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Cochin

Cochin merchants began trading in spices such as black pepper and cardamom with the Jews, Arabs, the Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese, Chinese more than 600 years ago.

Cochin has a lot of remnants from the past still clinging on. The famous landmark in Cochin is a row of Chinese fishing nets at the mouth of the harbor leading to the Arabian sea. It is a blend of modern India on one hand and while the old quarter -- the Fort Kochi area and Mattancherry area -- maintains a colonial air.

Now Cochin includes Ernakulam city, Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Kumbalangi and outlying islands

Cochin is comparatively cleaner and quieter than many other Indian tourist places. Having said that, Cochin is still a health and sanitation problem. Trash and rubbish litter most public areas. The infrastructure of proper sidewalks and grey water control remains a problem. Be careful walking especially at night as poorly lit areas and multi-level sidewalks are common. Often gaping holes could land you in a puddle.

This area boasts of hundreds of islands, some even uninhabited, and is part of the Backwaters of Kerala. A famous island is that of Boghatty (local name Mulavukad) where the Dutch built a palace. This palace was later used as house of the British Resident administrator. Right now the Dutch Palace is a tourist hotel, and you are welcome to live there as guest.

Rainy season is from June to September. Temperature 22-34° C depending on season. Use mosquito repellent cream while traveling during night, and consider a mosquito net for sleeping.

Get in

· By plane

Cochin International Airport is located in Nedumbassery approximately 29 km from the city. There are flights to and from Colombo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Sharjah, Jeddah, Muscat, Kuwait, Thiruvananthapuram,Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Take a pre-paid taxi to your destination.

· By train

You can reach Cochin from other cities Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kozhikode (Calicut), Chennai, Bangalore, Bombay, New Delhi, Kolkata by train.

· By taxi

Trivandrum to Kochi around 220 km

· By boat

Cochin can be reached by sea in yachts or by occasional cruise ship from Goa or Bombay.

See

· Hill Palace Museum - The King Palace now converted to Museum along with a small zoo is 12 Km south-east of Ernakulam at Tripunithura have Painting, Epigraphy, the collections from Travancore & Cochin Royal families.

· Museum of Kerala History - at Edappally

· Parikshith Thampuran Museum contains Oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and Mughal paintings, Interesting temple models and traditional style Kerala buildings.

· Fort Kochi

· Mattancherry There is beautiful Jain temple here. It is great to visit at about 12:15hrs when the pigeons are feed by Jain mandir people last 17 years. A huge number of pigeons first take three circle of the temple and listen to mantra and before eating.

· Willington Island - An large artificial island made out of sand removed in order to deepen the Kochi Port.

· Vypeen and Gundu Islands - The Island toasts a lighthouse at Ochenthuruthu, beaches and the early 16th century

· Bolgatty - built in 1744 as Dutch Palace; one of the KTDC Hotels with green lawns and Golf Course.

· Chinese fishing Nets - at Fort Kochi.

· Dutch Palace - constructed by Portuguese in 1568 for Maharaja of Kochi Veera Kerala Varma. Later rebuilt by Dutch.

· St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi - constructed by the Portuguese[1503]. Vasco da Gama was buried here [1524] and later his remains were transferred to Libson, Portugal. His tombstone can be seen inside the church.

· Jew Street and Synagogue - at Mattancherry, it constructed in 1568 and rebuild in 1662.

· Santacruz Cathedral- at Fort Kochi

· Art Complex - Madhavan Nayar Foundation - Gallery of Paintings and Sculptures at Edappally, 10 km. north of city. (There is the Kerala History Museum, history students take note!)

· Thirumala Devoswam Temple, Mattancherry - Gowda Sarawatha Brahmins temple for Lord Venkatesha, its famous for second largest brass Bell in Asia.The North Gopuram is fully roofed with copper.