In 1498 Vasco de Gama landed at Kappad which is around 20 kilometers from the city. Last year Mananchira ,the heart of the city was revamped into a beautiful park. Capture the untouched magic of the narrow, shaded streets. See the wharf markets where boats off load rice, green coconuts, red chillies, and fat rough skinned jack fruit. Cruise on the myriad waterways or on the shallow lake, scene of the great annual boat race.
Lush backwaters Take a backwater ferry from Cochin.
Stay at the high ceilinged tourist bungalow, former palace of a king. Watch the sunset over shallow Periyar river, scene of the great Shivarathri festival in spring. The ancient Alexandrian port of Muziris, now Cranganore, is where the Romans built a temple to Augustus in the first century. Cruise along the backwaters from Cochin for a pleasant three hours, passing through green and rural Kerala. See the ancient Tiruvanchikulam and Bhagawati temples, the Portugese Fort, and tiled mosque believed to be the first in India and shaped like a Hindu temple.