Travel noTebook

Fort Kochi

Gettin G t here Singapore Airlines flies from Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Kochi, via Singapore. From Cochin International Airport, catch a taxi or the slower airport bus for INR70 with 10 departures daily 7.50-20.00. Your hotel can arrange transport on request.

Gettin G Around Many of the boutique shops, hotels and cafes are in close proximity in the centre of the old town. For Jew Town several kilometres away, take an autorickshaw that are inexpensive and plentiful. Drivers earn more from diverting you to emporium after emporium than they do from the fare they charge (with many offering to take you sightseeing for INR50) and will try their utmost. If you are want to shop, fine; otherwise say no beforehand. Try to catch at least one public ferry from Ernakulam for the experience. It is fun and a bargain. It is also possible to travel to the backwaters by public ferry from Kochi to Alappuzha.

AccommodAtion There are many budget options. Home stays, many in the streets behind the Parade Ground, provide a great opportunity to live with a local family. Johnson provides breakfast, with other meals on request in a choice of two clean and comfortable rooms from INR600. Phone or email ahead and Johnson will collect you from the bus or ferry. 11/341 B, ESI Road, Fort Kochi.

Tel: +91-9497545388 Email: marymatha2001@yahoo.co.in

Good mid range options include the centrally located atmospheric Old Courtyard Hotel at 1/371 Princess Street, Fort Cochin Email: reservations@oldcouryard.com / www.oldcourtyard.com For excellent service, I’d recommend Tissa’s Inn ably managed by KP Francis at 1/1128 Kunnumpuram, Fort Kochi email: kpfrancis@vsnl.net www.tissasinn.com dinin G o ut The Old Harbour Hotel offers a pleasant garden setting, with Indian cuisine and musicians in the evening. Many of the restaurants cater to tourists and offer western food. I enjoyed the art gallery cafes including Kashi Art Cafe, Burgher Street and David Hall Gallery Cafe, 1/264 Church Road, both showing works by contemporary Indian artists.

At the top end, choices include Brunton Boatyard with a waterfront setting, Malabar House, and the lovely Old Harbour Hotel, a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, where I stayed, set around an idyllic garden and offering a large pool, spacious rooms or suites filled with an eclectic collection of antiques, in a prime central location. Email: mail@oldharbourhotel.com / www. oldharbourhotel.com. Alternatively, if you prefer a large, full-amenity hotel, opt for Vivanta by Taj –Malabar on Willingdon Island, a 10-minute ferry ride away. I’d recommend 3 nights here, avoiding the busy high season, especially January.

S ho PP in G Crafters Brothers Sunny L. and Johny L. Malayil, preside over a huge former spice warehouse crammed with antiques, with five additional shops all in close proximity offering handicrafts, jewellery, antiques and furniture and Cafe Crafters, all in Jew Town at VI/141, Jew Town. Ensure you are in the right shops, there are imitations. www.crafters.in

Kochi Books Princess Street, Fort Kochi. Vimal Kumar will provide you with advice on just about anything and has a wide selection of books on India, plus maps and travel guides www.kochibooks.com

Fabindia for eco-friendly clothing and homewares. 1/279 (1) Napier Street, Fort Kochi www.fabindia.com.

Joe Ikareth sells contemporary clothing and accessories. KVA Bros Building, Bazaar Road, Mattancherry www.joeikareth.com. There are also several atmospheric spice and fragrance shops in Jew Town and Mattancherry. F urther in F ormAtion Kerala Tourism www.keralatourism.org

India Tourism, Glasshouse Shopping Complex, Level 5, 135 King Street, Sydney Tel: 02 9221 9555 Email: info@indiatourism.com.au