When life gives you lemons why not make its lemonade and chill on a road trip? Keep reading on to know the best places around Kochi which you can approach to escape all that daily traffic and pollution. Here’s a state-wise list of some of the off-beat places that you can visit to treat yourself with some relaxing and soothing experience.
Kerala
- Ernakulam:
Ernakulam district is 10 km away from Kochi. The places of interest include Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Rajeev Gandhi Indoor stadium, Durbar hall ground, Vivekanand statue and Marine drive in Kochi. It also has a large amount of places of worship for every religion, be it Hindu or Muslim or Christian.
- Kozhikode:
Kozhikode or Calicut is situated on the Malabar Coast, 184 km from Kochi. Koazhikode possesses a tropical climate. Winters are seldom cold. The Malabar Mahotsava is the annual cultural festival of Kozhikode. Places of tourist attraction are Kozhikode Beach, Mananchira Pond, Sarovaram Bio-park, Tali Shiva Temple, Kuttichira Mosque, Kappad Beach, Beypore Sea Bridge, Kirtads Museum and Thusharagiri Falls. The famous markets in Kozhikode are, Valiyangadi Market and Sweet Meat Street.
- Munnar:
Munnar is a hill station in the Western Ghats, 131 km far from Kochi. Eravikulam National Park in Munnar is home to the endangered mountain goat Nilgiri Tahr. It also houses the Lakkam waterfalls, hiking trails and 2,695 m tall Annamudi Peak. Other places of interest are Mattupetty dam, Tea Museum, Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Devikulam, Hydel Park and Pothamedu View Point.
- Kovalam:
The coastal town of Kovalam is at a distance of 212 km from Kochi. The must visit attractions in Kovalam are Kovalam beach, Grove beach and Grow Beach. The palm black beaches of Kovalam include the Hawa beach and Samudra beach. The lighthouse beach houses a stripped lighthouse with a viewing platform. The Sangarika Marine Research Aquarium displays the technology used in Pearl Production. Apart from that one can also visit Vizhinjam Juma Masjid mosque and Halcyon Castle.
- Kannur:
Kannur, also known by its Anglicised name Cannanore, is located 276 km away from Kochi. It is also known as “The land of Looms and Lores” because of the weaving industry and the folk arts held in the temples. Apart from that it is also known for its flawless beaches and it native dance form Theyyam. The tourist spots in Kannur are St. Angelo fort, Payyambalam beach and its neighbouring Baby beach, Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach, V-Pra Kaayal Floating park, Arakkal Museum, Meenkunnu Beach, Choottad beach, Paithalmala. The Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary offers exciting rain forest treks, and is also a great place to experience a view of rare and diverse wildlife creatures like sloth bears, mouse deers, elephants etc.
Tamil Nadu
- Mudumalai:
Mudumalai tiger sanctuary
Housing the very famous Mudumalai National park, this city is located 248 km away from Kochi. It has been declared as a tiger reserve by the Tamil Nadu government. It is located in the Nilgiri district, on the Northwestern side of the Nilgiri hills. The various sites to visit in Mudumalai are Pyakara lake and waterfall, Kamaraj sagar dam, Theppakadu Elephant Camp, Needle rock view point, Wenlock Downs, Muthanga forest and Seetha devi temple.
- Coonoor:
Known for its Nilgiri tea, Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills after Ooty. It is an ideal destination for trekkers to find their way into the Niligiri. The Sim’s park is a huge botanical garden, which is partly developed in Japanese style and is known for its annual fruit and vegetable show. The route from Lady Canning’s seat to Dolphin’s nose is a heavenly route for trekkers. Other places to visit are Lamb’s rock, Doorg fort and Catherine falls. Coonoor is located at a distance of 283 km from Kochi.
- Ooty:
Ooty also known as Ootacamund is a very popular and glorious hill station in the Nilgiri District. There are many places of interest such as the Government rose garden, Ooty botanical garden, Boat house, Stone house, St. Stephen’s church, Ooty Lake and many more lakes. One should not at all miss the experience of a ride in the Nilgiri mountain railway. Missing it is something you would regret later. The splendid city of Ooty is located 300 km away from Kochi.
- Kodaikanal:
Kodaikanal translated as ‘The gift of the forest’ is located at a distance of 312 km from Kochi. There are abundant amount of Christian churches in Kodaikanal as it was founded by the American and European missionaries. The places of interest in Kodaikanal include, the Kodaikanal lake, Bryant park, Coaker’s walk, Bear Shola falls, Green valley view, Pine forests, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Pillar rocks, Guna caves, Silver cascade and Berijam lake to name a few.
- Tuticorin:
Tuticorin also known as Thoothukudi is a Port city situated 317 km away from Kochi. It is known as ‘Pearl city’ due to the pearl fishing carried out in this town. A major attraction here is the Our Lady of Snows Basilica. Our Lady of Snows Basilica and the Shiva temple festivals are the main festivals of tourist attraction. Muthu Nagar New Beach, Roche Park, Harbour Beach park, Nehru Park, Rajaji Park and Pearl City Beach are the primary tourist attractions of the city. There are numerous islands located close to the city namely Hare Island and Nalla Thanni Island which attracts lot of visitors during weekends and festival seasons.
Karnataka
- Madikeri:
Madikeri, also known as, Mercara is a hill station town in Karnataka. The Madikeri fort, located in the very heart of the city, is a must visit tourist destination. It was originally build by mud and was later replaced by Tipu Sultan. Other places to visit in Madikeri are Raja seat, St. Mark’s Church, Omkareshwara Temple and Abbey falls. Madikeri is located at a distance of 364 km from Kochi.
Madikeri falls
- Mysore:
Mysore is located at the foothills of Chamundi hills about 396 km from Kochi. It is noted for its heritage structures and Palaces including the Mysore Palace. It is known as the “Cultural Capital of India” and is famous for its Dasara festival celebrations. This 10 day festival attracts a lot of tourists every year. Other places to visit in Mysore are The Jaganmohana Palace, The Sand Sculpture Museum, The Jayalakshmi Vilas, The Lalitha Mahal, Chamundeshwari Temple, atop the Chamundi Hills, and St. Philomena’s Church.
- Udupi:
Udupi, also known as the temple city is 475 km away from Kochi. It is popular for its Krishna temple and Tulu Ashthamathas. Kaup beach, located on the shores of Udupi is a very wonderful destination to visit. Udupi is also famous for its renowned Udupi cuisine. Manipal is also a tourist locality within Udupi. There are various festivals celeberated in Udupi which attracts a large number of crowds every year. They are, Makara Sankranti, Ratha Sapthami, Madhwa Navami, Madhwa Jayanti, Vijaya Dashami, Hanuma Jayanthi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Navaratri Mahotsava, Naraka Chathurdashi, Deepavali, Geetha Jayanthi, Daasara aradhanas, etc.
- Bengaluru:
Located at a distance of 550 km from Kochi, Bengaluru is the centre of India’s High-tech Industry. It is also referred to as ‘Silicon valley of India’. The places of tourist attraction in Bangalore are, Bangalore Palace, Tipu Sultan summer Palace, Lal Baugh, Cubbon Park, Attara Kacheri, Government Museum, Mayo hall, HAL aerospace museum, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetorium, Legends, motorcycle museum, Thottikallu falls, Nandi hills, Bannerghatta National Park, Butterfly park, Lumbini gardens, Innovative Film city and many more exciting places.
- Chikmagalur:
Chikmagalur attracts its tourists by its scenic beauty and coffee estates. The places worth visiting in Chikmagalur are Baba Budan Giri Hills or B.B. Hills, Mullayangiri, Bhadra wildlife Sanctuary, Coffee Museum, Café Coffee day Headquaters, Hebbe falls, Kudremukh national park. The scenic beauty of Chikmagalur is sure to win your heart. It is at a distance of 581 km from Kochi.
Andhra Pradesh:
- Chittoor:
Chittoor district lies in the Poini river valley of southernmost Andhra Pradesh, 610 km away from Kochi. It is a major market for mangoes, grains, sugarcane and peanuts. There are major temples in Chittoor like Tirupati, Kanipakam and Sri kalahasti temples. The Chandragiri fort is a notable landmark near Chittoor. Horsley hills are a favourite spot for hikers and adventure lovers.
- Tirupati:
Tirupati balaji temple
Tirupati is a city in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is 686 km from Kochi. Tirupati is considered one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites because of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Shilathoranam, a natural arch is located in the Thirumala hills about 1 km from the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. Other places to visit are Shri Venkateswara National park, Shri Venkateshwara Zoological Park and the regional Science centre. Tirupati is world famous for its Titupati laddu which is exclusively available as the ‘Prasaddam’ at the Tirumala temple.
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