Kochi is often referred to as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea'. Kochi was chosen as the main seat of the Portuguese, Dutch and later on, the British occupied it. Therefore, it still displays multi-culture and is a very vibrant city. When you are in Kochi, you cannot afford to miss seafood if you love the taste of it. The best of prawns, kingfish, and crabs can be savored here along with many local specialties like Malabar Prawn Curry, Dhe Puttu, Chuttuli Meen, etc. If you are traveling to the city by flight and have some time in hand, you can easily visit some places around the airport, some of which are detailed here.
Kalady is in Angamaly, a village in Aluva, roughly about 35 kilometers from the airport. It is the birthplace of Advaitha philosopher Sri Adi Shankaracharya and has a Sarada temple with a superb gallery that can be seen at all times. You can also visit the Sankara Tower, which is a spiritual place with ten floors in it. There are innumerable murals and wall paintings in the tower, which serves as a museum to depict the life and times of the Shankaracharya.
2. Kodanad
This beautiful place on the banks of the Periyar River is located at a distance of 20 kilometers from the airport. It has a captive elephant training college in which wild elephants are brought for being domesticated. There is also a cradle for baby elephants to be nurtured over here. You can also enjoy an elephant safari at this place. Just four kilometers from this place is Poru which is a pristine riverbank known for its scenic locale. One can enjoy a mesmerizing swim in the river at Poru.
3. Malayatoor
It is near to Kodanad and at roughly the same distance from the Cochin airport. If you are a practicing Christian, the place can hold a deep meaning as it is a renowned Christian pilgrimage place due to the famous church of St. Thomas. The church has been d as an international shrine by the Vatican and the view of the church can be highly alluring.
4. Athirappilly
It is a lush green forest area that has a beautiful waterfall so that visitors can enjoy its grandeur. It is about 40 kilometers from the airport and is dotted with many streams and a lot of water bodies. Adventure enthusiasts can enjoy here a lot as one can take a walk through the forests and rediscover the charm of the virgin woods.
5. Iringol Kavu
Iringol Kavu is very near to Kodanad and is about 20 kilometers from the airport. You can watch the magnificent goddess temple over here along with the largest snake grove of the state. Different species of snakes can be found at the grove. The temple is a natural staying place of monkeys and you can sight a lot of them over here.
If you are a beach lover, you can't stop yourself from visiting the Cherai beach that is situated only at a distance of 24 kilometers from the airport. The specialty of the beach is that it is a single beach that has a backwater lagoon to it that makes it all the more attractive. If you happen to be here during the kite festival, the fun can be a lot more during the period.
7. Bhoothankettu
If you are a bird and nature lover, a visit to Bhoothankettu is a must if you are anywhere near Kochi. The place is about 45 kilometers from the airport and has a scenic dam that can be worth all the pain in reaching it. It also has the famous Thattekad bird sanctuary where you can see many varieties of birds including forest birds as well as water birds in huge numbers all throughout the year.
Kochi is a lively city where you will never feel bored due to the amount of activity that it offers. In addition to all the places mentioned here, there are many other places of interest in and near to it that can be visited by people coming to the city.
