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| Luxury
Kochi & Backwater Tour – 4 nights |
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About this holiday
This four-night tour is a private and
punchy package that boasts a good look at the artistic and
architectural attractions of Kochi as well as a wonderful
cruise around Kerala’s backwater rivers, canals and
lagoons. The tour works very well on its own and can also
make an interesting addition to holidays in Sri Lanka and/or
the Maldives. It is available all year, with special rates
on offer during the off-season from May to September, though
due to the monsoon, we advise against traveling in June.
Holiday highlights
• Wander around historic Fort
Kochi
• Visit St. Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace &
medieval synagogue
• Shop for antiques and see unique Chinese fishing nets
• Watch a traditional Kathakali dance performance
• Explore Kerala’s serene backwaters and village
life
• See coir-making and toddy-tapping along river banks
• Stay overnight on exclusive Kettuvallam style houseboat
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Day
1:
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Arrive 0900 at Kochi Airport and be welcomed by a Red Dot Tours
representative who will take you in one of our comfortable Ambassador
cars to Fort Kochi, an ancient Roman trading port that provided
a safe port of call for sailors on the main trade route from
Europe to China. The journey from the airport will take approximately
one hour before you check in to Malabar House. After resting
at the hotel, dipping into the cool courtyard swimming pool
and enjoying your first taste of Kerala’s distinctive,
spicy cuisine, we will show you around the fort, the highlights
of which are a magnificent synagogue dating back to 1568, the
St. Francis Church, India’s oldest European church, and
the Mattancherry Palace, a gift to the Raja of Kochi back in
1557. While the outside of this palace is not particularly striking,
the interior is quite the opposite, its walls adorned with murals,
the quality of which is said to make them the best kept secret
in India. Along with the sixteenth-century friezes illustrating
stories from the Ramayana, these are fine examples of the Keralan
School of art. Other objects of interest include a collection
of Dutch maps, coronation robes, weapons of war and household
furniture.
In the evening you can walk along the promontory and see the
unique Chinese Fishing Nets and generally soak up the atmosphere
of the town; or you may wish to watch a Kathakali dance performance,
a noisy, colourful and spellbinding 400-year old dance-drama,
which is well worth seeing.
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Accommodation profile:
Malabar House is a little gem: a sophisticated boutique hotel
that has quite understandably become one of the most sought-after
properties in Fort Cochin. Formerly a Dutch col onial mansion,
which has been lovingly restored, there are 17 individually
designed suites that mix contemporary design with vibrant colours
and antique local furnishings. The atmosphere is peaceful, the
service is excellent and the fusion food is acclaimed. |
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Day 2:
After a refreshing night’s sleep and some breakfast, depart
for Alappuzha (formerly known as Alleppy and referred to by
some as the ‘Venice of the East’), a town surrounded
by a large network of canals that has now become a major centre
for backwater tours and is most famous for its annual ‘snake
boat’ races in August. The drive from Kochi will take
about 90 minutes and you will board your traditional Kettuvallum
houseboat (reconverted rice barges) at noon for one of the highlights
of your holiday. Journey through Kuttanad country, a land of
shimmering waterways and dense tropical greenery, witnessing
the age-old village livelihoods so vividly described in Arundhati
Roy’ novel, The God of Small Things. Chugging slowly through
canals and creeks, the hours will slip by as you gaze ashore,
passing homes, farms, paddy fields, playful children, fisher-folk
in traditional dugouts and bathing buffaloes. Watch out for
fish-eagles circling for prey and wise cormorants perched on
the riverbank. At 6pm the houseboat will moor up and the staff
will cook a sumptuous traditional feast. Sleep contentedly in
your air-conditioned cabin and look forward to the coming day. |
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Day 3 & 4:
After breakfast you will have another
two hours to cruise as you head for Kumarakom, an island on
the large Lake Vembanad that is blessed with an idyllic location.
There is a wonderful bird sanctuary here, which serves as a
winter home for many migratory birds, some from as far away
as Siberia. Enthusiasts should visit at dawn when, depending
on the time of year, species may include the golden-backed wood-pecker,
darter, little cormorant, night heron, white-breasted water
hen, tree pie and many more. We head straight for Coconut Lagoon,
one of Red Dot’s favourite Keralan properties for a relaxing
two-night stay.
Acommodation profile: Coconut Lagoon is
an attractive boutique hotel, cleverly crafted from the fragments
of ancient village homes and palaces. In some cases entire houses
- complete with beautiful wood carvings and original brass work
- have been painstakingly transplanted into the property, piece
by piece. The result is the ultimate backwater resort, whose
serene surroundings make it virtually impossible not to relax
and unwind. The staff are friendly and the cuisine delicious.
Like the other Casino Hotels, there is a special emphasis on
caring for the environment. In fact, they are so serious about
it that there is a full-time director in charge of their environmental
policies, which include comprehensive waste management schemes
and a breeding programme to protect the endangered Vechoor cows. |
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Day
5:
Unfortunately, you have to leave. Those travelling back to the
UK will need to leave early, at around 6am, for a two-hour journey
that starts on a boat and finishes at Kochi Airport in a faithful
Ambassador car. Your late morning flight connects with a lunchtime
flight from Colombo meaning you should arrive in the UK by early
evening. |
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Cost:
Package price includes:
- 3 night’s BB hotel accommodation on twin-sharing
basis
- 1 night’s full-board accommodation on houseboat
- Airconditioned car and English-speaking driver transfers
- Entrance fees: St. Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace,
Synagogue, Kathakali dance performance
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