Kochhor

Day Trips

Arrive at Cochin International Airport and check into a heritage hotel in Fort Kochi. Stroll along the seaside promenade and admire the iconic Chinese fishing nets by the water’s edge. Sample a cup of spiced South Indian filter coffee at a nearby café.

Wander through the colonial streets, popping into art galleries and antique shops housed in restored Dutch bungalows. Visit St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in India, and learn about its storied past. Relax with a fresh coconut water under the shade of swaying palms.

Attend a traditional Kathakali dance performance at a local theatre, complete with elaborate makeup and storytelling. Enjoy a seafood dinner at a seaside restaurant, savoring freshly caught prawns and fish curry. Cap off the night with a stroll under festoon lights on the waterfront.

Head to Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) to admire its intricate Kerala-style murals depicting epic Hindu tales. Wander through the palace courtyards and royal chambers preserved from the 16th century. Grab a light breakfast of idiyappam and egg curry at a nearby eatery.

Explore Jew Town’s narrow lanes lined with spice shops, antique dealers, and souvenir boutiques. Step inside the Paradesi Synagogue, India’s oldest active synagogue, to view its hand-painted floor tiles and Belgian chandeliers. Sample cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and local cashews at a traditional spice merchant.

Dine at a heritage café offering fusion Kerala–Portuguese cuisine. Sip on a glass of toddy (palm wine) while enjoying live Carnatic music. Wander back through gas-lit streets, soaking in the historic ambiance.

Return to the waterfront at dawn to watch fishermen pull in the nets against a backdrop of pastel skies. Photograph the lattice of bamboo poles silhouetted against the rising sun. Enjoy a roadside dosa and chai with locals trading banter.

Browse contemporary art installations at the Kochi Biennale Foundation or small galleries in Fort Kochi. Take a guided walking tour to learn about mural techniques from local artists. Stop for a light lunch of appam with vegetable stew in a cozy courtyard café.

Join a sunset cruise in the harbor, drifting past ancient warehouses and colonial forts. Toast with fresh juice as the sky ignites in shades of orange and purple. Return to shore for a casual seafood barbecue by torchlight.

Drive to Alleppey early and board a traditional Kettuvallam (houseboat). Watch palm-fringed canals glide past the deck as you tuck into a hot breakfast of appam and egg roast. Spot kingfishers perched on coconut palms along the banks.

Drift through narrow waterways lined with paddy fields, village homes, and lush mangroves. Enjoy a freshly prepared lunch of steamed rice, thoran, and fish moilee served on the boat’s teak deck. Pause for a dip in the emerald waters near a shaded canal bend.

Anchor at dusk in a quiet village inlet and watch fireflies flicker along the reeds. Feast on a Kerala-style dinner of chicken stew and matta rice under the stars. Fall asleep to the gentle lapping of water against the hull.

Drive to the misty hill station of Munnar, stopping en route at scenic viewpoints. Arrive at a tea estate resort and savor a South Indian breakfast of idli, vada, and steaming chai. Step out onto lush lawns fringed by fragrant tea bushes.

Join a guided tour of sprawling tea gardens, learning about plucking, processing, and blending. Visit the Tea Museum to see vintage rollers and gain insight into 19th-century plantation life. Enjoy a high-tea spread of scones, tea samplers, and local snacks amid panoramic hill views.

Take a gentle hike to Echo Point for sunset over rolling green carpets. Warm up with a cup of freshly brewed Munnar tea at a hilltop café. Return to your resort for a dinner of Malabar biryani and vegetable stew by a crackling fireplace.

Catch an early start to Eravikulam National Park and trek along well-marked trails. Spot the endangered Nilgiri tahr grazing on alpine grasslands against misty peaks. Admire the blooming Neelakurinji flowers (in season), which carpet the hills every twelve years.

Descend to town and sample steaming appam with beef curry at a local roadside stall. Explore the bustling Munnar market, picking up homemade chocolates, cardamom pods, and aromatic spices. Visit Blossom Hydel Park to stroll through landscaped gardens.

Relax with a traditional Ayurvedic massage at a spa overlooking tea fields. Dine at an open-air restaurant serving Kerala fish curry and kappa erissery. Unwind on your balcony as the valley fog drifts in.

Travel to Thekkady and check into a jungle lodge near Periyar Lake. Embark on a boat safari at sunrise, scanning the forest edge for elephants, gaur, and sambar deer. Listen to macaques chattering from treetops as the mist lifts off the water.

Join a spice plantation tour to learn about cardamom, pepper, clove, and vanilla cultivation. Sample fresh spices and pick up small-batch essential oils from local growers. Return to the lodge for a rice-based Kerala lunch and a short rest.

Watch a traditional Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration under floodlights. Dine on a family-style spread of Kerala thali, complete with chutneys and pickles. Drift off to sleep to the sounds of nocturnal wildlife in the surrounding forest.

Drive to Kumarakom and visit the bird sanctuary at dawn to spot migratory waterfowl and kingfishers. Follow a guided nature trail through mangrove patches and lotus ponds. Enjoy a picnic breakfast of freshly baked banana fritters and tea.

Take a village canoe ride through side canals, observing rice farmers at work and toddy tappers climbing palm trees. Stop for a homestay-style lunch in a thatched-roof home, sampling Kerala-style vegetarian curries. Chat with your hosts about local customs and temple festivals.

Climb onto a floating cottage moored by the lake and watch fireflies flicker in the reeds. Feast on fresh catch-of-the-day grilled with coconut masala. Gaze at a sky full of stars reflected in the still backwater lagoon.

Drive south to Varkala and stroll along the red-cliffed shoreline at sunrise. Stop at a beachfront shack for filter coffee and masala dosa as waves crash onto the sand below. Dip your toes in the clear blue Arabian Sea.

Relax on the sands of Varkala Beach or indulge in an Ayurvedic spa treatment at a cliff-top centre. Sample fresh coconut water and fruit juices from stalls lining the cliff walk. Browse handicraft shops for Ayurvedic oils, shells, and woven mats.

Gather at a cliffside café to watch the sun melt into the horizon, accompanied by live acoustic music. Savor seafood platters of prawns, squid, and fish wrapped in banana leaves. Take an evening beach walk under lantern-lit pathways before returning to Kochi.

Return to Kochi for last-minute shopping at Broadway Market and MG Road. Hunt for coir products, brass lamps, and spice blends to take home. Stop at a bakery for banana chips and murukku to snack on during travel.

Visit Santa Cruz Basilica and the Indo-Portuguese Museum to round off your historical tour. Enjoy a final lunch of Kerala sadya served on a banana leaf, featuring rice, sambar, avial, and payasam. Wander through nearby lanes one last time to soak in the colonial-era charm.

Celebrate your journey with a farewell dinner at a riverside restaurant on Willingdon Island. Feast on coastal curries and freshly baked appam as flickering lanterns dance on the water. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight, carrying memories of Kerala’s sights and flavors.