Cheap Flights to Kochi Jazeera Airways Tickets from EUR 297*

Discover Kochi

Visitors have been attracted to the beautiful shores of Kochi for over 600 years. The result is a fascinating mix of Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and British cultures. This helped Kochi to prosper and become a prominent commercial gateway in India. The city is the financial capital of Kerala and characterized by its bustling commercial port. With a population of more than 2 million, Kochi is packed with major tourist attractions.

A whole host of conveniences mean that tourists will not miss home too much. There is no shortage of banks, travel agents, tour operators, hospitals, pharmacies and other emergency services.

Here's more good news - the internet services work extremely well to help you stay in touch with friends and family back home. And what's heartening is that Kochi is known to be one of the safest cities in India so you can be sure of a hassle-free holiday.

Cherai Beach

The golden Cherai Beach is one of the safest beaches to swim, indulge in water sports or play beach games. The Beach surpasses is well known for its coconut groves and the unexpected sights of dolphins is an added attraction.

Onam

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. The Carnival of Onam lasts from four to ten days (mid Aug-mid Sept) and is the high point of the Kochi festive calendar.

The Waterways

Kerala's backwaters are a labyrinth of rivers and canals that weave their way through forests, spice plantations and paddy fields. Exploring these waterways on a converted rice barge offers a first-hand experience of the slow pace of life here.

Historical Towns

Beyond mainland Ernakulam are the historical towns of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry, with a charm of their own. Willingdon and Vypeen, the other two islands (popular with honeymooners) are linked by a network of ferries and bridges.

Shopping

Big western style shopping malls are common in Kochi. The largest mall in India the Lulu International Mall is located in Kochi. Apart from shopping malls, there are numerous of shopping complexes offering a range of goods. The Onam Festival is one of the best shopping seasons, when you can pick up generous bargains. Christmas is the next best season.

In addition, the Kerala Government organises the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (15 Dec-30 Jan), to promote Kerala as a shopping destination. Don't miss the ever-popular Broadway Market, one of the Kochi's oldest shopping corners. Here you can buy anything from hair clips to motorcycles.

Food And Drink

Due to its chequered history, the city is a melting pot of various cultures, and this diversity is evident in the cuisine. It comes as no surprise that as a coastal city seafood is a speciality. With the backwaters, freshwater fish is also popular here. Prawns, squids and shrimps are easily available and cooked in a variety of styles.

Kochi has a variety of cheap restaurants all over the city. Popular with both locals and visitors are the Thattukadas (street side food hawkers), where you can get hot, fresh-cooked delicious food for next to nothing.

If you're in a hurry to eat and run, Kochi has some home-grown fast food chains: KR Hot Chicken, 61 Pai Dosas, Luciya's Food Court, Potpurri, The Oven, Krispy Chicken, Arabian Treat, Papa Milano's and Breadworld. Foreign franchises such as KFC, Chicking, Noodle Kings, US Pizzas, Marrybrown, Pizza Hut and Domino's are also found here.