Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Car and passenger ferries cross to Vypeen Island from Fort Cochin virtually nonstop (
6am to 10pm).
LOCAL TRANSPORT
There are no real bus services between Fort Cochin and Mattancherry Palace, but it's an
enjoyable 30-minute walk through the busy warehouse area along Bazaar Rd. Autorick-
shaws should cost around ?40, much less if you promise to look in a shop. Most autorick-
shaw trips around Ernakulam shouldn't cost more than ?35.
To get to Fort Cochin after ferries stop running you'll need to catch a taxi or autorick-
shaw - Ernakulam Town train station to Fort Cochin should cost around ?300; prepaid
autorickshaws during the day cost ?150.
Scooters/Enfields can be hired for ?250/350-600 per day from a number of agents in
Fort Cochin.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Kochi
Cherai Beach
On Vypeen Island, 25km from Fort Cochin, Cherai Beach makes a fantastic day trip or
getaway from Kochi. It's a lovely stretch of as-yet undeveloped white sand, with miles of
lazy backwaters just a few hundred metres from the seafront. Cherai is easily visited on a
day trip from Kochi - it's an excellent ride if you hire a scooter or motorbike in Fort
Cochin - but a growing number of low-key resorts along the single road running parallel
to the beach make it worth hanging out a few days.
Brighton Beach House
( 9946565555;
www.brightonbeachhouse.org
; d ?1100)
has five basic rooms in
a small building by the shore. The beach is rocky here, but the place is wonderfully se-
cluded, filled with hammocks to loll in, and has a neat, elevated stilt-restaurant overlook-
ing the seawall.
A collection of distinctive cottages lying around a meandering lagoon,
Cherai Beach Resort
( 04842416949;
www.cheraibeachresorts.com
; Cherai Beach, Vypeen Island; villas from ?3750, with AC from
?4500; )
has the beach on one side and backwaters on the other. Bungalows are indi-
vidually designed using natural materials, and there's a bar and restaurant.
