Kochi embraced us in a tight warm hug as soon as we landed at the airport. Despite the reading of 26 degrees on the weather app and the clouds in the sky, the January weather in Kochi was humid and warm, reminding us that we were super close to the beach. I was very excited about our Kerala trip and was looking forward to exploring Kochi. I had been to Kochi before as a college student but that had only fleeting memories of the regular sightseeing places and was hoping to cover much more now.

Monish and I spent two days in Kochi and loved every moment of it, our experiences might be touted as offbeat for travelers but we certainly lived like any other Kochiite during that time. However, these 6 experiences defined my Kochi trip –

1) Being awestruck by Kalaripayattu

I had heard and seen a lot of Kalaripayattu on TV (Being a travel TV addict I have probably seen every country on TV!), but I had never had the chance to see a live performance. Kalaripayattu is a martial art from Kerala and practitioners are finding it difficult to survive in this modern day and age. Generally it is learnt in the traditional guru and disciple format and we reached at Kerala Kathakali Centre on Jacob Road in Fort Kochi to watch a performance.

The cost of the Kalaripayattu performance costs Rs.300 per head and goes on for an hour. As we sat in the indoor hall, a narrator came in to explain the art of kalaripayattu and was followed by two martial artists who kept us at the edge of our seats! With a variety of weapons they displayed their skill and passion for the art with an ease which stunned us. Especially the display of the ‘Urumi’ which is a unique weapon, it has ribbon like strands which are razor sharp and can even behead an opponent if used properly!

2) Riding in the bylanes of Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi was essentially a fishing village and is today a tourism hub; it reminded me of other tourist hubs like Hampi, Gokarna, Varkala and Manali. It has its roots back to the mystical times of the ancient city of Muziris but recorded sources date it back to about 1500s when it was an important hub for spice trade. Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and British, they all have had an imprint on the town through their architecture and culture.

One of the best things we did was to hire a bike to explore the town, for a mere Rs.400 you can rent an Activa for a day from the many restaurants which act as tourist information centers. Watching the quaint buildings and churches rush past, as the sea breeze left its salty taste on your skin was an amazing experience!

3) Being pleasantly shocked on the Rs.3 Ferry Ride

We had wanted to take a ferry ride and so ended up at the Fort Kochi – Vypin Ferry Terminal. There was a ferry which was just waiting to leave, however it was filled with regular folks who use it to get to the other side at Vypin. It was not a tourist ferry but we decided to act on a whim nevertheless and when we took the ticket, we were shocked at its cost, Rs.3 only!!

It was the peak of demonetization but somehow we fished out the right change for the ride. It was a fairly big boat and there were hardly any people on it. As the ferry moved out on to the water, idly moving along to the other end, we could see the entire shore of Fort Kochi with its fishing boats, old buildings and the numerous sea facing restaurants.

And of course the jewels of Fort Kochi, the Chinese Fishing nets! They made such a pretty picture against the setting sun. We took the ferry back again, enjoying the beautiful breeze. Never have I spent Rs.3 in a better fashion!

4) Enjoying Masala Chai watching the ships go by

We loved the sea and wanted to sit there and enjoy for longer but the terminal was a busy place and there was no place to just sit. So we headed to the Hotel Marina Sea Face which is located right beside the terminal. The place is a small budget restaurant but has a really cool artistic vibe to it; all the walls are painted with fantastic murals depicting the city.

We were right in time for sunset, and while we couldn’t really see the sunset we saw the day turn to night and the twinkling lights of the ships around us. Sipping on a hot masala chai and watching the city life go by was such a calming experience.

It lasted till the mosquitoes got to us!

5) Soaking in the city at Fort Kochi Beach

We spent the next evening at the Fort Kochi Beach, I was expecting a bigger beach but this was relatively small. Being a Saturday evening, it was thronged by families and groups of youngsters who were out to have a fun evening out at the beach. Picking a spot to sit was tough but we found a good one right opposite the ‘Fish Cemetery’, it is a unique art installation to create awareness about plastic pollution in the backwaters.

I enjoyed watching the waves hit the rocks as I munched on the tangy raw mango. This is something peculiar that you will find everywhere you go in Kerala, Malayalees love their marinated raw mango! Usually it is simply raw mango in brine, but other fruits like gooseberry and pineapple are also used. I chose the spicy raw mango laden with more chilli, it was a steal for Rs.10!

We sat there and indulged in our favourite hobby of people watching, sometimes just sitting in one place can tell you so much about a place and its people.

6) Bringing in the early morning catch of fish

How can I even list down my favourite moments about Fort Kochi without a mention of the Chinese Fishing Nets?! These monstrosities are literally a blast from the past; the fishermen here use these contraptions to catch fish unlike anywhere else in India. With a system of levers and pulleys, the nets go down in the sea and bring up a catch of fish.

One of the best times to watch this is action is early in the morning; you are in the throng of the action without the buzz of the tourists who usually throng the place through the day. There was a sparkling energy in the air as the fishermen tugged and huffed at the nets to bring in their catch.

We gave a miss to a lot of tourist spots in Kochi like Mattancherry Palace, Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis Church and Dutch Cemetery, but if you are a history buff you should certainly give them a visit. Fort Kochi also has some amazing restaurants and we had some lip smacking food at Talk of the Town restaurant, if you are a non-vegetarian it goes without saying that you must try the fish here! Though we didn’t try it, one of the best ways hands down to eat sea food is to walk down the beach road near the Chinese fishing nets where you can simply buy the fresh fish from the fishermen and get it cooked right in front of you.

One of the best decisions we had made was to stay in Fort Kochi, the cultural hub of the city, all places of interest are concentrated in this area as it is the oldest continuously populated area in the Cochin City. We stayed at the Hotel Fort Castle, a superb budget hotel that was total value for money!

These were our best experiences from Fort Kochi, come back to read about our trip to Periyar next!