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elephants often take to the streets to participate in spectacular temple festivals; by far the biggest and most colorful is the Thrissur Pooram Temple Festival, which takes place at the end of April/early May, 74km (46 miles) north of Kochi. With two rival temple groups, each armed with 15 elephants and gorgeously heisted parasols, vying with each other to make their procession and fireworks display grander than preceding years, this is a photographer’s dream and well worth planning a trip around. Bear in mind, however, that most hotels in Thrissur will be booked for many months in advance, so plan well ahead, and ask Babu John (see “Guided Tours & Travel Agents,” above) for assistance—given enough warning, he can even arrange for you to witness the festival (which sees thousands of ecstatic devotees crushed into the streets around the temples—potentially as frightening as it is thrilling) from a hotel rooftop. Thrissur is (58km/36 miles) from Kochi airport.

Kochi

Airlines For the Kingfisher city office, call 0484/235-1144; for their airport counter, call 0484/261-0055. For Jet Airways, call 0484/235-8879 (airport 0484/261-0037); Spicejet ( 0484/261-1750); Indian/Air India ( 0484/261-0040; domestic 0484/261-0041; international 0484/261-0011); Paramount ( 0484/261-0404); Emirates ( 0484/261-1195); Qatar ( 0484/261-1304); Etihad ( 0484/261-1770).

Ambulance Dial 102.

Area Code The area code for Kochi is 0484.

ATMs Kochi has hundreds of ATMs; ask your driver or host for the nearest.

Banks There are more than 50 banks in Kochi. Hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm (some 9am–1pm); Saturday 10am to 1pm (some 12:30pm). Some have evening counters and a few open Sunday. See “Currency Exchange,” below.

Bookstores Both branches of Idiom Books are wonderful for a wide variety of books on India, its culture, and its literature. In Fort Kochi, the store is at the corner of Bastion and Quirose streets ( 0484/221-7075; Mon–Sat 9am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm). In Mattancherry, it’s opposite the Boat Jetty on Jew Street ( 0484/222-5604).

Car Hires & Taxis On average, you can expect to pay Rs 150 per hour or Rs 8 per kilometer for a taxi. The Government of India Tourist Office (near Taj Malabar Hotel, Willingdon Island; 0484/266-8352; Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm, Sat 9am–1pm) has a fleet of Ambassadors. Also try Sita World Travel (Tharakan Bldg., M.G. Rd., Ernakulam; 0484/237-4122) or Kerala Adventures (see “Guided Tours & Travel Agents,” above).

Currency Exchange You can exchange currency and traveler’s checks at any of the many banks in Kochi, like Canara Bank in Fort Kochi (Kunnumpuram Junction, Amaravathy Rd.; 0484/221-5467; Mon–Fri 10am–2pm and 2:30–3:30pm, Sat 10am–noon) or Standard Chartered (M.G. Rd., Ernakulam; 0484/235-9462; Mon–Fri 9:30am–4:30pm, Sat till 1pm). Thomas Cook is also on M.G. Rd. ( 0484/236-9729; Mon–Sat 9:30am–6pm) and has a branch at the airport ( 0484/261-0052 or -0032). Note that credit cards outside of big hotels are not the norm (and some of these accept only MasterCard and Visa), so always carry some cash.

Drugstores Medilab (Doraiswamy Iyer Rd., Ernakulam; 0484/236-8963) is open around the clock, as is Ernakulam Medical Centre on the NH Bypass ( 0484/280-7101).

Emergencies For police emergencies, dial 100; to report a crime, call 1090. For fires and other emergencies, including medical services, call 101.

Hospitals There are more than 500 hospitals and clinics in Kochi, some specializing in particular ailments, and a number of them highly respected. If you have a medical emergency, your hotel should be able to organize the best medical match; alternatively, call Medical Trust Hospital ( 0484/235-8001) or General Hospital ( 0484/236-1251).

Internet Access Just about all the hotels offer some kind of internet access. Fort Kochi also has plenty of Internet “cafes” (back rooms behind shops). These generally charge more than any of the options in Ernakulam. Call’n’Fax/Shop’n’Save (Princess St.; 0484/221-5438; Mon–Sat 8am–10pm, Sun 9am–10pm) charges Rs 40 per hour.

Post Office Use the General Post Office in Mattancherry