A morning at the Chinese nets and the Vypeen ferry

Visitors to Kochi often ask us where to see fishing up close. Here is a simple morning that our buyer Joseph recommends to friends from outside the city.

Reach the Fort Kochi beach road by 6.30 am, when the cheena vala, the Chinese fishing nets, are being worked. Each net is a large wooden frame with a counterweight of stones on ropes; four to six men walk along the beam to lower the net into the water and raise it again a few minutes later. The catch is small, usually mullet, prawns and small fish, and much of it is sold right there at the stalls by the nets.

Walk along the shore towards the jetty, where fish vendors lay out the morning’s catch on blocks of ice. You can buy fish here and some small eateries behind the stalls will cook it for you for a fee, though agree the price before they start.

From the jetty, take the ferry across to Vypeen. It runs every few minutes and costs a few rupees. On the ten-minute crossing you will see fishing boats heading back into the harbour, cargo ships further out, and the islands of the estuary. On the Vypeen side, small boats land prawns and crab from the backwaters. Come back by 9 am, before the heat builds, and if you are staying in the city, order the fish for lunch from us by 9; it will arrive cleaned and cut by 1 pm.