Ending our Indian travels in Kerala

Incense and perfume in Fort Kochi

After Hampi ruins in Karnataka it was time to head south to the state of Kerala, our last stop in India. Instead of a long slow train journey from Hampi to Hubli (we had an 8pm flight from Hubli to Kochi) we decided to go by taxi, a distance of 170km.  Oh my goodness, what a fraught journey this turned out to be!

The taxi driver (booked through an agent in Hampi Bazaar) was surly, unfriendly and an extremely incompetent driver.  In addition, it became apparent that he wasn't familiar with the route and spoke no English.  There's a new road being built between Hampi and Hubli (it's completion eons away we estimate) so there's constant weaving around road works, the old road in pitiful condition. Road traffic in India weaves a lot anyway...there's no concept of lanes, multiple vehicles overtake simultaneously, horns are sounded constantly and enormous HGVs and buses are kings of the road and roar along at high speeds.  Oncoming vehicles overtake recklessly, so it's necessary to veer to the edge of the road to avoid collision. Concentration and skill are essential and our driver lacked both. In the back of the taxi we contemplated our chances of survival anxiously.

The hero of this tale is my mobile phone. We called the travel agency who'd arranged the driver to complain, searched online for a hotel in a nearby town and used Google map to direct (with some difficulty) the driver to it.  We took refuge in the hotel, ignoring requests for payment. For over an hour the driver and travel agency lady (she via phone, he in person) pleaded in vain for payment.  We felt reassuringly safe in the hotel lounge, surrounded by sympathetic hotel staff who'd taken an intense interest in the situation.  Eventually new transport was arranged and hotel staff ushered us protectively into a waiting car (a bit like royalty) and we continued to Hubli Airport, much relieved.  We learned an important lesson...never begin a lengthy taxi journey before establishing verbal communication between you and the driver. It was close to midnight when we reached our B&B in Fort Kochi, Kerala, with just five days to go before ending our travels in India and returning to Malaysia.

Once a fishing village, and then a trading hub, the area known as Fort Kochi was under Portuguese, Dutch and British control from the early 1500s.  Preserved buildings and churches reflect the colonial period and a stay here is a delightful introduction to Kerala. Leafy streets are lined with hotels and guest houses, as well as small shops and restaurants, and tuk tuk drivers eagerly call out to us as we walk by. This is tourist country. Close to our comfy B&B is a popular tourist attraction, the Chinese fishing nets, so we trot along to have a look at them. These unusual "shore operated fish nets" are made out of bamboo and teak poles and it's interesting to see the large fixed nets in use. After rough and ready Hampi, Fort Kochi exudes wealth and sophistication and we enjoyed our two night stay here, taking advantage of the cafe culture as we explored the area.

Chinese fishing nets in Fort Kochi

St Francis Church in Fort Kochi, the first European church to be built in India

We intended to spend a night or two on the famously tranquil and scenic Kerala backwaters so travelled 50km south by taxi from Fort Kochi to the coastal town of Alappuzha (still referred to as Alleppey) to seek out the perfect houseboat.  Houseboats are big business in this part of Kerala, and many trips begin and end in Alleppey, from where waterways spread out. After an exceedingly hot midday walk around the jetty areas, asking around and examining boats, we lost interest. The boats we saw had (in our opinion) seen better days and we reluctantly concluded that, here at least, we were unlikely to find a houseboat that was affordable and comfortable.

Houseboats near Alleppey jetty, Kerala

We retreated to Raheem Residency, a restored 1868 heritage home, now a somewhat faded boutique hotel on Alleppey Beach. We liked our stay in this formerly grand home, but sadly its days are numbered, as a whopping great motorway along the beach road has recently beeen constructed. When the motorway opens in the near future traffic noise alone will deter guests, quite apart from the ugliness of the enormous concrete pylons that loom right over the front of the hotel.  The current road to Alleppey from Kochi is extremely inadequate for the volume of traffic so the motorway bypass will presumably improve the situation, but in doing so Alleppey Beach has lost all its charm. However, lying by the pretty pool at Raheem Residency for two days was enjoyable and relaxing, and we ventured out only to see Alleppey's impressive 19th century lighthouse nearby. We'd have liked more time to travel in Kerala, but with a flight to KL already booked, our five weeks in India was up.

The entrance to Raheem Residency, motorway monstrosity above

It was hard to shift ourselves from this pretty pool
at Raheem Residency, Alleppey Beach

Want to know if Gordon and I are still friends, or how much we spent? Were we travel weary after five weeks? Look out for my next blog post, coming soon, which sums up the whole trip and gives top tips for how to travel independently in India.

Interesting street art in Fort Kochi, Kerala