Things To Do

Houseboat
What better way to experience Kerala’s backwaters than on a houseboat? Hire a houseboat for a day or for an overnight stay and visit backwater villages and towns. You can travel to Alleppey, Kollam and Kumarakom, too, on such a boat. Or just go for a four-hour ride around the Cochin backwaters.

Have freshly-prepared, local cuisine and toddy that will keep your taste buds tingling way after the ride. You can meander through canals – small and big – and watch people go about their daily life here. Watch a crimson sunset take over the sky. You might spot a dolphin or two swimming by your boat.

You can also get down at a village and interact with the villager, share thoughts and learn a thing or two from them. Don’t forget to step down at a church or temple on the banks.

Attend a boat race
Snake boat races are held on the Punnamada and Vembanad Lakes during August-September. They are watched by a lot of tourists and natives. People gather on both sides of the lake to watch these over-70m long boats captivate them. Some of these boats are “manned” by women, too.

There will be cultural programs and functions in the evenings that you can watch and enjoy. Move from one town to another as the races move, too. Once the peak season is over, you might even get a chance to row in one of the boats before they pack up for the year.

Sunset at Marine Drive
This sea paradise extends for more than two km on Kochi’s coast. Marine Drive is located in the heart of the city, and has become one of its famous landmarks. The walkway is neat and has well-trimmed trees and bushes. You can watch beautiful sunsets from here.

There are restaurants and shops on the waterfront. A mall right beside it has many shops and eateries you can try.

Shopping
You can’t leave Cochin without shopping! Shopping is possible in the city as well in suburbs like Fort Cochin and Mattancherry. Fort Cochin, with its handicrafts shops, silk outlets and exquisite antique shops, makes for a great evening of shopping. You can buy clothes, beaded necklaces, and even wooden miniatures of houseboats, elephants and Chinese fishing nets.

In the city, you can shop for coir products, textiles, curios and food items. Broadway is a great place to buy indigenous products. It is right opposite the Marine Drive.

Kodanad
There’s a mini zoo and an elephant kraal where elephants are trained. You can see how they are housed, taken care of and trained. It is about an hour and a half from the city. The nearest railway station is at Aluva, situated 28km to the west of the village. The nearest airport is the Nedumbassery Airport.

It is a true Kerala village with its natural beauty and is a treat to its visitors. There are walkways beside the Periyar river, providing an excellent view of the river and a serene location to relax. You can go on elephant safaris, too.

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
It is a popular bird sanctuary in the middle of the Kochi city. Where the backwaters and the Arabian Sea meet, Mangalavanam is a roosting place for exotic varieties of resident and migratory birds. This mangrove area has a shallow, freshwater lake in the middle, and its edges are covered with thick mangrove vegetation. The sanctuary is easily accessible by road. It is right behind the
High Court of Kerala complex in the city.

Athirappilly-Vazhachal Waterfalls
Located 78km from Kochi, Athirappally Waterfalls stands at the entrance to Sholayar hill ranges. This popular picnic spot is home to some of Kerala’s tropical flora and fauna.

They are relatively calm most of the year, but during monsoons the water gushes down with great force. They might be extremely dangerous, especially to swim in the pond below.

Just few kilometers from Athirappilly waterfalls is the Vazhachal waterfalls which is also another popular tourist spot. The hills surrounding both the waterfalls are replete with nature trails and trekking routes. A few resorts that have come up in the area make for a great outing.

Things To Do

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