Two slow days in Fort Kochi
Two days in Kerala's old port, done on foot and by ferry: Chinese fishing nets at sunrise, spice warehouses and Jew Town, a Kathakali show up close, and a day on the backwaters with lunch on a banana leaf. Base yourself in Fort Kochi's colonial lanes, where everything worth seeing is a short walk or tuk-tuk away.
- Length
- 2 days
- Best in
- Oct–Mar
- Estimated cost
- From £761 per person, all in from London
- Staying in
- Fort Kochi
- Food & drink
- Culture
- Slow travel
Planned byVipul RoyBased in Scotland · 3 bookedView profile →“You like wandering more than ticking off sights, you're happy with heat and a bit of chaos, and you'd rather eat where the locals eat. Good as a first stop in Kerala or an add-on to Goa or Munnar.”
Day by day
- Day 1
Nets, spice and Kathakali
Night in Fort Kochi
- See
Chinese fishing nets, 6:30am
Go at sunrise, when the fishermen are hauling. Give them a few rupees and they'll often let you help.
- See
St Francis Church, 8am
India's oldest European church. Vasco da Gama was first buried here.
- Eat
Kashi Art Café, 8:30am
Breakfast in a gallery courtyard on Burgher Street. Get the banana cake.
- See
Mattancherry Palace, 10am
The Ramayana murals are the reason to go. Closed Fridays.
- Walk
Jew Town and Paradesi Synagogue, 11am
Wander the spice warehouses and antique shops. The synagogue is closed Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays; cover shoulders and knees.
- Do
Kathakali at Kerala Kathakali Centre, 5pm
Arrive early to watch the make-up go on, which starts about an hour before the show. Sit near the front.
Book on keralakathakali.com (opens another site in a new tab)about £5 per person · book yourself - Eat
Dinner by the nets, 8pm
Buy fish from the stalls by the nets and have one of the kitchens next to them fry it for you.
- Stay
Old Harbour Hotel
A 300-year-old house with a garden pool, a minute from the nets.
- See
- Day 2
Backwaters and a banana-leaf lunch
- Do
Village backwater canoe trip, 9am
Small boats through narrow village canals, which beats the big houseboats. Kumbalangi is the closest, and most trips pick you up in Fort Kochi.
- Eat
Kerala sadya, 1pm
A vegetarian feast on a banana leaf, eaten with your right hand. It's a lunchtime meal, and many canoe trips include one.
- Do
Sunset ferry to Ernakulam, 5:30pm
The public ferry from Fort Kochi jetty costs pennies and has the best harbour views. The Water Metro is the air-conditioned option.
- Do
Make it longer
Vipul’s own add-ons. Choose any when you book.
+1 day · after day 1
Three days in Munnar’s tea hills
- Day 1 · Bolgatty Palace
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