Things to do in Kerala
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Houseboat
Renting a houseboat designed like a kettuvallam (rice barge) could be one of your most expensive experiences in India, but it's worth every darned rupee. Drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously authentic Keralan food, meeting local villagers and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars - it's a world away from the clamour of India.
Houseboats cater for groups (up to eight bunks) or couples (one or two double bedrooms). Food (and an onboard chef to cook it) is generally included in the quoted cost. Houseboats can be chartered through the DTPC in Kollam or Alleppey, or a multitude of private operators.
This is the biggest business in K…
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Dal Roti
You’ll hear the buzz about this place before you even arrive in town – it’s the best food in Fort Cochin. Friendly and knowledgable owner Ramesh will hold your hand through his expansive North Indian menu, which even sports its own glossary, and help you dive in to his delicious range of vegetarian, eggetarian and nonvegetarian options. The setting is chic minimalist, with whitewashed walls and bench seating, helping you focus on the yummy dishes here.
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Cinnamon
Cinnamon sells gorgeous Indian-designed clothing, jewellery and homewares in an ultrachic white retail space.
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Tourist Cruises
The popular cruise between Kollam and Alleppey departs at 10:30 and arrives at 18:30, operating daily from August to March and every second day at other times. Many hotels in Kollam and Alleppey take bookings for one or other of these services; some offer cheaper rates but you'll end up paying the difference on board.
Generally, there are two stops: a 13:00 lunch stop (be aware that you'll pay extra for every element over the standard meal!) and a brief afternoon chai stop. The crew has an ice box full of fruit, soft drinks and beer to sell. Bring sunscreen and a hat.
It's a scenic and leisurely way to get between the two towns, but as a backwater experience the cruise is …
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Synagogue
This synagogue, originally built in 1568, was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Kochi. It features an ornate gold pulpit and intricate, hand-painted, willow-pattern floor tiles from Canton, China. It’s magnificently illuminated by chandeliers (from Belgium) and coloured-glass lamps. The graceful clock tower was built in 1760. There is an upstairs balcony for women who worshipped separately according to Orthodox rites. Note that shorts or sleeveless tops are not allowed inside.
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Zoological gardens
The modern zoological gardens are among the most impressive in India. There are shaded paths meandering through woodland and lakes, where animals, such as tigers, macaques and lots of bird-life, happily frolic in massive, open enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. There’s a separate reptile house (entrance with zoo ticket), where dozens of the slithery things do their thing and cobras frequently flare their hoods – just don’t ask what the cute guinea pigs are here for.
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St Francis Church
Believed to be India’s oldest European-built church, St Francis Church was originally constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars. The edifice that stands here today was built in the mid-16th century to replace the original wooden structure. Adventurer Vasco da Gama, who died in Cochin in 1524, was buried on this spot for 14 years before his remains were taken to Lisbon – you can still visit his tombstone in the church.
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Teapot
This stylish haunt is the perfect venue for ‘high tea’, with quality teas, sandwiches and full meals served in chic-minimalist, airy rooms. Witty tea-themed accents include loads of antique teapots, tea chests for tables and a gnarled, tea-tree based glass table. The death by chocolate here (Rs50) is truly cocoa homicide. Trust us.
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Kashi Art Cafe
An institution in Fort Cochin, this place has a hip-but-casual vibe, along with hip-but-casual service. The coffee is as strong as it should be and the daily Western breakfast and lunch specials are excellent. A small gallery shows off local artists.
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Thaff
An absurdly popular joint that has scrumptious Indian bites, with some Arabic flavours mixed in, to boot. It does succulent roast spit-chicken (Rs90), scrumptious shawarma (Rs25) and brain-freezing cold ice-cream shakes (Rs25).
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Solar Cafe
This arty and funky cafe at Draavidia Gallery serves up organic breakfasts and lunches in a brightly coloured and friendly setting. There’s a fun open kitchen and the upstairs veranda seating overlooks the hubbub of the street below.
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Abraham’s Spice Garden
If you’d rather do a spice tour independently, you can visit a few excellent gardens outside Kumily. Abraham’s Spice Garden has been going for 56 years and does tours of its one-hectare garden for Rs100.
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Frys Village Restaurant
This cavernous family restaurant is one of the best places in town for authentic Keralan food, especially for seafood like pollichathu (fish in banana leaves) or crab roast (Rs50 to Rs100 depending on size).
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Bekal Beach
The Bekal beach encompasses a grassy park and a long, beautiful stretch of sand that turns into a circus on weekends and holidays when local families descend here for rambunctious leisure time.
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Pizza Corner
A bit of East meets West, with tasty pizza’s sporting everything from traditional toppings (margarita) to Indian twists on a theme (ie Punjabi chicken tikka).
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Salt 'n' Pepper
Superbly average food, but the streetside tables bustle nightly with punters having a special-teapot tipple.
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The Backwaters
Trips through the backwaters cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, and travel along narrow, shady canals where coir (coconut fibre), copra (dried coconut meat) and cashews are loaded onto boats. Along the way are small villages with mosques, churches, temples and schools, villagers going about their daily chores, and tiny settlements where people live on narrow spits of reclaimed land only a few metres wide.
Travelling through the 900km network of waterways that fringe the coast and trickle far inland is the undisputed main attraction of a trip to Kerala. Long before the advent of roads these waterways were the slippery highways…
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Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission is the incongruously pink ashram of Matha Amrithanandamayi. One of India’s few female gurus, Amrithanandamayi is also known as Amma (Mother), or ‘The Hugging Mother, ’ because of the darshan (blessing) she practises, often hugging thousands of people in marathon all-night sessions. The ashram runs official tours at 5pm each day. It’s a huge complex, with about 2000 people living here permanently – monks, nuns, students, Indian families and Westerners. It offers food, ayurvedic treatments, yoga and meditation, as well as souvenirs from the cult of Amma, everything from books to postcards of her toes. Amma travels around for much of the …
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Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 10km past Marayoor and 60km northeast of Munnar, hosts deer, leopards, elephants and the endangered grizzled giant squirrel. Trekking (Rs100 for three hours) and tree house (single/double Rs1000/1250) or hut stays (single Rs1500 to Rs2500, double Rs1800 to Rs3000) within the sanctuary are available, as well as ecotour programs like river-trekking, cultural visits, and waterfall treks (around Rs100). For details contact the Forest Information Centre in Munnar. Buses from Munnar heading to Coimbatore can drop you off at Chinnar (Rs31, 1½ hours).
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Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram
Just before Neyyar Dam, this superbly located ashram, established in 1978, is renowned for its hatha yoga courses. Courses start on the 1st and 16th of each month, run for a minimum of two weeks and cost Rs600 per day for accommodation in a double room (Rs450 in dormitories). Low season (May to September) rates are Rs100 less. There’s an exacting schedule (5.30am to 10pm) of yoga practice, meditation and chanting; and students rave about the food (included in the rates). Bookings are required. Month-long yoga-teacher training and ayurvedic massage courses are also available.
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Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam, 32km northeast of Thrissur at Cheruthuruthy, is a champion of Kerala’s traditional-art renaissance. Using an ancient Gurukula system of learning, students undergo intensive study in Kathakali, mohiniyattam (classical dance), kootiattam, percussion, voice and violin. Structured visits are available, including a tour around the theatre and classes. Individually tailored introductory courses are offered one subject at a time (between six and 12 months; around Rs1500 per month, plus Rs1500 for accommodation).
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Hill Palace Museum
Hill Palace Museum at Tripunithura, 12km southeast of Ernakulam en route to Kottayam, was formerly the residence of the Kochi royal family and is an impressive 49-building palace complex. It now houses the collections of the royal families, as well as 19th-century oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and paintings, and temple models. From Ernakulam catch the bus to Tripunithura from MG Rd or Shanmugham Rd, behind the Tourist Reception Centre (Rs5, 45 minutes); an autorickshaw should cost around Rs250 return with one-hour waiting time.
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Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
Possibly the most protected environment in South India – it’s nestled behind three dams in a valley surrounded by Keralan and Tamil Nadu sanctuaries – Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary constitutes 285 sq km of Kipling-storybook scenery and wildlife-spotting goodness. It’s home to elephants, bison, gaur, sloths, sambar, crocodiles, tigers, panthers and some of the largest teak trees in Asia. The sanctuary is best avoided during monsoon (June to August) and it sometimes closes in March and April.
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Natana Kairali Research & Performing Centre for Traditional Arts
Natana Kairali Research & Performing Centre for Traditional Arts, 20km south of Thrissur near Irinjalakuda, offers training in traditional arts, including rare forms of puppetry and dance. Short appreciation courses lasting up to a month are sometimes available to keen foreigners (about Rs250 per class). In December each year, the centre holds five days of mohiniyattam (dance of the temptress) performances, a form of classical Keralan women’s dance.
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