Joyce's Kochi Excursion for "Oceania Nautica" passengers. Pick & Drop @ Ship.

This half-day tour of the city will give you an idea of how years of visiting explorers and traders have made Cochin into the cultural melting pot that it is today Fort Cochin, the first European settlement in India. This region has changed hands between the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British, each of which have left their mark on the architecture.
In Fort Kochi at the beach you are taken to Chinese Fishing Nets.
Chinese fishing nets dotted along the shoreline that are still used in the Kerala backwaters. Move on to St Francis Church, which was built by General Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1500. He arrived from Portugal with half a dozen ships to build the first European church in India
You’ll head to Jewish town by coach.
You’ll then move on to Asia’s best preserved synagogue, which is paved with hand-painted blue-and-white porcelain tiles, before perusing the shops in Jew Town
The final stop is at Mattancherry at the Dutch Palace. It’s home to Hindu murals that cover entire walls

Tour # !. City Tour of Cochin
After you are met at the ship you will be escorted by our staff / guide to the waiting vehicle ( car / minivan.
1. From the pier the tour will proceed to Fort Kochi. It is approximately 30 minutes drive.
2. At Fort Kochi the tour will reach the Vasco da Gama Square at the Fort Kochi Beach.
3. At the Fort Kochi Beach the tour will walk ( 5 minutes ) to Chinese Fishing Nets. The tour will watch the operation of the Chinese Nets by fishermen all along the beach.( 20 minutes.)
4. After Chinese Fishing Nets the tour will walk ( a soft walk of 05 minutes ) to the Church of St. Francis.
5 At the Church we will get in to visit the first tomb of Vasco da Gama.( 15 minutes.)
6. After the St. Francis the group will board the waiting vehicle to drive to Jewish Town ( 30 minutes)
7 On the way to Jewish Town the tour will have a brief stop at the Dhobi Khana ( washerwoman's Village) ( 10 minutes)
8 At Jewish Town the group will get down from the vehicle and walk along the streets of Jewish Town to synagogue. This Jewish streets hold all over the marks of European Jews Architecture. ( 15 minutes.)
9. The group will enter the Jewish Synagogue and spend about 15 minutes.
10 After the synagogue the group will walk again through the Jewish street to the Mattancherry Palace ( Dutch Palace )
11. Visit Mattancherry Palace to explore the most beautiful murals and other exhibits ( 30 minutes)
12. The tour end and before returning to the ship time is offered to the group for doing their personal preferences like exploring the market at Jewish Town or sit for a tea in the balcony of an old Jewish residence to watch the life of the people down there.
The duration of the tour is 5 hours.

Tour # @. Alleppey Backwater House Boat Tour..
On this full-day tour ( 8 hours ) you’ll hop on a coach and take the scenic coastal road towards the city of Alleppey. ( 1h..45m.)
The serene waterways of Alleppey are fringed by palm groves and paddy fields and offer a view of traditional life – they were the main mode of transport before bridges were built between the islands.
The most important town in this stretch is Alleppey, famous for its boat races, houseboats and lakes. It’s also known as the "Venice of the East", as it was here that traders came in search of black gold.
You’ll board a modern version of the old rice barges, which were once used to transport goods around Kerala, for a cruise through the canals. ( 3 hours)
You’ll pass green landscapes peppered with pocket-sized villages and traditional temples while you tuck into a Keralan lunch.
The menu covers off local favourites, like Kerala-style chicken, vegetable and lentil curries, and fried fish. It’s finished off with ‘semiya payasam’, a southern Indian dessert of vermicelli noodles cooked in condensed milk, topped with bananas or pineapple. After lunch, you’ll disembark at Alleppey and take the coach back to Cochin.(1 h.45.m.)