About Cochin
The view of the harbour is immediately recognisable even if you have never cruised to this uniquely picturesque Indian port before. For the lines of fishing nets gracefully hanging down from bamboo frames along the waterfront have inspired artists and hotographers ever since this Chinese fishing style was imported into Indias Kerala region.
It is a magical welcome to a mystical place, especially its old town - Fort Kochi (Cochin). This not only has a 16th century Portuguese-built church but a 17th century synagogue for the small community that still remains from the Jewish settlers who arrived 2,000 years ago.
There is a bustling new town, Emakulam, too, but you probably still want to spend most of your time moving through the network of canals leading off the Vembavad Lake on which Cochin sits. On their banks and across their bridges, fishermen and their families live much as they have done for centuries.