Kochi used to be known as Cochin. This large city is in the Kerala state. It is at times referred to as 'God's Country', the Queen of Arabian Sea, and the Gateway to the state of Kerala. With so many catch phrases associated with this one city, it is easy to see how influential this place has been throughout the centuries.

Throughout history, the Arabs, the Chinese, the British, the Dutch, and the Portuguese have all left marks. In fact, Kochi is virtually one big cultural melting pot because of the various migrations that have occurred here over several millennia. This city was the first European colonial settlement in all of India. Over the years, Cochin has come up as the industrial and commercial capital of Kerala and it can be nominated as the second most important city on the Indian west coast. It is only surpassed in importance by Bombay. Today, Kochi has world class airport as well as an international port.

This beautiful city has the Western Ghats to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is also located near the equator. These three factors all together help to make Kochi an outstanding place to visit.

Although Kochi itself is strictly speaking a small town, the area now resembles large metropolis that have many towns that have merged into one. The town has three main parts- Fort Kochi, Willington Island and Ernakulam. Fort Kochi (Fort Kochi) occupies the South promontory on the sea ward side of the Bay. In 1920, Willington Island was created by dredging the bay to increase the depth of the entrance to the harbour. Across the causeway from Willington Island is Ernakulam. The Bolghatty Island, a long narrow peninsula, is situated at the opposite side of Ernakulam jetty. The Vypeen island is another peninsula situated beyond the Bolghatty island.

Kochi was the first city to join the Indian Union when it gained independence in 1947.

State:		Kerala
District Area:		2408 sq.km
Population:		Approx. 27,97,800
STD Code:		0484
Best time to visit:		January - April, August, September and December
Rainfall:		350 cm (Annual) Season: June - August, October and November
Temperature:		Summer: Max. 33°C, Min. 24°C Winter: Max. 32°C, Min. 22°C Warm Tropical
Local Languages:		Malayalam and English
Clothing:		Tropical Cottons
Religion:		Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Jewism

Backwaters
While you are in Kochi, you will come across many backwater options to enchant and refresh you. Popular as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi is a group of islands on the huge expanse of the Vembanad Lake. Some of these picturesque islands are Bolgatty, Vypeen, Gundu and Vallarpadam. The Vembanad Lake opens out into the Arabian Sea here to form one of the finest natural harbours in the world, making Kochi a fascinating blend of diverse cultures and influences. The interlinking of waterways has made Kochi a place, from where many backwater houseboat cruises begin or end.

Santa Cruz Basilica
This monumental church dates back to 1558 and has beautiful paintings on the ceiling.

St. Francis Church
Built in 1503 by Portuguese Friars, it is the India's oldest European church. It was restored in 1779 by the protestant Dutch, converted to an Anglican Church by the British in 1795, and is presently used by the church of South India. Vasco da Gama's remains were buried here in 1524, and later moved to Lisbon, Portugal but his tombstone still remains.

Mattancherry Palace
It was built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. The Dutch renovated the palace in 1663. On display here are beautiful murals depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata and some of the Puranic legends.

Bolghatty Palace
A beautiful island near the Ernakulam, Bolghatty is famous for the Bolghatty Palace built by the Dutch. The Bolghatty palace, once the residence of the British resident of Kochi, is now a KTDC (Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) hotel.

Cherai Beach
This lovely beach bordering Vypeen Island is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occasionally seen here. A typical Kerala village with paddy fields and coconut groves nearby is an added attraction of this beach.

Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithra
The Hill Palace, the official residence of the Kochi royal family was built in 1865. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with a Deer Park and facilities for horse riding. Displayed inside the thirteen galleries in the museum are oil paintings, murals, 19th century paintings, manuscripts, sculpture in stone and plaster of Paris, inscriptions and coins belonging to the Kochi royal family.

Pareekshith Thampuran Museum
This extensive and traditional Kerala style building earlier called the Durbar Hall, houses 19th century oil paintings, a collection of old coins, sculptures and Mughal paintings. The Pareekshith Thampuran Museum remains open from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm.

Willingdon Island
Named after Lord Willingdon, the British viceroy to India, this man-made island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters. The Willingdon Island is the site of the city's best hotels, customs and trading centers, the port trust and also the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command.

Jewish Synagogue
Built in 1568, it is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth countries. Known for mid 18th century hand printed, willow pattern floor tiles from Canton in China, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, a dock tower, ancient scripts on copper plates etc, the Synagogue is a place worth seeing in Kochi.

Vypeen Island
There is a magnificent lighthouse at Ochanthuruth, which remains open from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm daily.


Kochi Excursions

Alappuzha
Also known by the name of Venice of the East, Alappuzha is famous for its boat races, beaches, backwater houseboat, marine products and the coir industry. A remarkable characteristic of this land is the region called Kuttanad. Kuttanad, also called the granary of Kerala, is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level.

Kalady
Kalady is located on the banks of the river Periyar. Kalady is the birthplace of the 8th century Advaita philosopher, Sri Shankaracharya. The Kalady town is famous for its numerous temples.

Aluva
Just north of Kochi, Aluva town is situated on the banks of the river Periyar. The town is well known for its Shivaratri festival, celebrated in the months of February- March and attended by thousands of devotees.

Kumarakom
Kumarakom is about 90 km from Kochi. This distinctive backwater destination situated on the banks of the Vembanad Lake and is considered the gateway to the backwaters of Kuttanad. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a favorite haunt of migratory birds from different parts of the world, making it a renowned bird watching center.

Malayatoor Church
Malayatoor Church is a famous Christian pilgrim center. This 9th century Catholic Church is situated on the 609 m high Malayatoor Hill. St. Thomas, the apostle, is believed to have prayed in this Church.

Cheeyappara Waterfalls
The Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls are one of the important and famous excursion points around Kochi. They are located between Neriamangalam and Adimali on the Kochi-Madurai highway. It is interesting to note that the Cheeyappara Falls cascades down in seven steps.

Thommankuthu Waterfalls
Located about 20 km from Thodupuzha, Thommankuthu is a small, beautiful, wild and amazing waterfall. Thommankuthu waterfall attracts thousands of tourists every year. The wild beauty of the amazing waterfall steals the heart of any traveler.

The geographical location of the city has a great influence on Kochi Weather . Since Kochi is situated by seaside, the sea has considerable influence on Kochi climate. The city has a tropical climate, which means it has a hot and humid climate with heavy rainfall.

Located just 10º north of the equator, Kochi has a uniform climate all throughout the year. It is extremely hot and humid throughout the year. There is no winter season as such in Kochi. Rainfall is one of the important features of the weather of Kochi.

Summers
The summer season in Kochi spans from March-June. During this time temperatures are high and the maximum temperature ranges to around 35ºC. There are also frequent showers that hit Kochi city during the summers.

Monsoons
Monsoons in Kochi span from June to September. During this time there is heavy thunder and lightning accompanied with heavy downpour. The average rainfall that Kochi experiences during this time of the year is about 350cms. The monsoons in Kochi are due to the south-west winds. The city also experiences rainfall in the months of October-December. This period is known as the retreating monsoons. The north-west winds are responsible for the rains at this time of the year.

Winters
Winter in Kochi is cool and dry. There is no rainfall at this time of the year. December –February are the winter months in Kochi. During this time of the year, the temperature remains in the range of 20ºC-35ºC.

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Kochi is one of the most important cities of Kerala. Reaching Kochi is not difficult at all as this place is well connected by air, rail and road. So if the question of how to reach Kochi has been bothering you, read on further and know more about traveling to Kochi.

By Air:
The Kochi International Airport in Kerala ensures that tourists coming from outside India have no problems in accessing God's own country. The airport has flights operating on a daily basis all over India and to many nearby countries.

By Rail:
Kochi has 3 main railway junctions namely Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town and Kochi Harbor Terminus. You can find trains to any destination within Kerala or India from these three stations.

By Road:
Kochi has a wide network of roads that connect all major as well as remote places to Kochi. Kochi has a good network of national highways also, which connects the place with major metros in India.