In short
Fort Kochi carries the traces of five centuries of trade: the Portuguese church where Vasco da Gama was first buried, a Dutch palace, the Mattancherry synagogue, and the Chinese fishing nets inherited from the fourteenth century.
The Kerala backwaters start an hour to the south: nine hundred kilometres of canals and lagoons, travelled by houseboat or canoe.
What it really costs
Kerala is dearer than northern India but offers a higher level of services: it is the state with the highest literacy and the best public health in the country.
A houseboat on the backwaters is hired by the night and prices vary sharply. A canoe or the public ferry from Alleppey gives a finer experience for almost nothing.
What nobody tells you
Kerala gets two monsoons: the main one from June to September, a second from October to December. The dry season is therefore shorter than elsewhere in India.
Kochi is one of the few Indian cities that is easy to walk, but Fort Kochi and the modern city of Ernakulam are separated by water: the public ferry links them for a few rupees.
Kathakali, Kerala's danced theatre, is staged in short performances for visitors. Full performances last all night and are given at temple festivals.