Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Meet the most desired Holiday and Honeymoon Destination ever in life. The most tourist Place where people from different countries feel the utmost peach of heaven and relaxation.
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Visit : http://www.keralaholidayclub.com/
Friday, June 26, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Get in touch with the most sensitive holiday cum honeymoon destination
ever in life. The time you can never forget. Just be with : http://www.keralaholidayclub.com/
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
10 Things you wouldnt want to miss out in Kochi
I
know I write about Kochi a lot. But trust me, it is because of how much there
is to see and experience in this city. Usually tourists come to Kochi for a day
or two at the maximum and go to the must visit places and then carry on with
their trips. However, I thought I will do some good to everyone and make a list
of 10 things you should try to not miss whilst in Kochi. These include some
places and some experiences you wouldn’t want to miss. So when next time you are planning a Kerala Tour, you know what to do. So here goes…
1.
WALK
THROUGH MATTANCHERRY AND FORT KOCHI
Later in the list I am going
to tell you to take strolls through the city during its rush hours. That is to
understand the normal life of Kochi. This walk however, is for the sole purpose
of appreciating the beautiful architecture and beauty of the various streets in
Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. The Portuguese style buildings and the graffiti and
paintings on the walls (a side product of Kochi - Muziris Biennale) are a
sight. Just walk. Get lost in the
streets. Ask someone for help. Believe you understood the way. Get lost again.
The cycle continues…
2. SHOP AT JEW STREET AND BROADWAY
When
in Kerala, you must do some shopping and the best places to shop are Jew Street
and Broadway. These are the places where the tourists will find souvenirs and
other “touristy” stuff. Even if you are not in the mood to do some shopping,
make sure you still visit these commercial hubs. It is fun to see what all they
have on sale and then maybe do some window shopping too.
3.
ACQUAINT
YOURSELF WITH THE MANY ART FORMS
Kerala
is rich in its art forms. If you have a few days in Kochi, try learning a new
art form. Not professionally, but as a temporary hobby. Maybe you will start
loving it. However, one thing you must not forget to do is watch a Kadhakali
performance. You needn’t do it in Kochi but some places like Cochin Cultural Center , Kerala
Kathakali Center and Greenix Village have
performances and you can easily catch a show at these places. The other art
forms you can try are Theyyam, Kalaripayattu, Mohiniyattom, Kerala Nadanam,
Thullal etc.
4.
AYURVEDA
After
all the roaming around and shopping, you will need some time to pamper
yourself. Usually, I would advise you to go into a café and have some lemonade.
However since you are in Kerala, why not introduce or reacquaint your body to
some Ayurvedic massages?
People
come to Kerala from various parts of the world to experience the magic of
ayurveda. The ayurvedic massages are known to be extremely effective in curing
back and joint pains and cleansing your body. The herbal oils used have a
cooling effect on the body and will rejuvenate you in seconds. Ask your hotel
if they have a massage facility or google the nearest ayurvedic spa. Do not
leave Kerala without visiting an ayurvedic massage place. It is worth every
second and penny you spend.
5. CAFES
AND THE FOOD
As
I have mentioned many many times before, Kerala is one place where people love
to eat and hence has one of the best cuisines in India. For the meat lovers it
is a heaven. But, one thing people usually do not associate with Kochi is the
café culture the city has. Cafes are not very common in Kochi but recently my
friends have been telling me about some cafes that are becoming famous. In For
Kochi – Mattancherry area, there are many cafes and some of them are very
innovative in their ambience. Pepper House Café in Kochi is one such place
which stands out with a library filled with books for its customers. Another
place, Café Papaya with its music and library is also frequented by the locals
and tourists alike. Try not to miss these places. The culture you see here is
what defines the modern Kochi. Try contrasting it with that you see in
Broadway. I call it: the chilled people versus the working class.
 |
| Cafe Papaya |
 |
| Pepper House Cafe |
6.
FERRY
RIDES
Getting
around in Kochi is usually easy even if you don’t have a car because the public
transport system is fairly efficient here. However, if you want to save some
time and have fun in the process, take ferry rides whenever possible. It is
cheap and is much more fun than any vehicle on road in Kochi. Make sure you
take at least one ferry ride when in Kochi.
7.
MANDATORY
BEACH VISITS
Kochi. Called
“Queen of Arabian Sea”. Many
Beaches. Must
go.
Need
I say more?
8.
TRAVEL
IN A PRIVATE BUS
If
you like some adventure in your trip then I say you try travelling in a private
bus in Kochi. The red buses (or Satan’s travels as I call them) are my constant
companions when I have to get around the city. They are super fast and mostly
very crowded. If you are not holding onto something when the bus brakes, you
might break some bones.
This
private bus culture is huge in Kochi and is a must try experience when you are
here. Also the conductors are extremely helpful and if there is a place you
want to get to but isn’t sure where it is, they are your people.
9.
TAKE
PHOTOS
One
thing you must not forget when you travel, to any place in the whole world is
to take photos. I understand the need to live in the moment and not be focused
on watching the world through your camera’s lenses. However, photos are what
remain months later, when you start forgetting how your vacation went.
In
Kerala, taking photos is all the more necessary because it is extremely
picturesque. Kochi is a city mostly and is usually all about traffic jams,
commuters and a very busy life style. However, there is beauty if one wants to
find it. The beautiful streets of Fort Kochi, the sunsets at the many beaches
near the city and even the everyday life of the locals is worth photographing.
Because this life is not going to present itself before you anywhere except in
this city.
Also,
you are not going to find Chinese fishing nets anywhere else now, are you?
10. STROLLS IN THE CITY
You
can never truly understand a city until you see and feel the local culture of
the place. This goes for Kochi also. It’s not a must-do thing when you are in
Kochi, but if you are a true traveller, you must take a random stroll through
some of the busiest streets and roads in Kochi. A general walk through Menaka
at 5 P.M. will do the trick. Or wander through Panambilly Nagar. Or just roam
around in Mattancherry (the busier sides of it). They all show you what Kochi
is. Not the tourist friendly sugar coated life but the normal life, the
ordinary life. It is busy, fast and often tiring. But trust me, you will end up
with many stories to tell the people back home.
Oh,
and by the way, be careful when you roam around in the city. Even though traffic
rules are usually followed in Kochi, the private busses are fast and some
commuters in cars can be ruthless to pedestrians.
For
most people, Kochi is a transit location - a place where you spend a night
before you head on over to Munnar or Thekkady. However, Kochi is a tourist
destination in itself. There are beaches, backwaters and many other places you
must visit here. However this list makes sure that you don’t confine yourself
to the most attractive destinations here. Make sure you take back the feel of
Kochi when you leave and not just the photos of you at Jew Street or the Fort
Kochi beach. Only then can you truly say that you have been to Kochi. So when are you planning your Kerala Holidays.
You know, you can book private tours of Kerala at http://www.keralaholidayclub.com, one of the leading tour operator for Kerala.
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