Day 14. Mumbai - Cochin
Overnight – Brunton Boatyard
We recommend a hearty breakfast from the large selection of Indian and western options at the buffet, including scores of made to order delights. You are assisted with your check-out in the mid-morning and then you will proceed to Mumbai airport in time to board your early afternoon flight to Cochin. You will not get to your Fort Kochi lodging until the late afternoon and your no-frills flight (there are no business class or full-service airline options on this routing – this is the only such flight on your journey) will only serve fairly poor food. Upon your arrival at Cochin Airport your North India Tour Director will bid you farewell after introducing you to your Kerala Tour Director. Guiding in South India requires proficiency in the local languages – India has 19 languages and over 500 dialects.
You are driven to historic Fort Kochi to the bayfront location of the renovated 19th Century Dutch boat building facility that is your lodging, Brunton Boatyard, and assisted with your check-in to your sea facing suite. This extremely charming boutique 22 room lodge does not boast the luxury of most of your previous hotels, but it oozes a magical charm and has incredible service levels.
It has by far the best location and some of the finest coastal Keralan cuisine, very different from other cuisines in India with its Dutch and Portuguese influences – the restaurant chefs and servers will amaze you at every meal. You are right next to most of the major attractions of this fascinating historic small town, ideal for morning & evening walks. Excellent Ayurvedic massages and treatments are available in their small spa.
You should have a little time to enjoy their complimentary tea, which includes some delicious finger food and good coffee options, before boarding the Brunton Boatyard’s boat (the last boat made by the Dutch shipbuilder, over 60 years ago) and joining other hotel guests for a sunset cruise on Cochin’s massive Harbor. Upon your return from the cruise, you have the option to join a few Brunton guests for the boutique lodge’s regular cooking class, followed by dinner at their excellent History Fine Dining Restaurant. Brunton Boatyards description of the class is – Brunton Boatyard’s master chefs share some of their skills with you at the evening cookery classes. Here you will learn the secrets of traditional Kerala cooking. And of course, you will enter the magical world of Indian spices. What they are, how to use them, combine them, and savor the special magic they bring to even the most commonplace foods.
Fort Kochi has been known as the Malabar Coast for centuries because the world’s finest spices are grown on the misty mountains of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage List sight near Cochin. The incredible spices grown here prompted nations like the Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, British and many others, to come here to trade.
We recommend a hearty breakfast from the large selection of Indian and western options at the buffet, including scores of made to order delights. You are assisted with your check-out in the mid-morning and then you will proceed to Mumbai airport in time to board your early afternoon flight to Cochin. You will not get to your Fort Kochi lodging until the late afternoon and your no-frills flight (there are no business class or full-service airline options on this routing – this is the only such flight on your journey) will only serve fairly poor food. Upon your arrival at Cochin Airport your North India Tour Director will bid you farewell after introducing you to your Kerala Tour Director. Guiding in South India requires proficiency in the local languages – India has 19 languages and over 500 dialects.
You are driven to historic Fort Kochi to the bayfront location of the renovated 19th Century Dutch boat building facility that is your lodging, Brunton Boatyard, and assisted with your check-in to your sea facing suite. This extremely charming boutique 22 room lodge does not boast the luxury of most of your previous hotels, but it oozes a magical charm and has incredible service levels.
It has by far the best location and some of the finest coastal Keralan cuisine, very different from other cuisines in India with its Dutch and Portuguese influences – the restaurant chefs and servers will amaze you at every meal. You are right next to most of the major attractions of this fascinating historic small town, ideal for morning & evening walks. Excellent Ayurvedic massages and treatments are available in their small spa.
You should have a little time to enjoy their complimentary tea, which includes some delicious finger food and good coffee options, before boarding the Brunton Boatyard’s boat (the last boat made by the Dutch shipbuilder, over 60 years ago) and joining other hotel guests for a sunset cruise on Cochin’s massive Harbor. Upon your return from the cruise, you have the option to join a few Brunton guests for the boutique lodge’s regular cooking class, followed by dinner at their excellent History Fine Dining Restaurant. Brunton Boatyards description of the class is – Brunton Boatyard’s master chefs share some of their skills with you at the evening cookery classes. Here you will learn the secrets of traditional Kerala cooking. And of course, you will enter the magical world of Indian spices. What they are, how to use them, combine them, and savor the special magic they bring to even the most commonplace foods.
Fort Kochi has been known as the Malabar Coast for centuries because the world’s finest spices are grown on the misty mountains of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage List sight near Cochin. The incredible spices grown here prompted nations like the Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, British and many others, to come here to trade.