Tour Details

Cochin Backwater & City Highlights

Tour Date – 21 November 2018

SMALL GROUP TOUR WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE FOR Sapphire Princess COCHIN SHORE EXCURSIONS

Cochin Backwater cruise – Fort cochin & Chinese fishing nets – Jew town

This 6 hour city tour combines both motorcoach travel and a relaxing cruise, meaning you get to see this amazing city from every angle – easily the best way to soak up the charms of gorgeous, historic Cochin.

On this trip, your friendly guide doubles up as your driver, and after you have boarded the bus you will head to Mattancherry, the ancient Jewish quarter of the city, although most of its early inhabitants have since migrated to Israel. Here, you will enjoy a stroll along meandering alleys, past picture-postcard houses and antique shops to the Paradesi Synagogue, which dates back to 1568, and features hand-painted Cantonese floor tiles, and finely inscribed copper plaques.

Afterwards, you will visit the Dutch Palace, which is also known as the Mattancherry Palace, and is home to Keralan murals, Hindu temple art, and exhibits of the Rajas of Cochin. This pretty landmark is built in a quadrangle, with a courtyard in the middle featuring a small temple dedicated to the protective gods of the Cochin royal family.

After you have explored this simple oasis, you will drive to Fort Cochin, to view the churches, and old-fashioned Tudor-style homes that were constructed by the English merchants who once lived here. Here, you will view St. Francis Church, a pretty white-washed religious center, which was built by Franciscan friars in 1503, before heading to the harbor to take photos of the Chinese fishing nets. These graceful, cantilevered nets were introduced to the area in the 14th century by Chinese traders from the court of Kublai Khan.

At a nearby hotel, you will enjoy a cooling drink or snacks before boarding a motorboat for a cruise around the backwaters of cochin and its villages, which was once bustling with foreign traders seeking wealth on the Malabar Coast. Your tranquil guided cruise will take you around the picturesque islets of Gundu, Bolghatty and Vallarpadam, During your cruise you will be able to view many villages, churches and landmarks. At Vallarpadam, you will see a church built in 1676 that houses a Portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Traditional faith holds the picture has miraculous powers and has saved devotees several times from violent storms.

As you cruise around the harbor and village, you will also be able to glimpse the locals going about their daily lives. Your boat cruise will end at a Jetty close to the pier. A short transfer to your ship will be provided at the end of the tour.
pick up and drop from pier , All tours are small group with maximum of 12 people WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE