Kochi.
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Overview

Kochi (Malayalam: കൊച്ചി Kōcci), formerly Cochin, is a cosmopolitan city in Kerala (Keralam) with a bustling commercial port. Kochi is the financial and commercial capital of Kerala and, with a population of more than 2.1 million (2011), the biggest conurbation in the state.

Districts

After rapid growth during the two last decades, Kochi is now one of the most densely populated urban areas in India. The city is an amalgamation of multiple towns and islands, each with its unique identity.

Understand

A city born in storm, nurtured in rivalry and established as battling ground for European empires. This phrase is a good description of Kochi, which was formed as an ancient port city after the Great Floods of the Periyar River in 1341. With the partitioning of the Chera Kerala Empire in the 14th century, this region came under the control of a new dynasty, rivalled by other local feudal lords. With the advent of colonisation, Kochi became the first major battle ground of almost all colonial European powers.

Kochi merchants began trading in spices such as black pepper and cardamom with the Arabs, Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese and Chinese more than 600 years ago. This helped Kochi to prosper and to become the gateway to old India. It was from Kochi (then Cochin) that the colonisation of India started. Portugal was first to establish its base in Kochi, followed by the Dutch and British. The Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814 compelled the Dutch to hand over Cochin to the British in exchange for Bangka Island in Indonesia. The British managed to establish their influence over Cochin, limiting their direct administration to a small enclave of Fort Cochin and British Ernakulam with their capital at Bolgatty Island. The rest of the Cochin Kingdom was administered by the Cochin Maharajas from their capital at Thripunithura. However, the real administration was done by Diwans (prime ministers), leaving the Maharajas to patronise culture, arts and focus heavily on the areas of public health and education.

The foundations of modern Cochin started when Sir Robert Bristow, a senior Royal Navy Engineer, felt the need for a modern large port after the opening of the Suez Canal. This resulted in the creation of the largest man-made island of the country, Willingdon Island, to house the new Cochin Port.

In the 1930s, the Cochin Maharaja joined the public outcry to form a common state of Malayalam-speaking people by merging with the Kingdom of Travancore and British Malabar. Maharaja Kerala Varma Raja was at the forefront of this agitation, and passed the Aykiakerala Resolution in the Cochin Parliament. In 1947, the Kingdom of Cochin and Travancore merged to form the Royal State of Travancore-Cochin. The Cochin Maharaja was amongst the first to advocate the state joining the newly formed Indian Union. Finally, in 1948, the state of Travancore-Cochin merged with India.

Since the formation of Kerala in 1957, Kochi has been the commercial capital of Kerala as well as the seat of the Kerala High Court. Since 2000, Kochi has revitalised its economy, with a focus on tourism, information technology and its port.

Kochi has a cosmopolitan culture, highly influenced by historical trading partners, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, Chinese, and Japanese. Kochi is the seat of the Latin church of Kerala and has many Catholic churches and followers.

Kochi was traditionally a potpourri of various Indian and international communities. Syrian Christians started the first wave of immigration, followed by Jews between the 7th and 10th centuries. Arab merchants also made a strong settlement in Kochi. In the 15th century, Gujaratis settled in Kochi, especially on Mattancherry, where they played a strong role in spice trading and other areas.

Later, at the beginning of the colonial era, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British all made their settlements in Kochi. The Portuguese had a strong influence in Fort Cochin.

In the early 1970s, Punjabis settled here, focusing their strong presence on the local automobile industry. Tamilians, Telugus and Kannadigas have all formed small settlements since the days of royalty. Kochi has a sizeable expatriate population mainly from the Middle East.

Being a city that has a tradition of various cultures being given equal respect, a high level of tolerance exists. Social modesty prevails, especially in villages and rural areas.

Kochi has a typical tropical climate. Daytime temperatures range between 30°C and 35°C and around 24°C at night. Kochi is one of the first places to experience the heavy monsoon showers, which start around mid-May. It thus experiences heavy rainfall between mid-May and the first week in September. Daytime temperatures during the monsoon fall to between 25°C and 30°C. From September to early February, the weather is fine, marked with cool winds and light showers. Summer starts in February. Although temperatures never reach 40°C, the high humidity can make summers uncomfortable. This continues until early May. Frequent showers cool down the harshness of summer.

When to visit The peak visitor season is often from August to February with December being the busiest month when there are many festivals and special attractions along with the famous Cochin Carnival and Christmas celebrations. Onam season (mid Aug-mid Sep) is also a busy tourist season with a traditional line up of various festivities. Monsoon is being promoted heavily by the tourism department as a rejuvenation season which also slowly becoming a popular season to visit to experience the heavy rainfalls. However it is advisable to avoid March and April considering the harsh summer, and the Indian domestic tourist season.

Free information and city maps are available at state run Kerala Tourism Development Corp (KTDC) offices at:

District Tourist Promotion Council. Providing information to tourists about other parts of Kochi District

Get in

As the financial capital of Kerala, Kochi is well-connected by air, road, rail and ferry from others parts of India, and to some other international destinations.

The international terminal has reasonably priced international cuisine restaurants and a terrace garden lounge bar. There are cafes and snack kiosks in the waiting area. The Concourse has free Wi-Fi, a business centre, free public telephones for local calls and large televisions. Premium lounges are available for first and business class passengers. Visa on arrival is available for some nationalities. The Airport has a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), for visa extensions, fee waivers and other visa-related issues.

The airport has a good 18-hole golf course nearby. Golfers can register at the Airport Golf counter and pay green fees to use the facility. There is a small recreational centre, a pool and a lounge/bar at the golf club.

There are five major airport hotels opposite the airport terminal that offer rooms on an hourly basis. There are also many budget hotels and restaurants near the terminal.

The domestic terminal has a good shopping arcade selling mainly Kerala-specific items. Food is expensive but there are cheaper options after security.

Transport options to the city centre include:

By bus: KSRTC operates four classes of bus service from the airport: regular, fast passenger, super fast express (operate every 10-20 minutes to most nearby towns). All bus services stop only at the bus point near the departure gate of the international terminal (city-side). Orange bus: KSRTC Orange Bus (locally called "Low Floor Buses") operates air-conditioned Volvo buses every 30-40 min to Kochi City via Aluva, Kalamassery, Vytilla, and terminating at Fort Cochin. To the airport, the Orange Bus leaves from the Fort Kochi bus area near the Chinese fishing nets at the following times: 7:25AM, 8AM, 9:45AM, 11:35AM, noon, 1:55PM, 3:30PM, 4PM and 6:05PM. By taxi: All taxis operated from Cochin Airport belong to the Cochin Airport Taxi Society (CATS) which is a pre-paid taxi service. While other taxis can drop-off passengers at the airport, only CATS taxis are allowed to pick up passengers at the airport. Take a receipt from the CATS counter in the arrivals hall and walk to the prepaid taxi stand to find your taxi. CATS also operates limo services as well as customised packages available for full/half day trips. By rental car: Many car rental companies operate counters in the arrival area of both terminals. Many hotels and travel agents provide free pick-up/drop-off services in their cars. By train: The nearest railway stations are Aluva or Angamaly (15 km) where almost all major express and passengers trains to all over Kerala stop. By auto: Autos are not allowed to ply inside the airport, to protect the interests of CATS taxis. However, it's pretty easy to get an auto outside the airport premises, ideal for budget-conscious travellers. Be prepared to bargain. Getting autos early in the morning and late at night is pretty difficult. By helicopter: Pawan Hans, in the departure gate of the domestic terminal, operates a wide range of helicopter services to almost all parts of city as well as state, which requires a prior booking. K-Air also operates air-taxi and private jets. Cochin Airport has its own helicopter services with support of Bharat Airways. Scheduled and chartered helicopter services to pilgrimage centres like Sabarimala, Guruvayoor and major cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode are available.

Kochi is well connected by train from all parts of India. Most Kerala-bound trains have a major stop here. There are two major rail terminals inside the city limits.

Some of the major trains that pass through these stations are:

Kochi has many suburban railway stations where long-distance trains stop, such as Aluva, Thripunithura and Angamaly. Book in advance, as trains are usually crowded. Reservations are available from 3 months in advance of the travel date. Depending upon the season and day bookings may close up to several days prior to departure with all remaining travellers going onto a waiting list. The Tatkal service is open for the day before the departure of the train, excluding the day of journey from the train originating station.

One of the best ways to get to Kochi is to take a Konkan Railway train from Mumbai. The train ride is renowned for the breathtaking scenery and the natural beauty of the terrain.

Outside Ernakulam Junction, there is a pre-paid taxi stand where you can stand in line for a receipt and take an auto-rickshaw to other parts of Kochi.

Kochi is accessible from all southern parts of the country as well as other parts of the state, through the extensive state run Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus services and services of neighbouring state transport corporations.

KSRTC operates 3 types of services; Super Fast (No Frills), Express (Standard non-A/C) and Garuda Hi-tech (Volvo premium). Karnataka State buses run daily services from Bengaluru, Mysore and Mangalore with three types of services; the Rajahamsa (executive service and reclining seats), the Airavat (A/C service, with reclining semi-sleeper seats), and Ambaari (A/C sleeper service). Tamil Nadu SETC operates superfast and executive services to many destinations like Madurai, Ooty, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli,Salem and Tiruchirappalli. Most inter-state buses start and end their journey from KSRTC Central & Inter-state Bus Station (CBS), in the heart of the city at Rajaji Rd. To reduce congestion at CBS, some local KSRTC buses start/end their services at KSRTC Boat Jetty Stand in Park Avenue.

Apart from government services, numerous private bus companies operate scheduled services to almost all major cities in South India as well as Mumbai, Goa, etc. All these buses are executive or premium services offering air-conditioned travel with good facilities and higher prices to match. Several online bus booking sites exist like RedBus, KPN Travels, Customer Needz, TicketGoose.com, Via.com and MyTicketBuddy.com.

Kochi is well connected by road from all parts of the state as well as other major cities. Three major national highways connect Kochi with other parts of the country. NH 66 (old no: NH 17), the 7th longest highway in India, connects Kochi with Mumbai via most of major towns in Malabar, Mangalore, Goa. The heavily congested NH 544 (old name: NH 47) connects Thiruvananthapuram with Kochi and continues on to Coimbatore and Salem in Tamil Nadu via Palakkad and Thrissur. NH 49 connects Kochi with Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu which passes through Madurai via Munnar.

Kochi is well connected to other parts of the state through various state highways.

Kochi can be reached by sea in yachts or the occasional cruise ship from Goa, Mumbai, Lakshadweep, Colombo and Male. Almost all leading international cruises on global voyages operate to Kochi from the US and Europe at Wellingdon Island Cruise Berth. Yachts can be anchored at Kochi International Marina or Yacht Club Marina. There is a direct ferry service between Kochi and Lakshadweep.

Get around

At peak hours, traffic moves at a snail's pace in Kochi, and air pollution is bad, despite being way better than smoggy Delhi. Limit your plans to three or four places in a day unless you have good knowledge of the geography or a trustworthy transport option.

Orientation The main city arterial road is Mahatma Gandhi Road. Traveling inside the city at peak times (8-10AM, 1:30-2:30PM, 5:30-7PM) takes a lot of time, with frequent road blocks and traffic congestion. North and South over-bridges are two bottlenecks. Knowledge of side roads and crossroads is very useful to avoid traffic blocks.

Kochi has a typical Indian-style address system which is a bit confusing, as there is no sector or house numbering system. Most buildings have their own name which are commonly used along with the road name for the address, e.g. "Alappatt House, Diwans Road, Near Lakshmi Hospital, Kochi".

Some up-market areas have their own house-numbering system. Panampilly Nagar and Giri Nagar are divided into various zones and each house has its own zone number followed by a house number. Many residential areas have formed their own associations and established their own addressing system. In most of the residential colonies or areas, a map sign is found at the entrance. Fort Kochi has a more western-style numbering system, yet still locals use the nearby landmarks for addressing, rather than house numbers.

For communicating with taxi drivers, you must know the nearby landmarks.

By bus Kochi has an excellent public bus network with four types of buses operated by the government-run KSRTC and private operators. The most common option are privately operated Blue buses (also referred to as 'Line buses') which provide a cheap no-frills journey. Using these is not that difficult as many destination boards have English lettering and most bus conductors can provide assistance in basic English. Peak hours on weekdays can lead to overcrowded buses, particularly Route 1. Government-operated KSRTC offers no-frills city services Thiru-Kochi which also ply in same Red-Bus routes. Thiru-kochi buses can be distinguished from other buses with its blue-white livery. Most of Red and Thirukochi buses run primarily on the Big 4 Routes. These cover virtually all parts of the city. There are other feeder routes, which interconnect places between these Big 4 Routes. Vytilla-Vytilla circular services cover most of the city core. The average waiting time is 1-10 min.

Apart from regular city services, KSRTC under JnNURM's funding operates 2 class of bus services which can be distinguished from other city buses with its distinctive livery and JnNURM logo.

For premium travel, low-floor air-conditioned Volvo services called Orange buses connect many important destinations. Average waiting time is 10-30 min. These buses can stop anywhere on the route as per passenger's request. Route notices are available in English at each stop.

Green buses provide non air-conditioned low-floor service which links all suburbs to city centre. This is ideal for budget tourists as it connects to many faraway tourist attractions while maintaining excellent standards. Only 3 lines are served, which will be increased soon. Like Orange Bus, these buses stop anywhere on the route as per passenger's request. Timetable for Orange/Green are available at the KSRTC site.

All city bus services start at 6AM and end by 10PM. A certain number of seats are allocated for women in the forward portion of each bus, and men must vacate them when a woman wishes to sit there.

Different bus shelters/stops are used for bus plying different routes. The important bus stations in and around the city include:

— A large bus station in Aluva, nearest to the airport and interchange for long-distance services. — A commercial and IT sector zone. — A major city bus station and interchange for long distance private buses. — At the heart of Ernakulam shopping with Broadway market nearby. — Nearest to South Railway station (ERS). — In the heart of the Old Town. — Only for Low Floor Buses. — Major junction for Mattancherry — A new, large bus station where almost all city buses and inter-city/inter-state bus meet. It is the terminus for all inter-city and inter-state services by all operators. It is integrated with metro and water metro systems.

The Kochi Metro is the metro system serving the city. It consists of a single line of 25 stations, with more lines under construction. It runs in a U-shape between Aluva to Thrippunithura. You need to retain your purchased ticket to use on the exit turnstiles.

Some suburban areas are well-connected via regular passenger and long-distance express trains. The most used route is Ernakulam-Aluva. Almost all regular passenger, express and intercity trains have a stop at Aluva. Regular passenger trains have 1-minute stops at Edapally, Kumbalangi, Angamally and Aroor stations. Many long-distance trains operate between Thripunithura and Ernakulam Town station.

It is a good idea to take rail during busy peak-hours when buses are overcrowded. Equally good idea to take rail to Aluva from city centre which is the nearest point to the airport (12 km) from where a taxi or Orange Route A bus can be taken to avoid city traffic congestion.

This is a cheap method of transport between attractions. You can find an auto stand at almost every bus stop and important places near junctions and residential areas. Pre-paid auto stands are available only in railway stations. The apps Ola, Rapido and Uber are operating in Kochi, offering rides with auto rickshaws.

Taxis are convenient, comfortable, and safer than auto rickshaws. Unlike many countries, taxis are not usually marked with signs on the top and do not have meters inside the taxi.

Next to ride-hailing apps like Ola, Rapido and Uber, which are available for Kochi, there are two type of taxi services, regular and call taxis. Regular taxis are normally available at designated taxi stands at places such as railway stations, the airport, boat jetties, major bus stations and in front of important hotels.

Regular taxis have tariff cards displayed on the dashboard. Call taxis have charges fixed by their respective companies (although they are normally uniform). Add 10% for a taxi with A/C, and 15-20% at night.

Many taxi companies offer full or half day services. Most of them are fixed on ad-hoc basis, based on the negotiating skills of the passenger.

Driving in Kochi is not recommended as traffic is bad and drivers do not obey the road rules. There are long stretches of roads passing through heavily populated areas that have no median strips, and most of them are congested 2 lane roads. A few major roads like MG Rd, NH Bypass Rd and Marine Drive are two-lane dual carriageways with good medians. The speed limit in the city is 30 km/h. Driving is on the left, and all foreign drivers need a valid International Driving Licence attested by the Road Transport Office (RTO). Driving outside the city limits is better with good scenery and far less traffic. Most of the bridges and few roads carry toll charges collected at manned toll plazas or checkpoints. Most tolls are valid for unlimited travel for 24 hours, though a few bridges allow only one-time travel.

Foreign guests will find renting cars for self-driving a difficult task, as many rental companies will not rent to foreigners. Normally a bank guarantee letter or security cheque/traveller's cheque to the value of the car or a passport are taken as security for renting the car. No security deposit is needed if the car is chauffeur-driven.

The Ro-Ro (roll on-roll off) ferry service called Junkar between Fort Kochi and Vypeen is very popular, too. There are regular boat services operated by KSINC and other private operators, every 20-30 minutes, from Ernakulam to Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Vypeen and Willingdon Island which are cheaper and in many cases faster, than buses. All services operate from 4:40AM-6:30PM with an exception to Park Jetty-Fort Kochi service until 9:30PM and Fort Kochi-Vypin Junkar service from 4AM-10:30PM.

Do take a look at the map provided, as some ferries do not stop at all stops along the way. A few tourist-oriented private ferries service non-scheduled routes during tourist seasons connecting mainly to Kumbalangi Tourist village from Ernakulam Main Jetty as well as from Aroor.

Fort Kochi to Ernakulam. 30 services per day.

Mattancherry to Ernakulam via Fort Kochi. Duration 20 min.

Vypeen to Ernakulam via Willingdon Island. Every 30 min.

Ernakulam Main Jetty to Varapuzha. 6 per day, 1 hr duration, 7:40AM-6:45PM Ernakulam (High Court Jerry) to Bolghatty. 10-minute ride. Fort Cochin - Vypeen. 6:30AM-9PM. Duration 10 min, every 10 min.

In addition to ferries, water metros are also an option in Kochi, the first of its kind in India. Water metros are like ferries but the compartments are like a typical metro train, with air-conditioning. As of 2023, there are only two routes: Vypin–High Court Kakkanad–Vyttila A ride in a water metro can also be a way to see beautiful views of Kochi while travelling through the backwaters.

On foot Kochi is traditionally not a pedestrian-friendly city considering the humid tropical climate, poor pedestrian walkways and reckless traffic. So it might be better to avoid too much walking in the busy city-centre area. Fort Kochi is one of the better places to walk, with elaborate colonial-style stone pavements.

By bicycle Fort Kochi is a perfect place for cycling with dedicated tracks and walkways. However, there are no separate bike paths on roads on the mainland. Take extra care while biking in Kochi roads as road users can be reckless. Bike hire shops are easy to find in touristy areas.

Do

Festivals The Cochin Carnival (Dec 20-Jan 2) is the biggest carnival festival in the city. Started in 1582 as part of Portuguese New Year's celebrations. A wonderful array of colourful rallies, fancy dress parades, regular competitions, bike races, beach games, sports, theme festivals, concerts and dances, fireworks and most important, the night beach parties, make it one of the largest celebrations in India. The New Year's Eve party is the highlight of this festival, when a large parade carrying a huge statute of Papanai (a Santa Claus-like image) is taken to the beach, where it is set on fire on the stroke of midnight. This is followed by a grand party. The carnival ends with the Grand Parade on the afternoon of January 1st.

The Maradu Kottaram Devi Temple hosts India's second largest fireworks as part of their temple festival finale (mid March - mid April). Takes place in the festival grounds of Maradu with mega fireworks display lasting for 1½ hours for last two days.

The Onam Festival (ten day festival mid-August to mid-September) is the state festival of Kerala originating in Kochi. It is based on the legend of welcoming the mythical King Mahabali whose capital was believed to be at the current site of Thrikakkara Temple. The ten day festivities start off with a parade on Atham day called Athachamayam. It is held in Thripunithura starting from the Atham Grounds and has many tableaux, dance parades, cultural art forms ending at Thrikakkara Temple.

The Shiva Temple Festival (first week of January) takes place at the Shiva Temple and Durbar Hall Ground, famous for its ten elephant parade and host of cultural activities. The last day of the festival, Pakalpooram, is famous for its traditional Kerala percussion ensemble, a huge display of fireworks and a 21-gun salute by the Indian Navy and Kerala Police.

The Thripunithura Vrischikolsavam (mid November - mid December) at Thripunithura Poornathrayeesa Temple is a grand temple festival in Kerala, one of the biggest after Thrissur Pooram. This was once the royal festival of the Kochi Kingdom. The cultural attractions draw huge crowds with regular performances of Kathakali.

Sports Kochi has some good sporting facilities. Football is the official game here and is regularly played by locals in open areas. Cricket is extremely popular and regularly played by youngsters.

Fort Kochi and Cherai beaches are very popular among locals for playing beach volleyball. Try a tough game of beach football which is very popular here. Water-ski and biking is also popular in Fort Kochi beaches. Cochin Marina in Bolgatty Island, Yacht club in Thevara and Ramada Resort in Panagad operate a wide range of water sports games. Para-gilding is not allowed due to proximity of several strategic military installations.

The Palace Oval Grounds in Tripunithara is the most popular large open cricket pitch where the Kochi Royals used to play their favourite past-time. Apart from this, there are new large pitches in Parade grounds of Fort Kochi and in Kadavanthara (near GCDA Nagar).

There is a large football pitch at Parade Grounds in Fort Cochin, where locals play regularly in evening and you will likely be welcome to join in. Likewise at Maharaja's Football and Cricket pitches near College Ground in MG Road, Ambedkar City Stadium near KSRTC Bus station in Rajaji Rd and at the Marine Drive ground.

Performing arts There are many performing arts complexes across the city, offering a good experience of various art-forms and culture. Kochi has the largest number of regular evening Kathakali theaters, offering the best insight into this traditional dance-drama art-form of Kerala. Apart from Kathakali, many other events are regularly performed in Kochi.

Buy

Day-shopping is more popular than night-shopping. All shopping outlets close by 8PM. During festive seasons, late night shopping (11PM-3:30AM) are organised to reduce day-time shopping congestion.

The Onam Festival (mid-Aug to Sep) is one of the best shopping seasons, when you get heavy discounts ranging between 10-50% for almost all items as well as regular consumer fairs. Christmas is the next best season. The Kerala Government has started the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (15 Dec–30 Jan), to promote Kerala as a shopping destination. Kochi is the main focal centre of this festival and you get heavy discounts at participating stores and regular lucky draws.

Markets The narrow strip sandwiched between Marine Drive and MG Road houses the celebrated Broadway Market, one of the Kochi's oldest shopping corners where you can buy anything from safety pins to motor scooters. Also try Mattanchery Old Spice Market, one of the oldest spice markets in the country.

Jew town in Fort Kochi has numerous antique and craft stores. Most of the antique shops sell colonial era and heritage pieces, as well as Jewish items from the traditional Jewish homes of the area. You can also find many kinds of Indian sculptures, decor, interior artifacts and souvenirs. Bargains are available but be warned that many 'antiques' were probably made in the owners backyard. Shop with care and bargain hard. Never trust touts, who get hefty commissions from unscrupulous antique dealers.

Try state-run emporiums that offer high quality certified antiques and artworks. However, they offer no bargain or discount. Check at Kerala's state emporium showrooms, Kairali & Surabhi and Karnataka's Kaveri, all on MG Road.

Shopping malls Large western-style shopping malls opened up in the last decade. Six are functional. Apart from malls, there are numerous shopping complexes in Kochi (large complex having many shops close to each other, selling mostly only one type of product).

Apparel and fabric Kochi has many famous designer boutiques, mostly in Convent Junction between MG Road and Marine Drive. Panampally Nagar also houses premium exclusive designer boutiques. MG Road, the arterial road, is lined with many premium brand stores, leading apparel shops and boutiques.

Jewellery Kochi is famous for gold, silver, diamond and platinum jewellery. Most jewellers are concentrated at Jewel Junction (Woodland Junction), MG Road, near Hotel Woodlands. Normal gold purity in India is 22 carats. 24-carat gold ornaments (thankam) are not so popular, but are available. Lightweight collections in 18-carat gold have become popular among youngsters and teenagers.

Food shopping is mainly done at supermarkets and bakeries. Bakeries normally sell bread and branded food products, while most supermarkets sell household provisions and packaged food items.

KR Bakes, Anns Bakery, Bake My Days, Breadworld and Best Bakery are the most popular local bakery chains, with many locations.

Reliance has many branches in Kochi, in 2 formats, Fresh (offers a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits with limited other grocery items), Super (large supermarket, offering groceries and vegetables/fruits). Reliance is a pure vegetarian supermarket chain but outside the supermarket, they operate a small store called DeLite that offers non-vegetarian items, including fresh meat.

Mitra, Food Bazaar, Big Bazaar Express, Nine-Ten, WellMart and Triveni are other popular supermarkets.

Supplyco (Govt run), operates an extensive chain of small stores branded Maveli and regular supermarkets branded as Supplyco throughout the city. They also have a medical pharmacy attached to the supermarkets, offering English medicines at a 30% discount.

Almost all national banks operate in Kochi and most have branches in MG Road, as do a few international banks such as HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered and Oman Bank. ATMs are uniformly spread across the city, and most major shopping places have an adjacent ATM.

Most of the nationalised banks are authorised to carry out Forex activities. Western Union and Moneygram have many franchises in the city. See district articles for locations.

Eat

For the past 600 years, Kochi has catered to many visitors from around the world including Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, French, English, Dutch, Russians and Japanese. This has made the city a melting pot of various cultures, and this diversity is evident in the cuisine.

Being a coastal city, plenty of fresh seafood is the local speciality. With the backwaters, freshwater fish is also popular here. Prawns, squids and shrimps are easily available and cooked in many styles. The most famous of Kochi's speciality dishes is Meen Molagitta Curry (smoked freshwater fish with chilly and coconut milk). The English popularised smoked fish with steamed bread and mashed potatoes. One of Kochi's traditional vegetarian specialties is Kurukku Kalan (a thick yogurt curry with toasted banana and hot rice). Packed Kurukku Kalan as well as Palada (a sweet dessert with rice flakes and milk) are sold in many supermarkets and food stalls, especially during festive times.

At Fort Kochi beach, you can buy fresh fish and have it cooked at the nearby food stalls. Conditions are reasonably hygienic.

Fried fish, Fish molly (a coconut milk sauce based curry almost like stew), Alleppey fish curry (traditional curry with tomato sauce and fish tamarind) and Fish Peera (chunks of fish toasted with grated coconuts with fish tamarind sauce), Varatharacha Kozhi curry (semi-fried chicken toasted with coconut and chilly) are the favourites, usually taken with rice or steamed tapioca (cassava). Also worth trying are the traditional rice based breakfast snacks, puttu and kadala, appam and stew.

Kochi has a variety of cheap restaurants all over the city.

Most offer set meal combinations served from portable cooking trolleys with a few benches or chairs nearby. The most famous delicacies are stuffed or plain thattu dosas (thick dosas almost like pizza bread), hot Kerala porottas (flat bread of milled wheat), Kerala roast beef with chapatti and kanji (rice porridge). The main concern is the lack of hygiene and constant reuse of oil for frying.

Kochi has some home-grown fast food chains: KR Hot Chicken, 61 Pai Dosas, Luciya's Food Court, Potpurri, The Oven, Krispy Chicken, Arabian Treat, Papa Milano's and Breadworld Broasted Chicken have a presence in most parts of town. Foreign franchises such as KFC, Chicking, Noodle Kings, McDonalds, Burger King, US Pizzas, Marrybrown, Pizza Hut and Domino's also have a presence here.

There are many street-side Arabic restaurants offering shawarma and grilled chicken. Popular options are Real Arabia, Arabia Dreams and Grill Arabia, which are dotted all over the city. Most supermarkets and bakeries have a Shawarma Corner outside, which is a cheap, yet filling sandwich. most budget Arabic restaurants are open from 5PM-midnight.

The Ceylon Bake House has multiple branches across Kochi, providing Ceylon parathas and Sri Lankan chicken dishes.

Drink

Keralites are well known for their drinking habit. Finding bars or pubs is not difficult in Kochi. For those who do not drink alcohol there are lots of excellent local options.

Fresh toddy (kallu) is an alcoholic brew from the coconut tree. Be careful as adulteration is very common. Your best bet is to get it from a local who has given over his coconut trees for extraction. Mullapanthal Kallushap near Thripunithura is a certified Kallu brew shop.

Karikku /ilaneer (tender coconut), could be found at many hawker stalls, especially in Marine Drive.

Sambhaaram (buttermilk), is especially popular on hot summer days when it is even distributed freely by some clubs.

Shakes, such as Sharjah Shake are good cool down options, and there are numerous cool-bars and juice stalls across the city.

Sarbath (sharbat) is a popular sweet drink which can be of various varieties. Soda lime, lime water, fresh lime, etc., are other common thirst quenchers available everywhere.

Bars Finding a bar or pub is not difficult. Most of the budget oriented bars are near the railway stations and in Kaloor and Edappally. Mid-market and high end bars are all over. There are many beer and wine bars catering for foreign tourists at Fort Kochi. As elsewhere in Kerala, all bars and pubs have to close every first and second day of the month as well as on all state holidays. These are known as dry days. All bars have to close by midnight.

Expect long queues, especially on the eve of dry days.

Nightlife DJ parties & pubs The nightlife is mostly very limited compared to big cities. There are lots of bars available but the city is very conservative compared to big metros.