Kochi is a vibrant city located on the southwest coast of India, in the state of Kerala. It is also known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea" due to its strategic location on the sea coast. The city has a rich history and a diverse cultural heritage that has been shaped by centuries of trade, immigration and colonialism. The city is also known for it’s art galleries, museums and cultural events taking place throughout the year.

Located on the banks of the magical Vembanad Lake, this mesmerizing city is blessed with a serene stretch of canals, lakes and lagoons which makes it a heaven for backwater enthusiasts.

Fort Kochi

An idyllic fishing hamlet dotted with fine Dutch, Portuguese and British colonial buildings; Fort Kochi’s lanes are a treat for history buffs. The major landmarks to explore include St. Francis Church (the oldest European church in India), Vasco House (where Vasco Da Gama is said to have lived for some time), Indo-Portuguese Museum, Fort Immanuel and Fort Kochi Beach. At Fort kochi beach, you can spot the signature Chinese fishing nets that have come to symbolize Kochi in a way, due to its unique presence in this city.

Mattancherry

A potpourri of different cultures, Mattancherry is one of the most vibrant places to visit in Kochi. This neighbourhood is named after the famous Mattancherry Palace which is now functioning as a museum where different weapons and other paraphernalia possessed by the kings of Kochi are exhibited. Rare art, including colorful paintings, frescoes and mythological murals, adorns the inner walls of this palace. The courtyard in the center houses a temple dedicated to Pazhayannur Bhagavati, the Goddess worshiped chiefly by the royal family. Apart from Mattancherry Palace, several Hindu and Jain temples, mosques, churches and Jewish Synagogue are extremely popular with travelers, locals and foreigners alike.

Paradesi Synagogue

The Paradesi Synagogue, also known as the Cochin Jewish Synagogue, located at the Mattancherry Jew town of Kochi is the oldest Synagogue of India. The synagogue was built in 1568 by the city’s prosperous Jewish trading community, originally consisting of Sephardic Jews who had been exiled from Spain and Portugal decades earlier. The structure stands as a white-walled rectangular building with a tile roof and wrought-iron gates decorated with the Star of David. The synagogue houses a Dutch-style clock tower with four clocks, gold and silver-decorated Torah scrolls, an intricately carved teak ark, paintings portraying Jewish history, Belgian crystal chandeliers and copper plates inscribed with communities charter of independence. A unique feature is the flooring made up of hand-painted tiles brought from China.

Marine Drive

Kochi’s Marine Drive is a scenic walkway that overlooks the backwaters of Kochi. This is an ideal destination for a refreshing evening walk, taking in the beauty and tranquility of backwaters and enjoying the sunsets while filling your lungs with fresh air. Marine Drive also features three beautiful bridges – the Houseboat bridge, the Rainbow bridge and the Chinese fishing net bridge. Hourly cruises that start from Marine Drive in the evening take tourists on a boat tour to Cochin Harbour, Mattancherry, Bolgatty and other popular places to visit in Kochi.

Bolgatty & Vypeen Islands

Bolgatty Island, an iconic tourist destination is also the venue for PEDICON-2024. Bolgatty Palace , the oldest existing Dutch palaces outside Holland, is now converted into a hotel with a swimming pool, 9-hole golf course, ayurvedic center and daily Kathakali performances. It is a popular resort to stay in for Indian and overseas tourists.

Hill Palace Museum

Hill Palace was the abode of erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi and was converted into a Museum in 1986. The museum complex exhibits crown and ornaments of erstwhile Cochin royal family, paintings, sculptures in stone and marble, weapons, inscriptions, coins, etc. and has an archaeological museum, a heritage museum, a deer park, a pre-historic park and a children’s park. The major attractions include a weapon gallery & horse cart gallery.

Folklore Museum

The only architectural museum in Kerala, the Folklore Museum is home to over 4,000 artefacts of all sizes, including stone, wood and bronze sculptures, ancient terracotta, stone age objects, jewellery, paintings, oil lamps, musical instruments, tribal and folk art, wood works, utensils and masks. This ethnic museum captures the essence of everyday life and culture of the last 1000 years. It also hosts live shows and performances of traditional art forms like kathakali and traditional martial arts. One can also buy interesting souvenirs at its handicraft shop. A visit to this museum may offer you a deeper understanding of the rich cultural heritage of South India.

Kashi Art Gallery

Kashi is a beautiful open café bringing nature and art together. A forerunner of the Fort Cochin art rebirth, it hosts rotating exhibitions by regional artists in a lovingly renovated Dutch heritage home, which is connected to one of Kerala's most dazzling cafes. The Art Café has a small gallery featuring art exhibitions. It leads you to the garden café, which is illuminated with sunlight falling directly on the “installation of faces,’’ an art piece expressing various human emotions, erected right on the middle of the floor. The pebble paved room with cement benches on the first half extends to the inside where iron tables and chairs lend a classic ambience to the place. The wall is adorned with paintings and sculptures carved out of coconut shell and metal.

Cherai Beach

Situated off the coast of the Vypeen Island, about 25 km from Kochi, Cherai beach is one of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in Kerala. The unagitated waters and their slow waves makes it ideal for swimming. For someone who enjoys walking on the beach, Cherai offers a 15-km long stretch with lush coconuts and palms on one side and calm waters on the other side. It is known for frequent dolphin sightings. It is one of the few places where the backwaters and the sea can be seen in a single frame. There are numerous resorts in and around cherai offering private beach access ensuring fullest experience of the sea shore.

Edappally Church Complex

The church, often referred to as Edappally Pally, was a modest building when it was built in 594 AD. A larger church was constructed next to the previous one in 1080 AD. The third church built in 2015, is octagonal, 141-foot-high, covering 88,000-square-feet area and is one of India’s largest churches. Blending European and Keralite architecture, its altar is made of teak covered with gold foil imported from Italy and it has two bell towers. Old (original sin, Noah’s Ark and Cain and Abel) and New Testament scenes (the story of Jesus) are depicted as sculptures. The altar, depicting the Resurrection, is surrounded by carvings in Vietnamese marble. The two older churches have been preserved for their historic importance.

Wonderla Amusement Park

Wonderla is one of the biggest amusement parks in India with world class technology and facilities.The Kochi Wonderla park is spread over 82 acres of land with enthralling rides and activities. Wonderla Kochi offers around 22 exhilarating water supported rides and 34 thrilling land based rides along with “XD MAX” and Musical Fountain Laser Show. Few of the major water rides in Wonderla Kochi are the Wave pool, Wonder splash, Family slide, Rapid river, Water coasters, Rain disco and Water pendulum. The land based rides here are predominantly high thrill rides for those dare devil visitors who wish for an adrenaline rush. Some of the main attractions in the park are the Rocking tug, Flying boat, Windmill, Vintage tornado, Twin flip monster, Super jumper and Thunder fall.

Places to shop in Kochi

Lulu Mall

Kochi's Lulu Mall, One of the largest shopping centres in India, fulfils all of your demands for food, entertainment, and shopping in one convenient space. Many multinational brands, opulent shops and fantastic restaurants can be found at Lulu Mall. Even though there are plenty of shopping options in kochi, a visit to Lulu is a special shopping experience with 300+ food outlets, fashion stores and premium restaurants. There is also a premium five-star, 20-storey, 300 room hotel managed by JW Marriott Hotels, located adjacent to Lulu.

Centre Square Mall

Centre Square Mall is a shopping mall located at the heart of Kochi city on the MG Road. The mall is spread over 2.5 acres and is owned and operated by the Reliance Industries. Centre Square showcases the finest Indian & International fashion, Hypermarket for everyday needs, 11 screen state of art multiplex, gaming zone for entertainment, a food court with varied options, Café’s & Restaurants & so much more, making it a one stop destination for all age groups. Coupled with 3 levels of basement parking, it truly redefines your shopping experience on M.G Road.

Marine Drive

Marine Drive is a great place for street shopping. The most prominent shopping complex here is the GCDA complex which is also the first shopping mall in Kochi. You get a large selection of apparels, electronics and fragrances at GCDA Complex. Other shopping complexes here include bay pride mall and seaside shop which are also great destinations for casual shopping. Additionally, you can also shop at the Flea Market for amazingly affordable casual clothing.

Broadway

Broadway, whose sloping-roofed buildings preserve its old-world charm, is one of the oldest shopping streets of Kochi. Wholesale and retail shops line the street and have on sale an incredible variety of products including shoes, bags, toys, jewellery, handicrafts, nuts, spices, various kind of oils, utensils, clothes, furniture, electronic equipments, books and so on at affordable prizes. During festive seasons, this market offers great deals and great variety and is an ideal destination for those who enjoy street shopping.

Dishes to Taste in Kochi

Kochi is also known for its delicious cuisine, which combines the flavors of South India with the influences of various colonial powers that have inhabited the city over the centuries. Some of the must-try dishes in Kochi include appam and stew, puttu and kadala curry, fish curry and traditional Kerala sweets like ada and payasam. Apart from its traditional Keralite cuisine, Kochi being a modern cosmopolitan city, has embraced culinary delights of other cities and parts of the world with perfection. Kochi has a variety of restaurants serving authentic Kerala cuisine to multi-cuisine.

Means of Transport

Kochi has the finest modes of transport in terms of infrastructure and technology. The proposed venue of the conference – Grand Hyatt, Kochi is 32 kms away from the Cochin International Airport.

The Venue is just 5.3 kms away from South and North Railway Station, Kochi. In and around Kochi, the means of transport extends to Kochi Metro, Buses and other local transport services which offers a seamless travel experience. Many private transport players such as Uber and Ola are also easily available at Kochi, making commute a hassle-free experience.