Kumablangi (Refer www.exploreruralindia.org for more details)

Kumbalangy is surrounded by backwaters. A ring of Chinese fishing nets literally encircle the island –village bearing witness to the rich aquatic life. An array of mangroves separate land from water providing a breeding ground for prawns, crabs, oysters and other varieties of fishes. The village which is 7 Sq.Km in area is home to fishermen, farmers, labourers, toddy tappers and coir spinners, carpenters, masons and other proffessionals all alike. A cool, calm, non-poluted fresh air rich village.

St. Antony's Church Kannamaly

Kannamali is separated from Kumbalanghi just by a strip of the backwaters. They share panchayat borders and when Kumbalanghi basks in glory as the first-ever tourism village, it is natural that Kannamali too is swayed by the tourism wave. Tourism activity will be centered on St. Antony's Church at Kannamali and its century-old celebration of the feast of St. Joseph in March. The first feast was given in 1905 to counter the spread of cholera in the region. Based on the quantity of food supplied, church officials put the number of people visiting the feast anywhere between one lakh and 1.5 lakh. The church also has its share of history. This is the fourth church. The first two were destroyed in sea erosion and the third, which dates back to more than a century, is now a cemetery. The new church was consecrated in 1945. Even though the church-turned-cemetery has captured the attention of the Department of Archaeology, it is in a dilapidated condition. And the new church is slowly sinking in.

Phone : 0484-2247452

Distance: 9 Kms

Willington Island

This man-made island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters and is named after Lord Willington, a former British Viceroy of India. The island is the site of the city's best hotels and trading centers, the headquarters of the southern naval command and the Port Trust.

Distance: 12 kms

Vallarpadom

St.Mary’s Church

A major pilgrim centre for Christians, Church of Our Lady of Ransom is one of the oldest European Churches in India built by the Portuguese Missionaries. The church dedicated to the Holy Mary of Vallarpadom popularly known as 'Vallarapadath Amma', is located in the middle of Vallarpadom, a small idyllic island on the Vembanad lake, 1 km north from the mainland Kochi. Today the church elevated to the status of a Basilica as well as a National shrine attracts more than five lakh people including pilgrims and tourists, annually. 

One of the three Basilicas in Kochi, the Church is under the diocese of Verapoly (Varappuzha). The church earlier accessible only by boat is now linked to the mainland Ernakulam, and the islands of Bolghatty, Mulavukad and Vypin by three adjacent bridges called the Goshree bridges. Vallarpadam island, about 3.9 km in length and 1.5 km in width is located between the islands of Mulavukad and Vypin, and to the east of Bolghatty Island.

The feast of Vallarpadath Amma is held on Sept.24.

Distance: 16 Kms

Mass Timings: Saturday - 06.30 hrs, 10.30 hrs, 16.00 hrs, 16.30 hrs, 18.00 hrs

Phone : 0484-2363952

Harbour Terminal

Vallarpadam is the largest single-operator container terminal currently planned in India and the first in the country to operate in a Special Economic Zone(SEZ). The new terminal will make Kochi a key centre in the shipping world reducing India's dependence on foreign ports to handle transshipment. Construction is expected to be completed in four years and commercial operations to begin within a year of completion. The first phase of the new terminal will have a capacity of one million Twenty foot Equivalents (TEU) and cost approximately US$135 million. It will consist of 600 meters of quay, six Super Post Panamax Quay Cranes and an on-dock railhead serviced by rail-mounted gantry cranes. Construction of a new four-lane bridge and highway access to the 'golden quadrilateral' road network is already underway. Vallarpadam will be expanded ahead of demand to a total 1.8km of quay eventually and at least 16 Quay Cranes capable of handling the largest vessels afloat, with associated yard-handling equipment and a capacity of three million TEU.

Distance: 16 Kms

Mattanchery

Mattanchery (Dutch) Palace

Dutch Palace is situated at Palace Road, Mattanchery. The Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century built it. The Dutch who took over in 1663 added some improvements and presented to the Raja of Kochi Veera Kerala Varma. The rajas also made some more improvements. Today, it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas and notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, which are in the best traditions of Hindu Temple Art. On display here are beautiful murals depicting scenes from epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and some of the Puranic Hindu legends. The palace also houses Dutch maps of old Kochi, Royal palanquins, coronation robes of former Maharajas of Kochi etc.

Distance: 12 Kms

Visiting Time : 10.00 -17.00 hours.

Holiday : Friday

Ph: 0484-2226085

Jew Town

The Jew Street is lined with shops that sell curios, antique pieces of crockery, carved wooden furniture, bronze and brass sculptures, remnants of traditional houses, and jewellery. Varieties of traditional things are sold here. The antique sellers of these streets are the descendants of a fast dwindling population of Jews who settled down here in AD 52. Every piece that they sell has its own tale to narrate - of a palace or a home of the nobility, of travels across many lands and ages.

Distance: 14 Kms

Shopping Time : 09.00 - 20.00 hours.

Jewish Synagogue

The famous Jewish Synagogue was built in 1568. The Jewish Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth. The interior offers beautiful things like: a Belgian chandelier, the great scrolls of the Old Testament, and the copper plates on which were recorded the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers to the Jewish community in the 4th century. There are also five finely wrought gold and silver crowns gifted to the synagogue by various patrons.

Distance: 12 Kms

Visiting Time: 10.00 -17.00 hours.

Holiday: Friday

Vypin

Cherai Beach: Cherai Beach is the cleanest golden beach in Kerala and is called “The Princess of the Arabian sea”. This place is ideal for swimming and sunbathing. The main beach has walkway that adds charm and the high mask lamps make the beach enjoyable even at night. Dolphins are occasionally seen here.
Distance: 20 Kms

Bolghaty Island

Blodgett Palace: The famous Bolghatty palace is in Bolghaty Island. The Bolghatty Palace was built by the Dutch in 1744 and later taken over by the British. This palace was once the residence of the British resident of Kochi and today it is a hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, with a small golf course and special Honeymoon cottages.

Distance: 16 Kms

Ernakulam

Museum of Kerala History: It is at Edapally. Once you are on the lush grounds of the museum, head straight to the MNF Gallery of Paintings and Sculptures and the Centre for Visual Arts. The unassuming gallery houses immortal creations that will give you glimpses of the glorious history and rich cultural legacy of this land. Some of the masters whose works are on display include mural maestro Mammiyoor Krishhan Kutty Nair, Raja Ravi Varma, M F Hussain, folk painter Jamini Roy, abstract painter Manu Parekh and so on.

Distance: 12 Kms

Visiting Time : 10.00 -17.00 hours.

Holiday : Monday and Public Holidays

Fort Kochi

It is a historical place with tales of myriad seafaring visitors who landed at Fort Kochi for trade and stayed here for long and became the inhabitants here. The history of Fort Kochi began with a major flood in 1341 AD. Kochi was handed over in to the hands of Dutch in 1663 AD and later it became in the hands of British rule in 1795. It became a major military base, a vibrant cultural hub, a great ship building centre, a centre for Christianity and so on.

Distance: 10 Kms

Pierce Leslie Bungalow

This building is a representative of the Fort Kochi colonial bungalow, reflects Portuguese, Dutch and local influences. This charming mansion was the office of Pierce Leslie & Co., coffee merchants, founded in 1862. Characteristic features are wood panels that form the roof of the ground floor, arched doorways, carved doors and sprawling rooms. The special attraction to it is the waterfront verandahs.

Distance: 10 Kms

Santa Cruz Basilica

The Santa Cruz Basilica, a church built originally by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul 1V in 1558, was spared by the Dutch conquerors who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later the British demolished the structure and Bishop Dom Gomez Vereira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica by the Pope John Paul II in 1984. It is located at K.B Jacob road at Fort Kochi, is one of the finest and impressive churches in Kerala. It is a place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style. Located close to St. Francis Church it is the 'capital church' of the diocese of Cochin.  One of the eight Basilicas in India, built in gothic style by the Portuguese with beautiful paintings on the ceiling. The foundation stone of the Santa Cruz church was laid on May 3, 1505, the feast day of the ‘Invention of the Holy Cross’.

Distance: 10 Kms

Masses Timings: Weekday -(Monday-Saturday) 6.00 hrs, 7.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs

Sundays - 05.30 hrs, 06.45 hrs, 08.00 hrs, 09.00 hrs and 16.30 hrs

Phone : 0484-2215799

Vasco House

Believed to have been the residence of Vasco Da Gama. This is one of the oldest Portuguese residences at Fort Kochi. Built in the early sixteenth century, Vasco House sports the typical European glass paned windows and balcony cum verandahs characteristic of the times.

Distance: 10 Kms

The Dutch Cemetery

It is a historical cemetery. The tomb stones here are the most authentic record of the hundreds of Europeans who left their homeland on a mission to expand their colonial empires and changed the course of history of this land. The Church of South India manages this cemetery today and was consecrated in 1724.

Distance: 10 Kms

St Francis Church

St. Francis Church, originally dedicated to Santo Antonio, the patron Saint of Portugal, is the first European Church in India. Situated at Parade Road, 2 Km west of Mattanchery in Fort Cochin, this church is a living historical monument. This church is centuries old and was originally built completely of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. It was restored in 1779 by the Protestant Dutch, converted to an Anglican church by the British in 1795 and is at present governed by the Church of South India . Vasco Da Gama was buried here in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon , Portugal . The tombstone of Vasco Da Gama still remains in this Church.

Distance: 10 Kms

Visiting Time : All days from morning to 6 P.M

Sunday service is at 0800 hrs, except the 3rd Sunday

Phone : 0484- 2217505

Thripunithura

Hill Palace Museum

Hill Palace Museum was built in 1865 which is the official residence of the Kochi royal family. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings built in the traditional architectural style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with ponds, fountains and lawns. On display in the full-fledged Ethno-archaeological museum are oil-paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi royal family and royal furniture including the simhasana (throne). Also exhibited are over 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from Japan and China, Kudakkallu (tomb stone), Thoppikkallu (hood stone), menhirs, granite, laterite memorials, rock cut weapons from the stone ages, wooden temple models, plaster cast models of objects from Mohanjodaro and Harappa of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The museum also houses a gallery of contemporary art. It is Kerala's first heritage museum and the royal collections of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi are processed here.

Distance: 20 Kms

Visiting Time : 09.00 -12.30, 14.00-16.30 hours.

Holiday : Monday

Phone : 0484-2781113

Kodanad

Kodanad, set on the southern banks of the Periyar river amid the beautiful high ranges near Perumbavoor, is one of the largest elephant training centers of Kerala. Earlier elephants captured from the Malayatoor forests (the forests in the east and north of Kodanad) were trained here. Since the introduction of a ban to elephant capture, Kodanad has been reduced to a training centre.

Distance: 35 Kms

Phone : Ph : 0484 - 2649052