All posts tagged Fort Kochi

Tourism-cum-passenger boat services to be launched soon in Kochi

To promote tourism and inprove the passenger boat service in the city, the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) will soon introduce tourist-cum-passenger boat services. Though the water transport department mooted the proposal last year, the project was delayed for several reasons.

“Shortage of staff is a major hurdle in the way of starting the service in Ernakulam. However, we are planning to go ahead and introduce it as the service which were launched earlier in the Alappuzha  Kollam route and other routes in Alappuzha district on an experimental basis were found to be a great success” Said Shaji V Nair, director, KSWTD.

As per the proposal, the new boat services are expected to connect the islands of  Vypeen, Fort Kochi, Mulavukad, Mattancherry and willingdon Island. The intention is to give tourists a feel of backwaters of Kochi.

The duration of a trip will be two-and-a half hours. There will be eight trips per day, with four boats pressed into service.

The new services are expected to solve the water transport problems of the city. Currently, lack of vessels and adequate services to the nearby islands are the major problems as both tourists and passengers have to depend on the scant available boat services.

“The final date for launching the new boat service is yet to be fixed. The feasibility report has been submitted,” said Joseph Xavier, KSWTD superintendent, Ernakulam.  The upper deck of the boat which has more facilities will be reserved for tourists. The fare will be higher for the tourists.

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Cochin Carnival 2013

Cochin Carnival happens on the last week of December every year. Mostly the carnival is held during the last 10 days of the year and concludes with a big celebration marking the New Year. The venue of the carnival is Fort Kochi and the whole Kochi eagerly waits for it every year. Cochin Carnival is renowned for its public celebration, parades and parties giving wholesome entertainment to tourists from within the country and abroad. It attracts tourists and is a crowd-puller.

As usual, this year also Cochin Carnival was held from December 9th to 31st at Fort Kochi. The much acclaimed carnival rally will be held on January 1, 2013 and was the 29th edition of the Carnival.

History of Cochin Carnival
The Carnival got its origin in the 16th century, when the Portuguese ruled the region. At that time Cochin was the headquarters of Portuguese rule in India. Portuguese started the festival as part of the celebration to welcome the New Year. And it is said that the Portuguese ruler’s New Year celebrations were rich with grand fiestas and parties. This celebration continued and the city made it their own and it got imbibed as part of the local culture. And later by the year 1984 the celebration received the title of Cochin Carnival.

Celebrations
At present Cochin Carnival is a grand celebration of culture and tradition of both past and present. An amalgamation of different culture are in found in the place which includes Portuguese, Dutch, Guajarati, Konkani, Malayalee, Andhra, Kannada, Tamil, Arab, Punjabi and Anglo Indian culture. The prime aim of the Cochin Carnival is to promote and maintain five principles primarily of peace, progress, environment, participation and adventure.

Fort Kochi embellishes a festive look during this carnival. People numbering in hundreds flock at the venue clad in exotic colored attires to participate in this carnival of merry making and feasting and loads of entertainment. People have opportunity to participate in several games like KalamVara (floor drawing), tug-of-war, bicycle races, swimming in sea, beach volleyball which are also major attractions during the carnival celebrations. Adding more to the charm there are Art shows, food festivals, colorful rallies and fairs. All these festivities and revelries continue till midnight of December 31st. Finally at the concluding day of the 10 day festival, the entire city is clad in white with all buildings wearing white paper buntings. The white adornment signifies peace and tranquility. There are also many impromptu competitions and celebrations which are held on the streets and fireworks mark the finale. During the New Year’s Day, there is a procession consisting of caparisoned elephants, accompanied by drums and music, colorful flats, different folk art forms, Panchavadyam etc and this procession marks the end of the celebrations.

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The Perfect Kerala Trip

Kovalam-Kerala

The Perfect Kerala Trip

Colourful architecture, verdant tea estates and plentiful wildlife along with gorgeous beaches and backwaters, friendly homestays and delicious food, Kerala’s got everything you need for a perfect holiday.

I was lucky enough to have been paid to travel straight out of college. As a tour leader, I would accompany groups of travellers around India, often following the same itinerary several times in a row. My very first trip went through Kerala, and, even though the group included a client who nearly made me quit after the first week, she wasn’t able to sour my growing fondness for the state. That first year, I spent about two straight months travelling around Kerala, adapting to its unique pace, learning to laugh with its people and falling harder for it every day. Seven years on, I’m looking to revisit the highlights, attempting to create a tasting menu of the various experiences it has to offer and string them into an itinerary to create the perfect trip.

With its easy distances, Kerala lends itself well to a driving holiday, but the staggering amount of options really makes creating an itinerary rather difficult, even downright controversial if your family’s anything like mine. We argue over which beach destination to visit – the tourist-ridden Kovalam with its numerous fusion food offerings, or the utterly peaceful Mararikulam. Tiny Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, which, as home to the heartspotted kingfisher, the unbearably cute Ceylon frogmouth and the crimson-throated barbet, reaches above its size, distracts us for a while before we relegate it reluctantly to a stop and decide to stay instead at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the hope of seeing elephants in the wild. And then there are the places that are always unanimous favourites – Fort Kochi, the quiet hillsides of Munnar, and watery Alleppey. Kerala has a number of corners we’ve yet to explore, but we’re loath to miss out on any of the greats and therefore choose to be less adventurous but more certain of going to places that are just right.

Mararikulam | Best for bumming on the beach
Chethy & Vechoor | Best for Homestays
Alleppey | Alappuzha | Best for Backwaters
Periyar | Best for wildlife
Munnar | Best for Trekking and Tea
Fort Kochi & Mattancherry | Best for culture and architecture

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Hotel Bright Heritage, Fort Kochi – a budget option for stay

Hotel Bright Heritage, Fort Kochi, Kerala  is located near to bus stand, is an ideal budget accommodation for tourists’ stay.

The hotel has spacious and well furnished rooms. Each room is equipped with an air condition machine. The accommodation is available in Superior, Premium and Suites. All modern facilities are provided in the room like Telephone, Multi Channel Television, High Speed internet connectivity, Safe Deposit, Hot Water Facility etc. (more…)

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Cochin Carnival 2012 Pictures

  • In Blog

Grand Cochin Carnival 2012 at Fort Kochi celebrated pompously and concluded on new year with fireworks. Carnival on a scale big enough to tag Fort Kochi as a ‘Carnival City.’ Check out Cochin Carnival 2011 pictures of all the festive celebrations, illuminated Chinese fishing nets, floats and dancers.


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Preservation of Heritage tourism at Fort Kochi

  • In Blog

Fort Kochi is a unique place in the whole of the world where you get to see a mosaic of the world culture, European architecture and the flora and fauna of different parts of the world. Rightly so, UNESCO has declared it as a living monument of world culture. DTPC launched unique projects to tap the opportunities of the Heritage tourism at Fort Kochi, with the active local participation. (more…)

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Napier House, Fort Kochi – 200 year old Dutch Heritage

Napier House, a house which has witnessed almost 200 years of history of Fort Cochin, stands calm and quite in the serene Napier Lane in the famous Napier Street of Fort Cochin. When you check in to this Heritage House, you may not even know that this house could tell you the stories of two centuries. Located in the prime most spot in Fort Cochin, the St Francis Church, Dutch Cemetery, Portuguese Museum, 500 year old Santa Cruz Basilica etc are just walkable distance from Napier House. Also the beach is just a stone throw away. (more…)

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Malabar House, Fort Kochi – boutique hotel in Kerala

Malabar House owned by Malabar Escapes is one of the finest chain of small boutique and villa hotels in Kerala. The Malabar House is in the heart of historical Fort Kochi. Close to historical landmarks like St.Francis Church, the Chinese fishing nets and Jew Town, the hotel in itself is part of Fort Cochin’s historical fabric. Its recorded history dates back to 1755, when it was owned by a Dutchman. The property passed onto spice traders, tea traders and bankers until it became Fort Kochi’s first boutique heritage hotel in 1996. (more…)

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Bus day in Cochin on May 31st 2011

  • In Blog

Kochi is gearing up to celebrate Bus Day on 31st May 2011. It is a daylong event promoting Public Transport in the city of Cochin on May 31st, 2011. It is an event calling all the citizens of Cochin to use Public Transport on May 31st for all their getting about in the city. (more…)

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Fort Kochi Beach

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, with the legendary Chinese fishing nets dotting the foreground, Fort Kochi beach is a wonderful place to view the spectacular sunsets. Another attraction is the numerous waterfront stalls that serve fresh catch, which is cooked according to taste.

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Planning a Holiday in Kerala, give a call to our Travel Consultants on 0091 98950 91639, who are professionals in hotels and holidays Or Fill out the form below. We will help organizing a perfect trip for you.

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Elegant Mementos from Kerala Tourism

  • In Blog

Kerala Tourism has come up with an action plan to develop quality souvenirs for the promotion of the destination and to create a branded stream of souvenirs for the state. Despite emerging as a global tourist destination, Kerala has often come under flak by tourists and tour operators for the non – availability and the poor quality of souvenirs. Souvenirs should ideally be small, handy and easy for tourists to carry. (more…)

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Fort Kochi – Charming Signature of Modern Tourism

Fort Kochi, one of the major tourists spots in Kochi, deserves mention for its historicity and ethnic diversity-ancient buildings, churches, synagogues, the bygone memories of the Jewish community and its heritage buildings, the ebb and flow of the sea waters, a number of quality home stays, panoramic harbour, strung with Chinese fishing nets, a legacy of Kochi’s ancient maritime relations with the Chinese Empire. (more…)

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Paduva House

Every bit as charming as its name and its hosts, the Variamparambil family, Padua House in Fort Kochi is a place where you can enjoy refreshment, lunch or dinner with that special ‘family touch’. Generations of the Variamparambil family have been staying in the century- old bungalow right from the fifties and it was in the year 2003. That the idea of hosting meals for foreign visitors to Kochi took shape. (more…)

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Brunton Boatyard

Brunton Boatyard Hotel of CGH Earth Group is located at the Fort Kochi. All of the Brunton Boatyard Hotel’s 22 rooms which include Standard Sea Facing Rooms and Deluxe Seafaring Rooms overlook the sea.The restaurants History Café is the multi-cuisine restaurant which serves delectable dishes. Armoury is the Coffee shop and the Terrace Grill offers the catch of the day and a host of grilled specialties. (more…)

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Koder House

Koder House bespeaks history and tradition. The boutique Kerala hotel is just a year old, but within a short span, it has carved out for itself a unique niche in the hospitality sector. Koder House, the hub of jewish activities for well over a century, has played host to ambassadors, celebrities and heads of state. The boutique hotel preserves the structural magnificence of the building even while maintaining utmost professionalism in its service. “Our registers are full positive notes of appreciation from the tourists, as we, especially our staff, take extra pain to provide the ‘at home feel’ to them”, says Ms Praveena Vicky Raj, joint Managing Director, Koder Boutique Kerala Hotel. (more…)

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