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experience by giving them an international spin. You might be tempted to dive head first into the seafood platter (you can even preorder a specific fish and hope it’s caught the day you dine), but it would be a shame not to taste crab ularthiyathu, cooked in an earthenware urn with a spicy masala (so not really for delicate palates), or the Cochin shrimp curry, or home-reared Kerala duck curry, or the coconut fish. If you’re keeping away from the spices and curries, then there’s a marvelous crab risotto, or pumpkin olan, which is typically Keralite, made with semiripe pumpkin and lentils. Finish off with chocolate soup, made with homemade ice cream and nuts and flavored with cardamom and ask for a table near the lotus pond—on most nights in season you’ll be serenaded by flute and tabla players.

Old Harbour Hotel, 1/328 Tower Rd., Fort Kochi. 0484/221-8006. Reservations essential Dec and Jan. Main courses Rs 330–Rs 550, tiger prawns Rs 660, jumbo prawns Rs 770, mixed platter Rs 1,050, seafood platter Rs 1,350. MC, V. Daily 7:30–10:30am, noon–3pm, and 7:30–10:30pm.

SHOPPING

With the exception of Cinnamon (see below), where Bangalore-based buyers show off their exceptional eye for modern Indian design, and a small branch of the ever-popular Fabindia (1/279 Napier St.; 0484/221-7077;www.fabindia.com), Fort Kochi itself caters primarily to mass tourist tastes. The goods for sale are neither cheap nor exceptional. You’ll have far more fun exploring the antiques dealerships in neighboring Mattancherry, most of which are jam-packed with weird, wonderful, and genuine pieces from Kerala’s multifangled past; catch a rickshaw to Crafters (see below), then wander around this area. The biggest outfit in the area, Crafters is less likely to offer discounts, but dig around the dark corners of the little shops tucked around this legendary antiques shop, and bargain hard: Try offering half of the quoted price, and settle halfway between the two. If you’d like to do your shopping in slightly more salubrious environs, then definitely set aside some time for Ethnic Passage (see below). Also in Jew Town and worth popping into is Galleria Synagogue Art Gallery ( 0484/222-2544), where local artists are well represented; art and antiques lovers should also check out Lawrence Art Gallery in Synagogue Lane ( 0484/222-3657). Finally, do stop off at Traveller’s Paradise (see below)—you may go in only to support a worthy cause, but you’ll probably emerge with bulging eco-friendly bags.

Cinnamon A branch of Bangalore’s trendy store, this is Kochi’s most fashionable outlet. With a cool gallerylike ambience, Cinnamon sells modern objets, shoes, and fashions that are entirely homegrown and produced by some of the best designers in India (ask about garments by Abraham & Thakore, Vivek Narang, Sonum Dubal, Priyadarshini Rao, and Jason Anshu). Find fishing nets made into pillowcases, coconuts fashioned into purses, vintage prints of Hindu deities, silk caftans, and cotton dresses and tunics ideal for the Indian heat. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm. 1/658 Ridsdale Rd., Parade Ground, Fort Kochi. 0484/221-7124.

Crafters In the heart of historic Mattanchery’s Jew Town, Crafters is an antiques fetishist’s dream come true. A huge selection of unique antiques and handicrafts, ranging from religious curiosities to that perfect doorway, are displayed in five different stores, and piled up high in a massive warehouse style, with so much to take home you’ll find it hard to leave empty-handed; staff members are dab hands at arranging for purchases to be shipped abroad. Before you purchase anything, though, do look around the other antiques shops in Jew Town; Crafters has the best selection, and prices are fair, but you won’t find real bargains here. VI/141, Jew Town. 0484/222-3346, -7652, or 93-8860-5069.

Ethnic Passage It’s been a long time coming, but Kochi finally has what looks and feels like a smart retail arcade. Linking Jew Town’s main bazaar with the synagogue, this chic little center was still partially vacant at the time of research, but with at least