India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [195]
No matter which balm you choose, you’ll find that the well-practiced masseuses of Kerala will treat your body like a temple; for them, the massage or treatment is almost a spiritual exercise. Of course, it helps to know that your body is being worshiped when you’re lying there in your birthday suit (note that in strict accordance with Indian piety, you will be assigned a same-sex therapist). Whatever its purported virtues and pleasures, Ayurveda lures thousands of Westerners to Kerala, which in turn sustains a thriving industry that puts food on the table for many people. The downside of this has been an unprecedented mushrooming of quick-fix Ayurvedic “centers” throughout the state. Almost every hotel in the country now offers Ayurvedic “treatments,” many staffed with therapists back from a short training stint in Kerala and having insufficient knowledge of technique (reusing oils that should be discarded, for example). To ensure that you get the real deal, look for the top-of-the-range “Green Leaf” certification issued by the Department of Tourism, or the equally trustworthy (for nontherapeutic programs) “Olive Leaf” centers. These certifications are based on strict criteria covering the quality of the physicians, programs, medicines, and facilities offered. We review the best resorts with this accreditation in this chapter, but if you really want to experience the ultimate in Ayurvedic discipline and undertake an experience that will not only recharge your batteries but inevitably change your life, turn and read about Kalari Kovilakom. This sensational retreat is undoubtedly one of the world’s foremost facilities for engaging with the more spiritual side of India’s increasingly global science of life.
1 Kochi (Cochin)
1,080km (670 miles) S of Mumbai
Kerala
Kochi is not the capital of Kerala, but it is a great deal more charming than Trivandrum, and, blessed with a good airport and infrastructure, is for many the ideal gateway to the state. In fact, this has been the case since 1341, the year nature carved out Kochi’s harbor with a massive flood, and the city became the first port of call for Arabs, Chinese, and, finally, European sea merchants, who sailed for barter into what came to be known as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea.”
Lured by the promise of pepper, the Portuguese under Vasco da Gama arrived in 1500, and the Franciscan friars who accompanied the explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral established a church and set about converting the locals. By 1553, the Maharaja of Kochi had granted permission for the construction of the first European fort in India, and what had been an obscure fishing hamlet became India’s first European settlement. In 1663, Kochi fell to the Dutch, and 132 years later, to the British. Each of these foreign influences left their mark, resulting in a distinctly Indo-European culture, most evident in the architecture.
Today, Kochi (or Cochin, as it was formerly known) comprises three distinct areas. Old Kochi, comprising the down-at-heel but wonderfully atmospheric Mattancherry and its more pristine neighbor, Fort Kochi, lie on one of two peninsular arms that shield the Kochi harbor, and hold the most historical interest. Opposite it, on the mainland that creates the eastern peninsula, lies modern Ernakulam. Between the two are islands, now well connected by bridges, including Willingdon Island.
Fort Kochi, the oldest European settlement in India, retains an old-world charm. Although it has now largely been given over to tourism, the town’s heritage buildings and broad, peaceful streets