Kochi Kerala

           
Kochi formerly known as Cochin, is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city is one of the principal seaports of the country and is located in the district of Ernakulam, about 220 kilometres (137 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. It has an estimated population of 600,000, with an extended metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, making it the largest urban agglomeration and the second largest city in Kerala after the capital.

In 1102 CE, Kochi became the seat of the Kingdom of Cochin, a princely state which traces its lineage to the Kulasekhara empire. Heralded as the Queen of Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the Arabian Sea coast since the 14th century. Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi in their writings, variously alluding to it as Cocym, Cochym, Cochin, and Cochi. Occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, Kochi was the site of the first European colonial settlement in India. It remained the capital of Portuguese India until 1530, when they opted for Goa as their capital. The city was later occupied by the Dutch, the Mysore and the British.

Kochi entered a period of economic growth after 2000, leading to a spurt in the city's development. A growing centre of shipping industries, international trade, tourism and information technology, Kochi is the commercial hub of Kerala, and one of the fastest growing second-tier metros in India. Like other large cities in the developing world, Kochi continues to struggle with urbanisation problems such as traffic congestion and environmental degradation.

Successive waves of migration over the course of several millennia have made Kochi a cultural melting pot. Despite the risk of overdevelopment, the city retains its distinct colonial heritage and a blend of tradition and modernity.

Getting to and from the airport
 By bus

KSRTC operates four classes of bus service from the airport: regular, fast passenger, super fast express (operate every 10-20 minutes to most of the nearby towns and places), low floor A/C Volvo service (operates every 30-40 minutes only to Kochi City via Aluva, Kalamassery, Vytilla and terminates at Fort Cochin). The charge from the airport to City Junction (Vytilla Junction) is around Rs 60, and around Rs 80 to Fort Cochin when using low floor A/C Volvo services. All the bus services stop only at the bus point located near departure gate of the international terminal (city-side).
By taxi

There are regular and prepaid white taxis with no signs. Regular taxis can be caught from the taxi stand on the right side of the departure gate of the international terminal. Pre-paid taxis need to be booked at the counter in the arrival hall of either terminal. Take a receipt and walk to the prepaid taxi stand to catch your taxi. For transfers to Kochi city or airport transfers, the standard charge is Rs 510 for non air-conditioned cab or Rs 650 for A/C Cab, with an additional premium of 15-25% as night charges (7PM-6AM), while it costs only Rs 250 for a trip to Aluva. Cochin Airport recently started pre-paid airport cab services using its own fleet of various segments for short tours, city tours and transfers to other airports which is priced at standard govt rates.
By car

Many car rental companies operates counters in the arrival area of both terminals. Many hotels and travel agents provide free pick-up/drop-off services in their cars.
[edit] By copter

Pawan Hans, located in departure gate of domestic terminal, operates a wide range of helicopter services to almost all parts of city as well as state, which requires a prior booking. K-Air also operates air-taxi and private jets.
By train

Kochi is well connected by train from all parts of India. Most Kerala-bound trains have a major stop here. There are two major rail terminals inside the city limits.

* Ernakulam Town Station (North Station), (IR Code : ERN), +91-484-2395198, is mainly for Inter City trains and a few long distance trains.

* Ernakulam Junction Station (South Station), (IR Code : ERS) +91-484-2353751 (service inquiries 131, 133, reservations 132, 1361) is a major Indian railways station. Most of the long distance trains to and from Kerala pass through here. There is a good food court, large waiting areas, book shops, a medical shop and a few retiring rooms along with a dorm. Some of the major trains that pass through this station are:
By bus

Kochi is accessible from all parts of the country as well as other parts of the state, through the extensive state run Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus service, as well as those run by other states. Most inter-state buses start and end their journey from KSRTC Central & Inter-state Bus Station (CBS), located in the heart of the city at Rajaji Rd. To reduce congestion at CBS, some KSRTC buses start/end their services at KSRTC Boat Jetty Stand located in Park Avenue.

KSRTC operates six type of service; Ordinary (no frills), Limited Ordinary (limited stop), Fast Passenger(point-to-point), Super Fast(Regular and A/C services), Deluxe(premium A/C) and Garuda (luxury Volvo). Sleeper Buses also ply overnight routes. Karnataka State buses run daily services from Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore with two type of services, the Rajahamsa (executive push-back service) and Airavat (A/c Sleeper service). Tamil Nadu SETC operates superfast and executive services to many destinations like Madurai, Palani, Ooty, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Trichy.

Daily services to and from other major cities in South India such as Mumbai, Bangalore(12 hrs), Mangalore (12 hrs), Coimbatore (4.5 hrs) and Chennai (14 hrs), are operated by national players mostly based in MG Road, where almost all services start and end. All these buses are executive or premium services offering air-conditioned travel with good facilities and higher prices to match.

There are also numerous private buses connecting almost every district, city and town in Kerala. All private buses start/stop their journey at the Private Bus Terminal (PBT) in Kaloor. These offer very basic comforts and are rarely air-conditioned.
By car

Kochi is well connected by road from all parts of the state as well as other major cities. Three major national highways connect Kochi with other parts of country.

* NH 17, the 7th longest highway in India, connects Kochi with Mumbai via most of major towns in Malabar, Mangalore, Goa.
* The heavily congested NH 47 connects Thiruvananthapuram with Kochi and continues on to Coimbatore and Salem in Tamil Nadu via Palakkad and Thrissur.
* NH 49 connects Kochi with Ramaeswaram in Tamil Nadu which passes through Madurai via Munnar.

Kochi is well connected to other parts of state through various state highways.

By boat

Kochi can be reached by sea in yachts or the occasional cruise ship from Goa, Mumbai, Lakshadweep, Colombo and Male. Many cruises operate to Kochi from the US and Europe, but there is no booking office or boarding point in Kochi. There is a direct ferry service between Kochi and Colombo.

Hotels, Lodge Guest Houses and Homestays in Kochi.

Homestays allows you to stay with a family in their regular home as a paying guest, enjoying the hospitality and warmth of traditional Kerala family life. This started in Fort Kochi especially for backpackers and hippies. However today homestays have emerged as one of the most successful hospitality ventures outside hotels and resorts, and there are more than 200 across Fort Kochi

* Riverside Heritage Homestay, Cochin, ☎ 9388558830,

* Tag und Nacht (Homestay), Beach Road, Mackenzie Garden, 682001 Fort Cochin (opposite the Naval Maritime Museum), ☎ +91-9846012604 (tagundnacht1@gmail.com), [9]. Rs. 500-1200. editVery clean and beautifully decorated rooms with comfortable beds. The owners, Antonio & Kristina, are extremely friendly and helpful. They provide free wifi, help people with arranging trips inside and outside of town, make fabulous breakfasts, and are willing to make your stay a pleasure.

* Dream Catcher Home Stay, Vasavan Lane Road (Near Thamaraparambu Schoo), ☎ 0484 2217550 / 9746017881 (dreamcatcheronita@vsnl.net). Good home-cooked food, clean rooms, but host quite unpleasant. Will pick up from Bus/Railway station free of charge Rs. 600-1200.

* Green House Home Stay, Kunnumpuram Road, Njaliparambu, Fort Kochi, ☎ 0091-9895262296 (greenhousehomestay@yahoo.com). Very nice and friendly home stay in a good location close to Princess Street (where Kumar has a shop, so try to track him down there if you can't reach him otherwise), which also offers a TV and a fridge in the common room/living room In high season doubles are around Rs500 (or more if you want A/C), whereas we paid Rs250 during the low season (May 2008). edit

* Leelu Home, Fort Kochi, Cheerans Ebenezer, Behind Fort Kochi Post Office, Quirose Street, '''Fort Kochi''' 682 001. (Hardly a 2 minute walk from the famous Santa Cruz Basilica), ☎ 0091-484-2215377,. A recently renovated Victorian building in the heart of Fort Kochi. Cooking classes are conducted in the kitchen daily from 11AM-1PM and from 6PM-8PM

Budget

* Hotel Fort Avenue, (Near old Bazaar), ☎ 0091-484-2226103. A well maintained hotel. Budget.

* Casa Linda Ballard, (Near St.Paul's School), ☎ Ph: 91-484-2216888. A well maintained hotel in typical European style. Budget.

* Hotel White Rose, ☎ Ph: 91-484-3236004. A new hotel, which is clean and good looking. This is ideal for families Budget.

Mid-range

* Ballard Bungalow, ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2215854. A heritage colonial bungalow, which still maintains the colonial charms and recreates an atmosphere of the British Raj. Moderate.

* Old Courtyard, (Near Vasco Da Gama Square), ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2215035. An old Dutch bungalow, remodelled with modern interiors. Famous for lovely dinner parties. Moderate.

* Gama Heritage Residency, ☎ Ph: 0091-484-2217475. A typical Portuguese bungalow, which housed the Portuguese army until its defeat by Dutch forces. Today it's a stylish heritage hotel, famous for its hospitality.

Splurge

* Taj Malabar, Willingdon Island, ☎ 0091-484-6643000/2666811, [11]. On the tip of Willingdon Island, this has to be one of the best located properties in Kochi. Its heritage wing was built in 1935 to accommodate the visiting Princess of Wales, and later to accommodate senior officials of the Royal Navy. It is full of Victorian furniture and was a Crown Property until its handover to the Taj Group in 1954. The tower wing is more modern.

* Brunton Boatyard, Near Jetty, Beach Road, ☎ 0091-484-2215461. A heritage bungalow, once built as Dutch Governor's Palace. It has huge Dutch styled gardens, Kerala-dutch style interiors, large cannons and good restaurants.

* Koder House, Opposite Beach Park, Tower Road, ☎ 0091-484-2218485. Once home to an affluent Jewish Couple, today this has is a large Jewish theme hotel. It has a good restaurant which serves authentic Jewish Kosher certified food and a very large indoor pool.

* Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel, Opposite Fort Kochi, Beach Road (Next to INS Dronarchary of Indian Navy), ☎ 0091-484-305 0102. This heritage property was once the residence of Sir Robert Bristow - the architect and father of modern Kochi Port. It has opulent interiors in a traditional English style and a good antique collection, along with large pools, a garden and host of other facilities.

Ernakulam City

Budget

* Maple Regency Hotel, Cannon Shed Road, Ernakulam, ☎ +91-484-2371711 (mapleregency@airtelmail.in). Near the main boat jetty, well located, friendly with a good restaurant. Rooms are from USD 6.50 to 10.00.

* Hotel Aiswarya, Warriam Road (Near Durbar Hall Ground), ☎ +91-484-2364454, . This is a good, well maintained hotel. Nice interiors and good hospitality. Located in heart of the city.

* Hotel Excellency, Nettipadom Road, Ernakulam South (Near Avenue Regent), ☎ +91-484-2378251, . Located very near to South Railway station, this is a moderate business hotel. Very good interiors and restaurant and nice staff. Rs 750-Rs 1500/ night.

* Hotel Bijus, Cannon Shed Road, Near Boat Jetty (Near General Hospital), ☎ +91-484-2361661/2381881,  Ideal hotel for budget tourist. A well maintained, clean and nice hotel.

Mid-range

* Times Square, Layam Road, Near Durbar Hall Ground (Opposite Chief Justice's House), ☎ +91-484-2374488,  Ideal luxury business hotel, located very near the shopping quarters of MG Road with a very good multi-cuisine restaurant.

* BTH, BTH Round, Durbar Hall Road (Near to Shiva Temple), ☎ +91-484-2353501. The oldest business hotel of the town, BTH is a popular option, especially among Indian families. It has good lawns, a large pool and famous vegetarian restaurants.

* Avenue Center Hotel, Panampally Nagar (Opposite Rotary Club and near to Passport office), ☎ +91-484-2315301/2, A posh hotel located in an upscale residential area. This is a good hotel with a multi-cuisine restaurant and pools.

* Abad Plaza, Kavitha Junction, MG Road, ☎ +91-484-2384380, . One of the oldest hotels in town. There is another hotel just behind which belongs to this chain. It has good restaurants, pools, gyms, spa, supermarket, bookshop and business facilities. Located right in center of the city.

* Sealord, Marine Drive, ☎ +91-484-2382472/3, . A very famous tourist hotel, it was one of the first star rated hotel, offering rooms at moderate rate. Has good restaurants and a pub.

Splurge

* The Gateway Hotel (Formerly Taj Residency), Marine Drive, City,  Near the harbour with good sea views. Popular amongst business vistors and upscale tourists. It has very large pools, cafe, gardens and own ferry services. This is a 4 star property of the Taj Group.

* Le Meridian, Maradu Junction, . One of the most exclusive addresses in town famous for its large convention center. It has a host of facilities. Near to riverside, it offers good boating facilities and has an indoor shopping complex selling famous luxury items

* Gokulam Park Inn International, Kaloor (opposite Techno-towers), ☎ +91-484-2400707. A 4 star property located in the business corner of Kochi. It has a a good convention center and a host of facilities.

* Dreams, S.A Road, Kadavanthara, ☎ +91-484-4129999. A premium property which is a sister concern of Times Hotel-New York, with all 5 star facilities

* Harbour View, Opp.Shipyard, Atlantis Junction, MG Road, ☎ +91-484-2358444. Ideal Business class hotels, with lot of premium features, located in main areas of city

* Renaissance Hotel, Palarivattom Junction, ☎ +91-484-3919000.

Resorts

* Ramada Resorts, Kumbalam Ferry Road, Off NH 47 Road, Panagad, ☎ +91-484-3011100. Famous for its large network of pools on one side and backwaters on other side, the idyllic cottages provides a good relief from stress and all good premium facilities

* Bolgatty Palace Hotel, Bolgatty Island, ☎ +91-484-2355003. A sleep in historic property where English celebrated their life, this property of KTDC is a favorite among splurge tourists who wish to keep off the rush of city. Famous for its honeymoon cottages and grand lawns along with large horsing tracks , marina and golf club edit

* Cherai Beach Resort, Cherai Beach, ☎ +91-484-2416949/2481818. Popular among beach lovers of Cherai, this has a idyllic beach village cottages, with facilities of nearby backwater cruise and village tours.

Kochi / Kochin Hotels by surrounding cities, local city and area:- Fort Cochin - Mattancherry *** Willingdon Island *** Cochin area *** Nedumbassery *** Mulavukadu *** Cochin.