Kerala and India gets another tourist attraction in the form of a Marina. India’s first marina was inaugurated by Defense Minister A K Antony in Kochi on 25th April 2010. This marina of international standards is run by Ocean Blue. The Rs. 8 Crore project is located at Bolghaty Island.

The marina can accommodate 34 yachts and a 3 story marina house. This undoubtedly will make not just Kerala but also India an attraction for tourists sailing the world.

When Amitabh Bachan was recently in the city he had expressed his interest in being the ambassador to the state. He was responding to a question during an interview on a malayalam TV channel. Bachan said “I like this place, the people, its culture and the ambience here. If an offer comes from the government, I would be glad to promote this state”. Kerala tourism minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan responded to this statement by sending Bachan a a letter asking him to take the job and asked him how to proceed in this regard.

According to the tourism minister, Bachan would be able to promote Kerala in countries like UK and USA. For those who dont know. Amitabh is also the Gujarat’s ambassador. How he landed the job was somewhat similar. Bachan kept raving about Gujurat and a media person asked him if he would be the ambassador for the state and he responded positively. Guurat CM grabbed the opportunity.

Kochivibe had recently reported about a ferry service from Kochi to Colombo that will make international holidays more affordable! more good news, people! Airasia, one of Asia’s most affordable airline is starting direct service from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia from November onwards.

And it gets better.! As a part of the promotions AirAsia is selling tickets for Rs. 1499 one way, all inclusive. We assure you that we have typed the amount right. And Kochivibe also checked the website of AirAsia and got all inclusive return tickets to Kuala Lumpur for Rs. 3000. One of the member of the Kochivibe team Matt, found this so hard to believe that he thinks that the cute air hostess will drug him and will try to steal his kidney mid-flight.! Hows that for a catch?

These all inclusive fares will be available for the booking period from 15th to 20th October, 2009 for the travel period from 12th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Kochi, from 16th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and from 19th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Kolkata.

These promotional prices are available only on the AirAsia website and can be purchased via www.airasia.com. So quit sitting around and start planning your holiday!

Well , I just came across this very interesting article written on the New York Post by a renowned traveler, Mark Ellwood about India.  According to him,  India is a very intimidating country, but Kerala dials it down (especially Kochi)!

Right from the begging and the crazy traffic to the ” getting stranded” at the airport situation , Travelers or “Sahibs and Madames” as we Kochiites like to call them , face a lot of difficulties ..! Now , is there a solution to this ?? As of now , NO.. !!

Kerala , being a state that hugely depends on the Tourism Industry for it’s revenue , faces not much of issues in this regard .  Travelers find Kerala to be  much better than the other Indian states. and Guess what , they love Kochi..!!

Now what is the reason for all the love ??  Fort Cochin ?? or the city ?? What is it ?? The answer is quite simple , Cochin is a city with a protean character ! We are a perfect blend of Traditional and Modern.. and that is exactly what every traveler dreams of when he/she spends thousands on a air ticket.. !

In the future , lets hope and pray that Kochi grows into a much better city keeping the Traditional history intact.. !!

Cheers. !!