Places to visit in Cochin

Cochin(Kochi),named as the "Queen of Arabian sea" is located on the south west coast of the Indian peninsula,in the state of Kerala .It is the second largest city in Kerala.Cochin has been an attractive tourist spot of many foreigners.Apart from tourism,it is also a center for business having IT and business parks like the Infopark,the CSEZ(Cochin Special Economic Zone) and the ITES Habitat Centre.There are many destinations here for hangouts with friends,shopping,one day trips,amusements,historical and cultural places too.Through this hub,I would like to give a brief outlook of a few places to visit in Cochin .

Oberon Mall

The Oberon mall,located by the side of the NH 47 bypass is attractive by its amazing infrastructure.It encompasses shopping,entertainment and fooding all under a single roof spanning more than 3,50,000/- Sq. Ft.There are many branded showrooms here where you can get the most trendy casuals,footwears,cosmetics and many more.The 'Food Circle' here is something you should never miss.You can get all kinds of traditional food items here ranging from the dosas to the crispy chickens.Coming to entertainment,kids and adults can equally enjoy.There are lots of kids' rides ,toy shops and computer games for kids.The 'Scary house' and 'Mirror maze' are main spots for adults' entertainment.The Cinemax theatre on its topmost floor is also a main attraction.

Gold Souk

Gold Souk,located at Vyttila in Cochin is also one of the crowded places at evening.This mall also provides best shopping facilities with branded items.The KFC restaurant is the main attraction here.

Nucleus Mall

This mall is located at Maradu in Cochin.It was the first Leed Certified Gold Rated Green Mall in Kerala.Its an interesting mall to hang out with your friends

Bolgatty Palace

A trip to Bolgatty Palace would be something you should never miss.The palace is located at the Bolgatty Island,Cochin.You get to the palace by means of boat or if opted, bus routes are also available. This mansion was originally built by Dutch traders in 1744 and was leased to the British in 1909.It is also a resort that provides exclusive holidaying options.Special tariffs are also available.To reach this place you have to get a boat from Marine drive which is only 2 kms from the Ernakulam south railway station.Boat services to Bolgatty palace are available here.The Kerala Tourist Development Corporation also provides online booking for interested tourists.

Hill Palace

The Hill Palace,located at Tripunithura,about 12 kms from Ernakulam town is the largest archealogical museum in Kerala.This palace was the location of many film shoots in Malayalam film industry.It was built in 1865 by the Maharaja of Cochin.You can see many paintings,sculptures in stone and marble,weapons,coins,ornaments etc.You can visit this palace on all days from 9 a.m to 5 p.m IST except on mondays.There is also a deer park and a childrens park nearby.

Aluva palace

Aluva palace is located at the banks of river Periyar.The Sivaraathri festival is annually held at the banks of this river.This palace is constructed in the traditional architecture .The river flowing at its close vicinity and the green gardens nearby together adds beauty to this palace.Presently,this huge mansion is used by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation as a guest house.

Marine drive is the best place in Cochin to spend your evenings.The cool breeze from the Arabian sea,the rainbow bridge,boating facilities and the nearby restaurants makes this place one of the popular hangouts in Cochin.There is also a children's park near to this place.

Matsyafed Fish Farm, Njarakkal

It is situated in Vypeen island of Ernakulam district .Fishing and boating are the main attractions here.For more details you can contact this number 0484 – 2493864.

Matsyafed Fish Farm, Malippuram

Extending to an area of 21 Ha, this farm that resorts to traditional filtration and scientific culture methods, is situated in the district of Ernakulam.This is also a good place for one day trips.For more details you can't contact this number 0484 - 2493055.

The Wonderla ,an amusement park located at the Pallikkara hills in kakkanad is one of the best amusement parks in India with lots of land rides and water rides for children and adults.You can have great fun over there.You can enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills on the way to this park.The giant wheel of this park can be seen over the hills on the way to this park.It is really a beautiful scene.

Fort Kochi,another main tourist spot in Cochin is the hometown of many ancient churches built by the Europeans.The St. Francis church in Fort Kochi is one of the oldest churches in India.This church was the burial place of Vasco da Gama,the famous Portuguese trader(his remains were later taken to Portugal).You can see his burial spot inside this church.The Vasco house is another attraction here.This European styled building was the stay place of Vasco da Gama when he came to India.A beautiful church ,the Santa Cruz basilica, built in 1984 is also situated here.

The chinese fishing nets in the Fort Kochi beach is another attraction.Many fishermen here earn by fishing from these nets.A number of such fishing nets can be seen along the coast.

The Jew street is located in Mattanchery,Cochin.This street leads to the Jewish Synagogue,a beautiful church,built in 1568 by the Cochin Jewish community.The chinese tiles in this church is really awesome that each tile inside this church is different from the other even though they look similar.There are many small antique shops along this street where you can get carved wooden items,old paintings,books,etc.A visit to this place gives us a nostalgic feeling,taking our mind to the old Bible stories,where the Jews are mentioned.During my last visit,there were five Jewish families residing there.