills street, Foreshore Road, ☎ +91-484- 645-9495. 11AM-11PM. A cricket theme restaurant, operating inside Bat&Ball Inn, this restaurant is famous for its wide selection of Continental, Greek, Mediterranean cuisines. Expensive.  

• Somewhere Else, Near to Muscat Tower (Sony and Vileno Showroom), near Kadavanthara [S] Junction, ☎ +91-484-2313339. 11AM-11PM. A recent hangout, it has a cafe and restaurant. The cafe is famous for wide range of coffees and mocktails, whereas the restaurant is famous for its sizzlers, steaks, grilled wraps, burgers and desserts. Also offers some good biriyanis and Indianized European options. Free Wi-Fi for guests. Moderatetly expensive.  

• Hon. East India Company; Travancore Palace, Hotel Travancore Palace, Warriam Rd, Durbar Hall Rd. 11AM-11PM. A historical themed restaurant operating within the 4 star Travancore Palace Hotel. Famous for its classic paintings and heritage photo galleries as well as its food. The evening buffet is one of the largest in town, offering the best of English, Kerala and North Indian cuisine. Moderately expensive.  

• Ayela & Keshai, Dreams, near Elamkulam Lake, SA Rd. Part of Dreams Hotel, this has the finest seafood restaurant with 4 theme courts, Kochi, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese. It has a fresh seafood selection court, which is cooked in front of the guests, as per their style. A multi-cuisine restaurant also operates. Very Expensive.  

• Golden Dragon, Mercy Estate, Atlantis Junction [S], Ravipuram [S] side of MG Rd. 11AM-11PM. The best Chinese food in town - a pure Chinese restaurant without any Indianization. Serves alcohol. Moderately expensive.  

Keralites are well known for their drinking habit and the state consumes more alcohol than any other in India. Finding bars or pubs is not difficult in Kochi.

For those who do not drink alcohol there are lots of excellent local options.

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

• Sambhaaram (buttermilk) [S], is especially popular on hot summer days when it is even distributed freely by some clubs in popular areas.

• Shakes [S], such has Sharjah Shake are good cool down options and there are numerous cool-bars and juice stalls across the city.

• Fresh toddy [S] (kallu) is a 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 Thripunithara is a certified Kallu brew shop.

Finding a bar or pub is not difficult. Most of the budget oriented bars are located near the railway stations and in Kaloor & Edappally. Mid-market and high end bars are located all over. There are many beer/wine bars catering for foreign tourists at Fort Kochi. As elsewhere in Kerala, all bars and pubs have to close every first and second day of the month as well as on all state holidays. These are known as dry days. All bars have to close by midnight.

You can buy almost any brand of liquor from state-run BeveragesCo stores, which have an extensive network of in Kochi, selling at competitive rates. Expect long queues, especially on the eve of dry days.

• XL-Hotel, Rose St, Fort Cochin [M]. until abour 9.30PM. The bar fills up each day with tourists who're looking for a beer in Fort Cochin. There's nothing cosy about the place and the staff's quite lazy. It can be a nice spot to meet other travellers, since everyone has one thing in common: drinking beer. Ordering food isn't recommended. Rs 90 for a Kingfisher, Rs 100 for a Fosters..  

• Velocity, Bnerjee Rd. A seedy bar with a wide range of liquors and beer.  

• Oberoi Bar, MG Rd. A good small bar dominated by men.  

• Polakkulattu Sliverspoon Bar, Jewek MG Rd. A good, well maintained bar with branches in Palarivattom nr Metlife, and in SA Rd at Janatha Junction.  

• Central Park Bar, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road. A posh well maintained bar having a designer lounge.  

• Nasha, at the Metropolitan Hotel, bar South Railway station. A well maintained good lounge bar, ideal for families and visitor. Offers a wide range of drinks offering at moderate prices. Very famous for its signature Kerala dishes as short eats.  

• Silca Bar, Hotel Mercy, Ravipuram [S] area, MG Rd, ☎ +91-484-2367372. A lovely, upscale bar lounge popular with businessmen and upscale visitors. Famous for its signature dishes and cocktails.  

Pub Rules & Etiquettes [S] All discotheques, pubs have some strict rules and etiquettes. A restricted admission policy - allows only guests above 21 with age proof, no pets and certain days reserved for ladies, couples and families A strict dress code - only formals for both genders. Western styled fashion, that exposes body is allowed for ladies (no nudity), however not for gents. Gents have to be in full covered western formals or can be in denims with compulsory shoes. No kind of ethnic Indian clothing is allowed for men, but allowed for ladies like sarees etc. Smoking is strictly not allowed inside any pubs or dance floors

Nightlife comprising of pubs, DJ Parties, discos are recent phenomenon, with bunch of such opening at many places, which are popular among youngsters. Pubs and discotheques are not bound to close down on dry days as applicable to bars, however need to close down on all notified state holidays like Onam, Vishu [S], Easter, Good Friday etc. Only exception to this rule is during X'mas time.

• Tandav Discos [S], Le Meridien premises, Maradu [S]. The most happening discotheque famous for its weekend all night parties and grand balls.

• Glow&Corktales [S], Ph:-+91-484-409-0000, Atlantis Junction-MG Road. The most dance floor in the city, with a large lounge bar. It has night parties from Thursday to Sunday with various themes and age groups.

• Opium the Club [S], Ph:- +91-9388256882, Palarivattom Jn. A new posh upscale dance floor and large discotheque, it has various events from Tuesday to Sunday, each in various themes.

• Loungevity [S], Hotel Avenue Regent, MG Rd. House an inhouse DJ and the latest in electronic dance music. One of the coolest places for families.

• Couchyn [S], The Grand Hotel, Woodlands Junction, MG Rd. A traditional English styled lounge bar with great music and a wide variety of cocktails.

• ÁVA lounge [S], Dreams Hotel, SA Rd. A lounge cum disco bar, ideal for families. Good music, a large dance floor and wide range of cocktails.

• Champs Sports Lounge [S], Gokulam Park, Kaloor. Has a good sports gallery, cricket-themed interiors, 2 gigantic screens for regular broadcast of cricket or football matches, signature cocktails and snacks.

There are many coffee shops around the city.

• Kashi Art Café, Fort Cochin [M], Burgher St (parallel to Princess St), ☎ +91-484-2215769 (mail@kashiartgallery.com), [12]. 8:30AM-7:30PM. Serve great iced coffee, fresh lunches, and a variety of sandwiches and tasty cakes.  

• Amaara Maradu [S], Petta-Maradu Rd, Tripunithara (near Gandhi Square), ☎ +91-484-2706922 (amaara@in.com). 10AM-9PM. An unique heritage hangout set in 200 year old Mangayil house. Serves authentic Kerala coffee and popular varieties of dosas. Regular cultural performances, cooking class, ethnic handicrafts class are some of the popular activities there. The cafe also houses a large library for coffee reading as well as venue of regular book exhibitions.  

• Cafe Coffee Day, (Shenoys Jn, MG R; Oberon Mall; Pallimukku, MG Rd), [13]. 10AM-9:30PM. A popular national chain, which is a standard coffee hangout with western style eateries and a wide range of coffee.  

• Barista, (Bay Pride Mall [S], Marine Drive). 10AM-10:30PM. The place to cool down with coffee after a walk at Marine Drive. Not cheap though.  

• Teapot, (Peter Celli St, Fort Cochin [M]). 10AM-10:30PM. A unique cafe which serves a variety of teas, particularly 6 unique Indian flavours. It also has good traditional English snacks.  

• Cafe Cochin Lavazza, (G-360, Panampally Nagar), ☎ +91-484 3114816. 9AM-10:30PM. The only direct Lavazza coffee outlet in South India.  

• BTH Coffee Shop, (Nr North Railway Station; International Stadium-Kaloor). from 09:00 AM to 10:30 PM. A moderate priced coffee shop, famous for its traditional Kerala snacks and savories along with dosas, idilies etc.  

• Cafe Persia, (TD Road, Nr Banerjee Road). 9AM-10:30PM. A unique Arabic themed cafe, famous for Sheeshas/Hookah smoking and an excellent range of Arabic coffee and tea, along with snacks.  

There are numerous cool-bars and juice stalls that sell branded and custom made ice-cream dotted all over the city. There are also a few specialist ice cream parlours.

• Horter Place de Glance [S], Jawahar Nagar Colony and Opp. Durbar Hall Grounds. A premium ice-cream outlet selling the Uncle John brand. It has 29 ice-cream flavours and 18 ice-cream varieties with many toppings, sauces, creams, fruits and nuts etc.

• Caravan Softies [S], Caravan Complex, Marine Drive and Opposite Shenoys Cineplex [S]. One of the most traditional ice-cream parlours famous for many in-house varieties.

• Kwality Walls [S], Foodcourt-Abad Bay Pride Mall [S] Marive Drive. A local favourite.

• Merriboys Ice-cream Cafe [S], Food Circle, Oberon Mall. Famous for its original milk ice-creams and innovative fruit sundaes.

Being a tourist and business city, Kochi has a lot of accommodation across a broad price range. Hotel accommodation can be divided into 2 distinctive areas. Fort Cochin [M] has numerous hotels which are more European and American taste. Ernakulam City caters for all travellers, especially domestic and those from Middle East [S] and elsewhere in Asia [S]. When booking. keep in mind that the area around Fort Cochin is quieter and more scenic than the rest of the city. Prices are comparatively high but still cheap by western standards. Home stays are common in Fort Cochin, catering to backpackers and budget travellers.

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	Under Rs 800
Mid-range	Rs 800-2,000
Splurge	Over Rs 2,000

For budget tourists, non star rated hotels near the railway stations as well as many in Fort Kochi are ideal. If you stay more than a week, consider the option of taking rooms in small lodges providing budget accommodation on weekly and monthly basis for Rs 1,000-2,500. Another popular option is single hostel accommodation which provides monthly stay for less than Rs 3,000.

• Hotel Fort Avenue, (Near old Bazaar), ☎ 0091-484-2226103. A well maintained hotel. Budget [S].  

• Casa Linda Ballard, (Near St.Paul's School), ☎ Ph: 91-484-2216888. A well maintained hotel in typical European style. Budget [S].  

• Hotel White Rose, ☎ Ph: 91-484-3236004. A new hotel, which is clean and good looking. This is ideal for families Budget [S].  

Homestays allows you to stay with a family in their regular home as a paying guest, enjoying the hospitality and warmth of traditional Kerala family life. This started in Fort Kochi especially for backpackers and hippies. However today homestays have emerged as one of the most successful hospitality ventures outside hotels and resorts, and there are more than 200 across Fort Kochi. However, recently many home-stays have begun to charge higher during tourist season.

• Riverside Heritage Homestay, Cochin [M], ☎ 9388558830, [14].  

• Tag und Nacht (Homestay), Beach Road, Mackenzie Garden, 682001 Fort Cochin [M] (opposite the Naval Maritime Museum), ☎ +91-9846012604 (tagundnacht1@gmail.com), [15]. Rs 500-1,200.  Very clean and beautifully decorated rooms with comfortable beds. The owners, Antonio & Kristina, are extremely friendly and helpful. They provide free wifi, help people with arranging trips inside and outside of town, make fabulous breakfasts, and are willing to make your stay a pleasure. Highly recommended.

• Dream Catcher Home Stay, Vasavan Lane Road (Near Thamaraparambu Schoo), ☎ 0484 2217550 / 9746017881 (dreamcatcheronita@vsnl.net). Good home-cooked food, clean rooms, but host quite unpleasant. Will pick up from Bus/Railway station free of charge.. Rs 600-1,200.  

• Green House Home Stay, Kunnumpuram Road, Njaliparambu, Fort Kochi, ☎ 0091-9895262296 (greenhousehomestay@yahoo.com). Very nice and friendly home stay in a good location close to Princess Street (where Kumar has a shop, so try to track him down there if you can't reach him otherwise), which also offers a TV and a fridge in the common room/living room In high season doubles are around Rs500 (or more if you want A/C), whereas we paid Rs250 during the low season (May 2008).  

• San Mike Tours Homestay, No. 1/957, Directly opposite Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Kochi, ☎ (91) - 484-2215385, 6571203. Friendly homestay run by two brothers Victor and Martin who can organise you practically anything from a R500. backwater cruise in Allepey to a dream day riding an old Enfield motorcycle down the Malabar coast. Rs 500 or less if there is more than one of you.  

• Leelu Home, Fort Kochi, Cheerans Ebenezer, Behind Fort Kochi Post Office, Quirose Street, '''Fort Kochi''' 682 001. (Hardly a 2 minute walk from the famous Santa Cruz Basilica), ☎ 0091-484-2215377, [16]. A recently renovated Victorian building in the heart of Fort Kochi. Cooking classes are conducted in the kitchen daily from 11AM-1PM and from 6PM-8PM.  

• Hotel Aiswarya, Warriam Road (Near Durbar Hall Ground), ☎ +91-484-2364454, [17] [S]. This is a good, well maintained hotel. Nice interiors and good hospitality. Located in heart of the city.  

• Hotel Bijus, Cannon Shed Road, Near Boat Jetty (Near General Hospital), ☎ +91-484-2361661/2381881, [18] [S]. Ideal hotel for budget tourist. A well maintained, clean and nice hotel.  

• Hotel Excellency, Nettipadom Road, Ernakulam South (Near Avenue Regent), ☎ +91-484-2378251, [19]. Located very near to South Railway station, this is a moderate business hotel. Very good interiors and restaurant and nice staff. Rs 750-1,500/ night.  

• Hotel Park View Residency, Cannon Shed Rd (near General Hospital), ☎ +91-484-2362945. Nice clean and homely feeling. All rooms have en-suite with shower. Mosquito proof rooms. Owner run enterprise. Under US$10.  

• Maple Regency Hotel, Cannon Shed Road, Ernakulam, ☎ +91-484-2371711 (mapleregency@airtelmail.in). Near the main boat jetty, well located, friendly with a good restaurant. Rooms are from USD 6.50 to 10.00.  

• Ballard Bungalow, ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2215854. A heritage colonial bungalow, which still maintains the colonial charms and recreates an atmosphere of the British Raj. Moderate.  

• Old Courtyard, (Near Vasco Da Gama Square), ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2215035. An old Dutch bungalow, remodelled with modern interiors. Famous for lovely dinner parties. Moderate.  

• Gama Heritage Residency, ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2217475. A typical Portuguese bungalow, which housed the Portuguese army until its defeat by Dutch forces. Today it's a stylish heritage hotel, famous for its hospitality.  

• Times Square, Layam Road, Near Durbar Hall Ground (Opposite Chief Justice's House), ☎ +91-484-2374488, [20]. Ideal luxury business hotel, located very near the shopping quarters of MG Road with a very good multi-cuisine restaurant.  

• BTH, BTH Round, Durbar Hall Road (Near to Shiva Temple), ☎ +91-484-2353501, [21]. The oldest business hotel of the town, BTH is a popular option, especially among Indian families. It has good lawns, a large pool and famous vegetarian restaurants.  

• Avenue Center Hotel, Panampally Nagar (Opposite Rotary Club and near to Passport office), ☎ +91-484-2315301/2, [22]. A posh hotel located in an upscale residential area. This is a good hotel with a multi-cuisine restaurant and pools.  

• Abad Plaza, Kavitha Junction, MG Road, ☎ +91-484-2384380, [23]. One of the oldest hotels in town. There is another hotel just behind which belongs to this chain. It has good restaurants, pools, gyms, spa, supermarket, bookshop and business facilities. Located right in center of the city.  

• Sealord, Marine Drive, ☎ +91-484-2382472/3, [24]. A very famous tourist hotel, it was one of the first star rated hotel, offering rooms at moderate rate. Has good restaurants and a pub.  

• Taj Malabar, Willingdon Island [S] (Near Kochi Port Trust Complex), ☎ 0091-484-6643000/2666811, [25]. checkin: 24 Hrs. On the tip of Willingdon Island, this has to be one of the best located iconic properties in Kochi. Its heritage wing was built in 1935 to accommodate the visiting Princess of Wales (Queen Elizabeth II), and later to accommodate senior officials of the Royal Navy. It is full of Victorian design & decor and was a Crown Property until its handover to the Taj Group in 1954. The tower wing is more modern. The Infinity Pool is one of the oldest swimming pools famous for its breath-taking beauty. Rs 6,000-20,000.  

• Brunton Boatyard, Fort Kochi Jetty, Beach Road (Near Bus stand), ☎ 0091-484-2215461, [26]. checkin: 12 noon. A heritage bungalow, once built as Dutch Governor's Palace, later owned by Brunton brothers famous for their large boatyard works. Today is a premium property of CGH group. It has huge Dutch styled gardens, Kerala-dutch style interiors, large cannons and good restaurants. Rs 3,000-14,000.  

• Koder House, Opposite Beach Park, Tower Road (Near Fort Kochi Beach), ☎ 0091-484-2218485, [27]. checkin: 12 noon. Once home to an affluent Jewish Couple, today this has is a large Jewish theme hotel. It has a good restaurant which serves authentic Jewish Kosher certified food and a very large indoor pool. Rs 2,000-10,000.  

• Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel, Opposite Fort Kochi, Beach Road (Next to INS Dronarchary of Indian Navy), ☎ 0091-484-305 0102. This heritage property was once the residence of Sir Robert Bristow - the architect and father of modern Kochi Port. It has opulent interiors in a traditional English style and a good antique collection, along with large pools, a garden and host of other facilities.  

• The Gateway Hotel (Formerly Taj Residency), Marine Drive, City, [28]. Near the harbour with good sea views. Popular amongst business vistors and upscale tourists. It has very large pools, cafe, gardens and own ferry services. This is a 4 star property of the Taj Group.  

• Le Meridian, Maradu [S] Junction (Near Maradu Bridge), ☎ +91-484-2705777, [29]. One of the most exclusive addresses in town famous for its large convention center. It has a host of facilities. Near to riverside, it offers good boating facilities and has an indoor shopping complex selling famous luxury items Rs 6,000-20,000.  

• Gokulam Park Inn International, Kaloor (opposite Techno-towers), ☎ +91-484-2400707. A 4 star property located in the business corner of Kochi. It has a a good convention center and a host of facilities. Rs 4,000-12,000.  

• Dreams, S.A Road, Kadavanthara [S] (Opp. Naval Enclave), ☎ +91-484-4129999. A premium property which is a sister concern of Times Hotel-New York, with all 5 star facilities Rs 6,000-20,000.  

• Harbour View, Opp.Shipyard, Atlantis Junction [S], MG Road, ☎ +91-484-2358444. Ideal Business class hotels, with lot of premium features, located in main areas of city Rs 4,000-12,000.  

• Renaissance, Palarivattom Junction, ☎ +91-484-3919000.  

Ideal if you prefer to stay away from hustles and bustles of city and enjoy holidays in an idyllic mood.

• Ramada Resort Kochi, Kumbalam Ferry Rd, Edakochi, ☎ +91-484-3011100 (reservations@ramadacochin.com), [30]. checkin: 24 Hrs. The resort is extremely famous for its vast maze network of pools that merges into backwaters creating prefect scenic sight from the balconies of well appointed idyllic cottage suites. The resort is equally famous for its pool parties, dance floors, lounge bars and sprawling gardens. Rs 3,000-10,000 per night.  

• Bolgatty Palace, Bolgatty Island [S] South (take ferry from High Court Jetty or reach through Goshree Bridges), ☎ +91-484-2750500/2750600 (bolgattypalacekochi@ktdc.com), [31]. checkin: 12 noon. The premium heritage property of KTDC, where English Royals celebrated their life during British Raj days. The Palace complex was built in 1630s by Dutch which soon became the English Residency of British Resident Commissioners for Kochi and Travancore. The resort is famous for its honeymoon cottages, large dutch gardens, horse tracks, golf course etc. A Marina and new marina suites is built near to this palace. Rs 5,000-15,000 per night.  

There are many popular institutes for learning local art-forms such as Bharatnatyam, Mohiniyattom, Kathakali and music, which can offer regular and crash courses.

• RLV College of Dance and Music [S], tel: +91-484-2779757. Established in 1920s by Maharaja of Kochi in Tripunithara as a remembrance to his late wife and daughter, this is one of most popular music and dance colleges in the state. There are many short-term courses, making it ideal for interested visitors.

• Sree Sankara School of Dance and Music [S], tel: +91-484-2462501/2464189. A a popular center for learning classical Indian artforms, offering certificates and diplomas.

• Kerala Kathakali Center [S], tel: +91-484-2215827. Offers short term courses in Kathakali, Kalaripayattu and percussion instruments for visitors. Ideal for learning a bit about the essence of Kerala's, although it is not so authentic being aimed mostly at tourists.

Learn this gravity defying martial art of Kerala. Some of the centers authorized by the government are:

• ENS Kalari [S], tel: +91-484-2809810, [32]. One of the most popular Kalari centers in the state. Part of Kerala Kalaripattyattu Association, this institute is guided by leading trainers who are well versed in ayurveda, mathematics and physical education also.

• Arjuna Kalari and Marma Chikitsalayam Centre [S], tel: +91-484-2365440/3692304, [33]. Has regular classes in Kalari techniques but it is more famous for its specialized ayurvedic treatments.

• Art of Living-Ernakulam Chapter [S], tel: +91-484-2383738, [34]. Part of the international yoga and spiritual center of Sri Sri Ravishankarji.

Kochi is one of the safest cities in India with excellent police coverage. Common sense is of course required when being alone at night.

• Late night life is just emerging in Kochi and mostly dominated by men. There were few reported cases of eve-teasing and attempted-molestation of ladies during late nights.

• Kochi is infamous for mosquitoes, due to presence of large waterbodies across the city. Make sure any room you book, has mosquito repellants or atleast a mosquito net. Its always better to have any anti-mosquito creams or spice oil extracts like lemongrass oil etc, to ward off mosquito bites.

• 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 were many cases of road accidents and hit-run cases of private buses over pedestrians, thus earning them the nickname, Red Killers. Take extra care, while crossing. If difficult to cross, do cross at major signal junctions or seek assistance of local traffic policeman.

• Kochi lacks good pedestrian walkways, as most of them are in dilapidated condition, creating multi-level walks ways. Some of them are broken where as some laid with unsuitable flooring materials like polished tiles which can make you skid during rains etc. Though a masterplan to relay the entire pedestrian walkways are ready, the construction is yet start. In some places huge amount of gravel and sand has been deposited on these walkways, as part of reconstruction of walkways, which causes obstacles. Beware of walking on these walkways, especially during night. Most of the Kochinites perfer to jaywalk which is more safer for inexperienced tourists.

• Due to poor alignment of drainages, a few roads do flood during rainfall. Its better to avoid such roads while raining, as due to flooding of these roads, its difficult to distinguish whether you are walking on road or walkway, which sometimes can land you inside drainage holes.

• Public smoking ban is strictly enforced in the city more than anywhere else due to being seat of High Court of Kerala, on whose orders, public smoking was banned across the state. Smoking in roadside, shopping complexes, restaurants, parks etc is illegal and police can charge Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for this. No shops that sells loose cigars or tobacco are allowed to provide lighters, which carries additional Rs 150 fine by both shopper and user.

• Prostitution is illegal in Kochi, as elsewhere in Kerala and India. However there is every good chance, you like to encounter street prostitutes and their agents, who may try to lure you. Beware of such offers, as many of such prostitutes are affected by HIV and being illegal, they have no access for checking or treatment. Moreover it is a criminal offence to commit adultery, hence regular police raids occur in local cheap hotels to catch prostitutes and their clients. LBGT is technically illegal, however the recently Supreme court verdict allows it to practice which many local police are not aware of. If suspicious of any such activity, they may arrest and charge cases of immorality and unlawful sex which may result you to go behind the never ending Indian judiciary trial process, though you may not be jailed considering the orders of Supreme court.

For any emergency support of Police, dial 100 for Flying Squad or 1090 for Crime Stopper. The city has around 16 police station zones.

• Kochi Central Police Station (Central Circle), (Behind High Court of Kerala, Old Railway station Road), ☎ +91-484-2394500. 24 hours. This is the main police station, which houses the offices of Asst. City Commissioner as well as Ernakulam City Circle officer.  

• Kochi Women Police Station (Vanitha Station), (General Police Quarters, Near to High Court), ☎ +91-484-2394250. 24 hours. For any assistance for women travellers, check at this all-women police station  

• Kochi Tourist Police Station (Fort Kochi Station), (Parade grounds, Fort Kochi), ☎ +91-484-2224055. 24 hours. This is the country's first and only tourist police station. Any assistance for tourist including visa and immigration can be done here. There is a small police museum here. Check for the difference of police uniform here as its blue shirt and khaki pants for tourist police  

• Foreigners Registration Office- FRO (City Police Commissioner's Office), (Commissariat, City Police HQ, Marine Drive), ☎ +91-484-2394651. 10:00 AM-5:30 PM. The city commissioner is the FRO, who has powers and authorization for any immigration issues. For any visa conversion, loss/theft of foreign passports, extension of visa, overstay of visa, immigration clearance, reporting any man-missing of foreigners etc, report at this office.  

• Sailors & Seaport Users Registration Office (DySP Office- Island), (SSRO Office, Near Port Trust Office, Willington Island), ☎ +91-484-2666027. 24 hours. For sailors or ship crew, their registration and embarkation/disembarkation order has to be issued for this office. The DySP has authorization to issue landing permits for yachts, private boats as well as foreign ships and allow its passengers to board down for 72 hours without visa. For any transit visa or short term visa by travellers of cruisers and boats, have to report at this office.  

Along with Trivandrum [S], Kochi stands out as one of south Asia's best medical hubs and it's not at all difficult to get medical attention. Many hospitals operate in the city, with 12 super-specialties hospitals and Centers of Medical Excellence. For accident cases, only hospitals marked with accident care are authorized to admit such cases. The toll free emergency number (from all tele-instruments) is 102 and 1298

• Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) (Amrita Hospital), Edapally North (Take left in NH 17 after Edapally Toll Gate), ☎ 0091-(0)-484-280-1234/280-4321; HOTLINE: 400-1234, [35] [S]. 24 Hrs. One of the top 10 leading super-specialty in South Asia [S], AIMS is reputed for its cost effective complex treatments and latest medical care facilities. Facilities include 25 Operation theaters, 210 equipped intensive-care beds, a fully computerized and networked Hospital Information System (HIS), a fully digital radiology department, a 24/7 telemedicine service and a NABL accredited clinical laboratory. It is the only medical mission accredited for Nuclear medicine in South India. Its Cardiology department is very famous for cost-effective surgeries. Even if you don't have any aliments, consider the cost effective Executive Medical Check.  

• Lakeshore Hospital, Near Maradu [S] Bridge, NH Byepass, Maradu, ☎ 91-484-2701032/2701033, [36] [S]. 24 Hrs. One of the most high tech hospital in South India famous for its innovative, modern medical treatment. Has various specialized departments including cancer care treatment and bone/neuro treatment. The cardiac division is an awarding winning center with the latest facilities and highly qualified dcotors. There are 8 other specialist clinics. The hospital is well-equipped with all emergency services. Aslo ofers an Executive Medical Check Up.  

• Medical Trust Hospital, Pallimukku, MG Road, ☎ 91-484-2358001, 2358032/33/34, [37] [S]. 24 Hrs. One of the oldest Super Specialty hospital located in heart of the city, this hospital is one of the most important referral hospital in Kerala. Famous for its transplantation operations. Has the largest number of intensive care facilities in the state. Its a very crowded hospital but is well organised. This hospital is part of Rapid Medical Action Force [S] and they have an accident care.  

Other important hospitals are

• City Hospital, Padma Junction, MG Road, ☎ 91-484-2361809. 24 Hrs. A good hospital, with accident care facilities. It is famous for its orthopedics and paediatrics department.  

• Cochin [M] Port Hospital, Willingdon Island [S], ☎ 91-484-2666403. 24 Hrs. General medicine and has a large in-patient ward. Located near to Kochi Port area, its regularly used by sailors. For all certifications required for marines and sailors, they need to check from this hospital.  

There are many 24 hour emergency Blood banks. Most of the accident care hospitals have a blood bank counter within the hospital. In event of emergency, the services of following blood banks can be utilized.

• IMA Emergency Blood Bank - 0484 2361549/2383549‎, behind Maharaja's College, TD Road. Its a 24 hours Blood Bank‎

• IMA General Blood Bank - 0484 2354886/2361809, Warriam Road, Durbar Hall Area.

Branches:- a) Behind General Hospital, Convent road; b) IMA House, Stadium Road, Kaloor

• Amrita Emergency Blood Bank- 0484 2801234/28014321, Amrita AIMS, Edappally North.

• Rapid Medical Action Force [S]- 102

• Emergency Medical Assistance [S]- 1298

• On-Road Accident Emergency Care Force [S]- 98460-999-00, 98460-077-40

• Kochi Police Medical Assistance- 2366100, 100

• Amrita Jeevanraksha [S]- 0484-2801234, 2802100

• Lions Club Free Ambulance [S]- 0484-2354139

• NSS Community Free Ambulance [S]- 0484-2369920

• Rotary Emergency Medical Force [S]- 98470-60077

• Air Ambulance [S]- +91-9845-44-66-34 / +91-9986-09-04-51 (Need to have prior booking)

• Gautham Pharmacy, Panayapally, - 0484- 2210514, 3096020

• Amritha Pharmacy, AIMS, Edappally - 0484-4001055

There are many pharmacies located near Medical Trust Hospital in Pallimukku, which all are 24 hours pharmcies.

The Area code [S] for Cochin [M] is 0484. If calling outside India, the format is 0091-484-xxx xxxx. Almost all national telecommunication operators, operate in Kochi.

Mobile Services [S] :- If you don't have an Indian phone number, it is strongly recommended that you get a pre-paid mobile connection if you plan on using your phone frequently. To so this you need a photocopy of your passport (visa and the ID pages), a color photo, and (officially) proof of local address (in Kochi). Most of star hotels allows you to use their address for this and in event of not having address, you can still get a pre-paid connection using your visa number, finger prints (in some cases) and your passport size photographs.

Most of the mobile operators in India operate in Kochi, GSM as well as CDMA. Popular GSM Players are BSNL Mobile, Vodafone, Idea Mobile, Aircel, MTS, Airtel, Tata DOCOMO, Uninor, Virgin Mobile GSM and Reliance [S] GSM. Popular CDMA players are Tata Indicom, Reliance India Mobile, Virgin Mobile.

Public Telephony [S] :- PCOs (Public Call Offices) are a good option. You will find them almost every 100m. These are public pay-phones (post-pay) and there will be a person on the shop to take the payments. Check your bill generated (from the billing machine) and make the payment accordingly. Payments are always in Indian rupees. Coin boxes are available everywhere where you can make local calls (within a radius of 10km from the phone).

BSNL Calling cards are available in all stores, which is a prepaid calling card, that could be used in any phone, without charging the phone user. Vodafone World Cards and Airtel Globe cards are also another good option.

General & Business Telephone Directory can be accessed by calling at 0091-484-444-4444 [S]. Toll Free directory enquiry (only from BSNL landphones & BSNL Mobile) - 197.

Kochi was one of the first places in India to be connected to the Internet. Being the landing site of 3 Major International Submarine Network cables (FLAG, SEA-ME, SAFE) as well as focal point for most of Optical Fiber Network in South India, it has the most best bandwidth at lowest rates.

There are plenty of internet centres which charge around Rs 10 per hour. Some cafes in Convent Road as well as near Cochin [M] University, even offer high speed net connectivity at Rs 5 per hour. If you have laptop with wi-fi connection, you can roam anywhere with BSNL WiMax USB connection (speed around 40 Mbps to 512 Mbps), as Kochi has 4th generation Wimax. In addition to this, Kochi is also a network city under 3rd Gen-EVDO network of BSNL.

Most of the 3 Star hotels provide Wi-Fi connectivity. You require pre-paid connection cards of Tata Indicom or Reliance [S] (Majority of hotels do have Tata). Some hotels do provide complementary Wi-fi, only for its Guests.

India Post has offices throughout the city, generally open 8:30AM-5PM weekdays, 8:30AM-1PM Saturdays, closed Sundays. The Kochi Airport post office (located in Departure side of International Area) is open 6 AM-8:30 PM on all weekdays and Saturdays. The General Post Office (GPO) is located in MG Road (Opp. Avenue Regent) and in Edappally near High School. The Head Post Office (HPO) is located at Postal Complex, Hospital Road. The Speed Post (EMS Service) available at HPO and Edappally GPO, which is open 24 hours in all days except 5 state holidays. Service through EMS is very fast and reliable being registered services. Post boxes are available all over the city and daily clearance is at 10:00 AM and 4:30 PM. A postcard to anywhere in the world costs 5 Rs.

There are numerous of private courier companies operating in Kerala. Fedex, DHL, First Flight, UPS, DTDC, Aramex etc are some of leading private services, which offers services at competitive rates.

Almost all the national newspapers have editions for Kochi. The major English language dailies are The Hindu [S] (has a detailed city tabloid called Metroplus), The New Indian Express [S] (The local City express along with this paper provides good insights of city happenings), The Times of India, The Pioneer [S], Hindustan Times [S] etc, apart from many popular Malayalam and Tamil newspapers. Being seat of Cochin [M] Stock Exchange and the principal financial hub of Kerala, lots of financial dailies in English operates from Kochi, like The Economic Times, The Business Standard, Businessline, The Financial Express.

Lots of popular English Magazines are available. Many American and British Magazines like Forbes, Mirror etc is available in many supermarkets and bookstalls. Popular Indian English Magazines are India Today, The Week, The Frontline etc.

Kochi uses the British three-pin and two-pin circular socket that follows British standard 546 (230V/50Hz). Plug adaptors are available at any hardware store.

Kochi has 15-20 public listed state holidays as else where in Kerala, when almost all government and a few private offices are closed. However, few holidays involve total closure of all commercial establishments. Please be aware that on these days most of the public transport options like bus, cabs and autos take a break. For the few holidays listed below, restaurants and food corners other than those operating inside hotels also close. Its always better to avoid these days, while planning holidays. The major holidays that Kochinites love to spend indoors are

• Good Friday & Easter [S] (First/Second week of April)
• Vishu [S] - the Malayalam New Year (April 14th or 15th)
• Thiruonam [S] - the main day for Onam celebrations (between August-Sept)
• X'mas (Dec 25th)

A few religious holidays listed below marks closure of all commercial establishments owned by members of that communities. However public transport works as usual.

• Cheriya Perunal (Id-ul-Fitur), Valiya Perunal (Id-ul-Adha) and Muharram marks full closure of all Muslim owned establishments. All these firms take break for 3 hours from noon for Friday Juma Prayers.
• Saturdays, Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah [S] marks total closure of all Jewish establishments, particularly in Fort Kochi
• Diwali, Holi and Navarathri [S] marks private holiday season for almost all North Indian establishments, particularly in Mattancherry.

Apart from these holidays, the Sunday laziness can make most of the establishments do not to function in the morning time, though many open by afternoon. The city bus services on Sundays are also limited, though other public transport like autos, taxis etc function normally.

• EMS Co-operative Library, Mavelipuram, Kakkanad (Near Ernakulam District Co-Operative Bank), ☎ +91-484-2421988. Mon-Sat 1PM-7PM, Sun 10AM-5PM. A well maintained library where subscribers can register here for Rs. 150 by presenting proof of identity. This allows them to take one book for a monthly fee of Rs 60 or Rs 100 for two books for a period of two weeks. This library also has a park near it, where you can sit and read your favorite books in the evenings.  

• Ernakulam Public Library, Convent Road (Opp. Shenoys Theater), ☎ +91-484-2351894. Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM, Sun 10AM-5PM. The Ernakulam Public Library is one of the oldest public library in India started in 1839. Books could be rented for 2 weeks for various rental options ranging from Rs 60 for four books to Rs 15 for single book. A refundable caution deposit is required ranging between Rs 1,000-250 depending upon membership class. There is a free reading room with good collection of all national and international newspapers and magazines. Try here if you like read some of the treasured archives or original historical manuscripts.  

• Eloor Lending Library, Convent Junction (Near St. Theresa’s College), ☎ +91-484-2363539. Daily 10AM-8PM. Eloor Lending Library has mainly two membership options. Unlike other libraries, this library has a different way of lending books. Here when you take membership by paying Rs. 1, 200 you can access books worth Rs. 1,800. When you pay Rs. 600 you can access books worth Rs. 900. Here you have to pay (an additional) 10% of the price of the books you take, as the reading charge.  

• Library Café, Press Club Road (Opp. Spencer’s Churidhar), ☎ +91-484-5526626. Mon-Sat 9AM-8PM, Sun 10AM-8PM. Library Café is popular among the youth in the city. Along with books, they also lend film DVDs. They have a good collection of films from renowned directors like Bergman, Kim Ki Duk etc. One can take two books and one DVD per month for Rs 25. For Rs 300, one can take unlimited books and DVDs for 2 weeks. A refundable deposit of Rs 400 is required.  

Sunshades and prescription glasses in stylish frames are much cheaper in India as compared to the western world. Across the city, one can find numerous optician stores. Most of them have computerized testing services and many have optical clinics along with the store. Some of the popular stores are,

• Lens & Frames, (Opp. Abad Plaza, Kavitha Junction, MG Road; Near KTDC Information Center-Marine Drive and South Area-MG Road), ☎ +91-484-2351557/2363915/2377182. A well stocked leading optical store, it has branches all over the state. It has wonderful collection of all leading national and international brands  

• Kurian's Opticals, (Broadway; Kurian Towers-Banerjee Road; KTDC Complex-Marine Drive; MG Road; Kadavanthara [S] and Civil Lanes-Palarivattom), ☎ +91-484-2351846/2383489/2394993/2356428. A good chain of opticals, it has all major brands.  

• Indian Opticals, (M G Road, North End), ☎ +91-484-2361261‎.  

• Vithayathil Opticians, (M G Road, Jos Junction,), ☎ +91-484-2376941‎‎.  

Kochinites are particular about their hair styles and adopt almost all latest fashion. Thus there is no shortage of various hair salons charging from Rs 50 up for the latest trends. Most of the budget saloons are found almost every part of the city, normally calling as Barber shops or Saloons. The middle range hair salons located mainly in MG Road, Palarivattom, Marine Drive and Edappally areas, offer haircuts with hair wash as well as other frills. For splurge, most of the premium beauty palours and skin clinics are located Panampally Nagar, GCDA Nagar, Girinagar, SA Road and MG Road that offers various skin and hair treatment, all costing above Rs 1,000.

• Polonica, Kanchanja Apartment, Palarivattom, ☎ +91-484-2535174‎‎‎. 9AM-8PM. A popular men's only saloon, which has all leading styling techniques and brands. Rs 100-1500.  

• Gents Beauty Clinic, Near YMCA, Ammankovil Road, South, ☎ +91-484-2352483. 10AM-7PM. Rs 50-1,000.  

• Smart Gents Beauty Parlour, JC Villa, Madathiparambil House, Chembumukku, ☎ +91-484-2423577. 10AM-7PM. Rs 50-500.  

• Styl-X Men Salon, House-14, Panampilly Nagar, ☎ +91-484-2322009. 11AM-9PM. Rs 100-2,000.  

• Pretty Face Ladies Beauty Clinic and Spa, (House-14, Panampilly Nagar), ☎ +91-484-2323055.  

• Shahnaz Herbal Beauty Care, (Civil Lanes-Palarivattom), ☎ +91-484-2348819.  

• Lakme Beauty Salon, (G-130 Panampilly Nagar), ☎ +91-484-2322108.  

• Live In Style Ladies Clinic, (Live-In Style Junction, Panampilly Nagar), ☎ +91-484-2313740.  

• Ole' International, (Grand Hotel- MG Road; International Hotel- MG Road), ☎ +91-484-2353455. An extremely popular Uni-sex palour, its favourite among Malayalam movie celebrities and businessmen  

• Kaya Skin Care Clinic, (Ground Floor, Shop No. 14, Swapnil Enclave, Marine Drive), ☎ +91-484-3092789. Popular national chain, its very famous for its innovative skin/hair treatments and dressing styles  

• VLCC International, (1st Floor, ABM Tower, Kadavanthra), ☎ +91-484-2207301. Popular national chain, famous for its special products and treatments  

• Alappuzha [S] (70 km) — is famous for house boats, the heart of backwaters of Kerala [S] with amazing maze of lagoons, backwaters, rivers, canals created by nature.
• Athirappilly Falls [S] — milky waterfall in Chalakuddy 18 km from Cochin [M] International Airport, is known as Desi Niagara with numerous giant waterfalls and small rapids nearby. This is a popular picnic spot
• Bhoothathankettu [S] (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.
• Idukki [S] (90 km) — a hilly region with lots of hill resorts, in Northern Travancore [S].
• Kumarakom [S] (40 km) — popular internationally known bird sanctuary located on wedge of a backwater island.
• Kottayam [S] (55 km) — The biggest spice trading hub famous for large churches, wild trekking and cultural monuments.
• Muvattupuzha [S] (30 km) — a small town famous for pineapple cultivation, historical orthodox churches, spice trading and rubber plantations.
• Thattekkad [S] (45 km) — bird sanctuary near Kothamangalam [S], famous for a good boating and a wild picnic.
• Thrissur [S] (60 km) — cultural heart of Kerala famous for various cultural monuments, temples and grandest festival- Thrissur Pooram.
• Wagamon [S] (50 km) — famous for pristine forests, small rapids, vast green meadows, its also known as Scotland of Asia [S].

Text content was last edited at 09:02, on 28 May 2010 by Wikitravel user Burmesedays. Based on work by Claus Hansen and Kish Kaul, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. A list of contributors is available at the original article on Wikitravel. This text content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0.