The Jew Town is a unique place in Kochi. It is also called the Pardesi Town. I have heard about this place because of a music album produced by one of my friends, Ruth Hertz Weber. However, I had no idea what to expect.
There are two major monuments for visitors who are visiting Kochi–the Dutch Palance and the Jew Synagouge. Both are worth visiting because of their historical heritage, and also for people who are interested in knowing the history of Kerela and Jew people in India.
How to reach Jew Town
I was staying in Hotel Kochi Caprice which was far away from the Jew Town. We hired a 3-wheeler auto who suggested that we should take a ferry from the ferry station to Mattencherry, and we will land directly in the Jew Town. The option sounded interesting and we opted for it.
Surprisingly, it was very economical also–the fare for one person was only 7 INR. It provides you a beautiful boating experience too as it takes almost 15-20 minutes to reach the place. You could take an auto-rickshaw too but that would be very costly.
The Dutch Palace
The Dutch Palace houses historical information and artifacts of the kings of Kerela. It is a ticketed monument and photography inside the palace is not allowed. You can spend more than 30 minutes going through various objects in the palace.
The Synagogue
The Jew Synagogue is a beautiful monument–it is in the street behind the Dutch Palace. It is considered as the oldest active Synagogue in the Commonwealth Nations. The ambience of the place is serene and soaked in history. It’s a ticket monument and photograph is not allowed inside.
The market outside the Synagogue is quite costly. However, if you want to buy some memorabilia or souvenir, you can try many things available in the shops right from jewelry, clothes, and statues, etc.
Marine Drive
The ferry station is very close to the Marine Drive. I went to the Marine Drive and opted for a shared boating, which took us in the water for about half and hour–but it was very costly. You can avoid doing boating here and instead take a boat to Mattancherry or Fort Kochi from the ferry station, which is way too cheap.
However, the market opposite the Marine Drive is very economical. The road vendors offer great prices.
Where to eat
We ate a lot of places during out stay in Kochi, but I found the Bimbis Fast Food opposite the Marine Drive to the best option. It had South Indian as well as North Indian food items, and the prices were just great. The taste was also great. I would recommend this place to tourists who are visiting the Marine Drive in Kochi.
Transfer from Airport
I landed at Kochi airport at around 10:30 PM and was worried about taxi services during night; however, the taxi service available at Kochi is fantastic and is quite cheap. Alternatively, you can try Uber cabs too.
I hired Uber to visit Cherai beach which is around 40 Km from Kochi and they took us there without any hassle.
Then I had to take a flight back to Delhi Airport at 6 AM from Kochi. I booked an Uber cab at 3 AM which was quite outstanding given the time.
Overall, transportation is not a problem at all in Kochi.
