NAMASTE KOCHI
KOCHI, Here We Come!
- Information
- Tour Plan
- Location
- Gallery
- Reviews
- Additional Info
- Similar Tours
What's included
- Accomodation in Double / Twin Share Room
- Airport Transfers
- All Major Sightseeing
- Assistance on Arrival
- Breakfast
- Entrance Tickets
- Excess baggage charge
- Increases in airfares or Government imposed taxes
- Meals, unless expressly states
- Personal expenses
- Services not specifically stated in the itinerary
- Tips to guide and driver
Kochi History
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 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 in 1500s, 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. The rest of the Kochi was administered by Kochi Maharajas from their capital at Thripunithura. However the real administration was done by Diwans (Prime Ministers), leaving the Maharajas to patronize culture, arts and focused heavily on public health and education areas.
Cultural Trendsetter
Kochi has a cosmopolitan culture, highly influenced by historical trading partners, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, Chinese, and Japanese. Kochi has an unusual higher Christian population, thus the city being the seat of the Latin church of India, the ecclesiastical seat of one of the 4 Catholic Cardinals of India and has many Catholic churches and followers apart from other religious orders of Christianity.
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. Apart from that, nearly 31 trading communities across India call Kochi as their home.
- Kochi Day Tour Plan
Day 1
Kovalam
Arriving at Trivandrum Airport/railway station proceed to Kovalam Hotel. After Check-in, Go for the City tour of Trivandrum.
- Full Day Trivandrum City Tour
- Sree Padmanabha swami Temple
- Trivandrum Zoo
- Napier Mesuem (Clesed on Mondays)
- Puthenmalika Palace Mesuem
- Sunset Tour in Kovalam Beach.
Have a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel
Day 2
Kovalam – Alleppey
After breakfast, check out of the hotel & drive to Alleppey and reach by afternoon. Check into the houseboat and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure Houeboat on the backwaters. Stay overnight at the Houseboat.
Day 3
Alleppey – Thekkady
After the Breakfast Checkout the Houseboat, drive for Thekkady. Arrive Thekkady and transfer to hotel. The town also houses one of world’s most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries. Lying at an altitude of 700-1900m above sea level, Periyar has a cool and comfortable climate. In the Evening by 4 PM,
- Activity Camp Visit
- Enjoy an Elephant ride through a small spice plantation
- Kalaripayattu – an ancient South Indian martial art and one of the oldest fighting systems in existence today.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4
Thekkady – Munnar
Enjoy a lazy morning in the hotel. After breakfast, checkout the hotel.
- Periyar Boating
Later in the Afternoon proceed to Munnar. After reaching Munnar Check in to the Hotel.
- Tata Tea Museum Tour
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 5
Munnar
Enjoy a lazy morning in the hotel, After the Breakfast, we go a full day Munnar Tour.
- Full day Munnar Tour
- Eravikulam national park (Raja Malai)
- Mattupetty dam
- Tea estates
- Eco point
- Spice plantation
- Rose garden
- Photo point
- Blossom park
- Kundale lake
Have a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6
Munnar – Kochi
After an appetizing breakfast, check out of the hotel. Drive to Kochi and reach by Afternoon. Check into the hotel.
- Kochi Shopping Tour
- Cherai Beach Sunset Tour
Surrender to the comfort of your bedroom at the hotel for the night.
Day 7
Kochi Departure
After breakfast, we go for a Full day Kochi tour.
- Full Day Cochin Island Tour
- Visit the Mattancherry Dutch Palace – (closed on Fridays and public holidays), which was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and renovated by the Dutch in 1663.
- Visit the Jewish Synagogue-(closed on all Saturdays and Jewish holidays) in Jew Town Fort Cochin Area. There are a couple of streets of picture-postcard houses out of another age.
- Visit St. Francis Church – (closed for visitors on Sundays from 08.00 to 11.00 hrs) the oldest European Church in India. It has several antiquities including a wealth of records.
- Chinese Fishing Nets, along the tip of Fort Cochin unique to this part of Kerala and living symbols of a centuries-old Chinese influence on this coast.
Later in the Evening, proceed to the Airport / Railway Station for your onwards Journey.
More about Kochi
More about this tour
Berlin, capital and chief urban centre of Germany. The city lies at the heart of the North German Plain, athwart an east-west commercial and geographic axis that helped make it the capital of the kingdom of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. Berlin’s former glory ended in 1945, but the city survived the destruction of World War II. It was rebuilt and came to show amazing economic and cultural growth.
Climate
Berlin lies where the influence of the Atlantic Ocean fades and the climate of the continental plain begins. The city’s mean annual temperature is about 48 °F (9 °C), and mean temperatures range from 30 °F (−1 °C) in winter to 65 °F (18 °C) in summer. The average precipitation is 22 inches (568 mm). About one-fifth to one-fourth of the total falls as snow.
The city layout
The original twin towns of Berlin and Kölln developed from the early 13th century onward, on an island of the Spree River (the site of Kölln) and a small portion of land on the north bank of the river facing the island (the site of Berlin). While still a small town, it became the capital of the electoral princes of Brandenburg from the end of the 15th century onward. From the late 17th and early 18th centuries, when the electors of Brandenburg (also kings of Prussia from 1701) developed into powerful figures on the European political stage, the city expanded and gained a Baroque appearance; new castles, such as Charlottenburg Palace, were built. The central quarter expanded and was embellished with broad avenues, handsome squares, and grandiose stone buildings. The central area acquired broad north-south avenues, such as Wilhelmstrasse and Friedrichstrasse, and also its characteristic east-west road axis. Supplementing this main axis are several exit roads that now serve as major traffic arteries. In the late 19th century suburbs developed around these arteries and their subsidiary streets. Where destruction during World War II was massive, there has been large-scale construction of modern apartment and office buildings, one of the most famous being the Hansa Quarter, built by renowned architects from many countries.
User Reviews & Comments
Erik Chan
My wife booked this tour, and I have to say I’m not usually into walking tours. But this 4 hour tour of the City was fantastic. Ken, our Irish guide was fantastic. We had a group of around 30 people, but that wasn’t a problem at all. Ken had a brilliant sense of humour, and was so knowledgeable about Berlin. The pace was perfect, and everyone felt part of the tour. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Berlin.
October 10, 2018
Brad Jackson
We enjoyed every minute of our tour with Laura. She was able to relate and explain the history and interesting facts of each of the significant monuments clearly and in an engaging manner. The tour lasted 4 full hours, but she had us and the group following her narrative closely. Good job by a great guide! I would highly recommend the tour, especially to first timers in Berlin.
October 10, 2018