Date : December 25, 2015
Location : Ernakulam, Kerala
Started from Trichur at 5:00 PM in our car, along NH 47 and then along NH 47C and reached hotel at 8:30 PM. It was Christmas eve and the room we had booked at the hotel – Ceylon bake house was cancelled by the hotel staff, without our permission. So we decided to head to the city and search for a hotel there at Ernakulam
Stay at Mareena Hotel
Address: Hospital Road, Kochi, Kerala 680011
Phone:0484 402 7618
Our search ended at Hotel Mareena Regency, Hosptial road, opposite to Kalyan Silks. We opted for a 3 bed room and it cost 2800. The hotel has it’s own restaurant in the ground floor. The food was really good. You could also walk just 300 meters towards east of the hotel, and cross M G Road and you will encounter 24 carrots, one of the best place for Veg Cuisine at a reasonable rate.
Hotel has 3 floors, around 8 – 10 room in each floor. They have two beds, three beds as well as suite rooms. Room boy Ranjith, who was doing his diploma in Hotel Management was really helpful
Inside room view
Google map view
NOTE: The google maps location for the hotel is wrong. The one provided above is correct
Visit to Hill palace
In the morning we went to Hill palace. It was just half an hour drive from the hotel, located at Thrippunithura. Although it is required for you to take a ticket for the camera, they simply don’t allow you to take any photographs inside the museum, which is where all the interesting stuff is, ranging from old jewellery, ancient manuscripts for vedas and upanishads and gold ornaments and the crown used by the Cochin king. If you are even slightly interested in archaeology, do not miss this place.
Address : Hill Palace Rd, Karingachira, Thrippunithura
Location on Google map : https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Hill+Palace+Museum/@9.9526386,76.3639139,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x11064d50d50f5af1
NOTE : The palace remains closed on Monday
On our way back, we started at 9:25 PM and reached at 11:35 PM. We expereinced bad patches of road in some parts due to Kochi Metro rail construction, but mostly it was a smooth ride, thanks to good maintenance of NH 47
Toll charge was 65 Rs
