It came as a pleasant surprise that I was the 19 th week winner of Class 95FM 20 Destinations in 20 weeks (Class 95 Discovers Asia with SilkAir Contest)! It was an early birthday surprise…

All thanks to me… MK, my travelling companion; a wonderful friend of mine, also got the privilege to travel with Class 95 DJ, Vernetta, and her husband Wayne.  Wahahaha =)

Day 1

MK and I checked in at Terminal 2 on 17 June 2010. Friendly SilkAir counter staff Fatin shared our happiness when she found out we were the blessed ones to have won the contest. She also upgraded us to Business Class for our flight to Kochi, India! Woohoo! Here we come!

Onboard MI 468, we were greeted with big smiles from senior air stewardess Joyce and her crew. We were seated comfortably with plenty of leg room and were served with a welcome drink. I was caught by surprise when Captain Eric Peh announced my name as the Class 95FM winner during the flight. At 2045hrs, we were on a 4-hour flight to Kochi, India to experience an exclusive holiday.

Sumptuous dinner was served during the flight and that includes: Smoked salmon, Apple crumble and Seafood with rice.  Prior to our arrival in Kochi, India, we managed to take a group picture with Vernetta, the cabin crew and the pilots.

The smooth flight brought us to Kochi, India at Singapore time 0055hrs (2255hrs India time) and we were received by our guide for the next 3 days, Azeem, who sent us to our wonderful accommodation, Hotel Travancore Court for the next 3 nights, 17 June to 20 June 2010.

Day 2

Breakfast was a spread of Indian cuisine with varieties of curry, strong in spice yet light in hotness. After breakfast, it was time for our day trip. While waiting for Azeem at the hotel lobby, we chanced upon a local tv production right at our hotel.

During our 45mins road journey to Alleppey for a full day trip on a House Boat, we realized that there isn’t a single traffic light (less the major traffic junctions) and yet road users can still move their vehicles smoothly along the road. From the main road, we walked a short distance to the jetty where we boarded the House Boat. Though simple, the House Boat we were on was fully equipped with a bedroom, toilet, kitchen and air conditioning. It was through Azeem that I found out that house boats were originally used as a means of transportation of goods for trade but as time went by, it evolved into becoming into a “house” for the locals and now a must-see tourist attraction. The size of the house boat is dependent on the number of rooms on-board and this can be known by counting the number of windows.

We were served coconuts on the house boat and there were many coconut trees found along the river bank, according to Azeem our guide, Kerala means coconut and that is how Kerala got her name.

MK, Vern, Wayne and I enjoyed the breeze, the laid-back and chill-out time while the house boat cruised on Punnamada Lake. We passed by massive paddy fields and the simple day to day life of the country side was simply enchanting! We had a sumptuous lunch with a spread of freshwater fish, chicken, vegetables. During tea break, we had tea and banana fritters (goreng pisang), all meals were prepared by the boatman and his crew!

Day 3

We headed out to Fort Kochi and visited Santa Cruz Basilica Church and St. Francis Church of South India (C.S.I). St Francis C.S.I is the first church in India in 1500 A.D. and Santa Cruz was built in 1505. The mural paintings at the top of Santa Cruz were amazing. Beware of the goats walking around… We saw one of the goats attacking a dog with its horns!

We headed to the Dutch cemetery after visiting the churches. Though not spooky (as it was daytime), the place did give a lonely feel as each tombstone’s inscriptions are slowly fading away with each passing year. We took a slow walk to see the Chinese fishing nets which were huge! The locals would lower the nets when the tide was high and pull up the nets for their catch. The freshness of fishes is kept as you can even cook your fish on the spot just like the locals do it when buying fish: “You buy, I cook.’’

We had our wonderful lunch at the Seagull Garden Family Restaurant. ‘Seafood, sea face restaurant’ (we saw this on one of the restaurants’ signboard). Laughs. Outside the restaurant, we saw a vintage car which Azeem told us, was driven by the ambassadors.

We visited Mattancherry Palace Museum after lunch. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed. This 2-storey quadrangle-shaped layout museum is 450 years old. In 1555, A.D it was built by the Portuguese and presented to the Virakerala Darma. In 1655.A.D, the place was at the hands of Dutch and it became the Dutch Palace. It has the blending of the European and indigenous idea of architecture. The numerous murals and exhibits in the palace tell of the lives of the royals from ancient India and their beliefs.

We were unable to visit the Jewish Synagogue as it was closed. However, we managed to stop by Jew Street and had the opportunity to see handicrafts, paintings, textiles, handmade furniture and lamps etc.

Day 4

It was a free and easy day so MK and I arranged for a traditional massage session at Dream Hotel which is under Hampshire Group (5 star deluxe property in Kochi). After that, we went back to Fort Kochi and had dinner at ‘ Beer Garden’.

It was time to leave and we flew back to Singapore via MI 467. The visit to Kochi, India is indeed memorable and a great getaway with experienced guide, Azeem and driver, Prasad. And certainly not forgetting the excellent travelling companions, MK, Vern and Wayne!

Thank you and Namaste SilkAir and Class 95FM for making this trip possible!