A sign on a roadside food cart in Vasco Da Gama Square….

Fort Kochi is about an hour from the station, and the place is filled with quaint houses, roads flanked by trees on either sides and ofcourse Home stays and resorts… We passed a board that listed down atleast 10 such names, including Napier House, the place we were gonna call home while at Fort kochi…

The building opposite Napier house that looked to be about 200+ years old…

It felt nice and warm as we entered the place… No sooner had we dumped our bags in the room, we were off exploring the place. There was a beautiful wooden staircase that led to the 1st floor where we found more rooms and a balcony where Breakfast was served daily. 

 Welcome to Napier House

Wooden flooring has a certain charm to it, plus the place felt like an old home, which made it cozy. 

Our room was on the ground floor, and quite a majestic one at that. As you entered, there was a king sized bed, adjoining was another big room with a bay window of sorts, apart from a wash basin and a counter top. The best part about the room was the bathroom- it was HUGE and neat… We were impressed from the minute we opened the door…

  Napier House and our Room

   The only hiccup was our mobiles lost signal as we stepped into the main building. So, if  we wanted to make any calls or check messages, we had to step out into the alley 🙂 There was a computer with internet facility at the Napier house which we used to check addresses, and flight details. 

The day was quite warm, and we were glad to see the Air conditioning in the room, along with a fan as well. Though the place dint sport an impressive view, it was comfortable and quite nice. 

 

The Dutch Cemetery which is on the road parallel to Napier House

After a few minutes, we were off upstairs, exploring the balcony, and the buildings around while our breakfasts were being prepared. It was quite a simple spread, but good enough- Toast, jam, Omlette, juice and coffee/tea.. We were all set to get out and explore the town, and the manager at Napier house organised a cab for us, including for the next day to head back to the airport.

Just around the corner from Napier house on the left was Fab India outlet, that was quite chic…  if you turned right, and walked straight down, it led to the famous Vasco Da Gama Square– the beach, Chinese fishing nets, few local artists performing acrobats, and ofcourse the streets laden with cafes and shopping centers.

There were quite a few cafes, but some of the good ones- Teapot, Kashi Art gallery& Cafe were shut with a board that said “see ya next season..” or “we are off for a month”.. I guess i need to make another visit during Season to experience these cafes. 

 

We spent quite a bit of time walking around the place, enjoying the architecture, the buzz we spotted all over. Along the Vasco Da Gama square there was so much traffic, it would put Chennai or Bangalore to shame.. We wondered why people dint park elsewhere and walk around, since it was a fairly small place… There are so many hotels, shops, and cafes around, it made it difficult to maneuver around them and walk without falling. 🙂

The 1st night we had decided to dine at Malabar House or Dal Roti, and the next morning at the other… Alas, we were turned away at Malabar House as their Bistro and Wine room were taken up for a private meeting. We returned to our room, ordered coffee and some sandwiches before heading out for dinner at Dal Roti. The coffee was piping hot, and served in the room. 

 Dal Roti

Dinner at Dal Roti was quite an experience. It is not a fancy restaurant, albeit a home converted into a restaurant. Ramesh, owner was the one taking everyone’s orders, greeting familiar faces, and kept the energy of the place quite lively. Our orders were brought to our table within few minutes and food was divine. North Indian Khana at its best i must say! I overheard Ramesh talking to a group of people in the table next to ours, recommending dishes, and reprimanding the ladies for ordering the same dish they had the previous night.. 🙂 How many places remember us, leave alone what we ordered?..

As the next day dawned, we were up and ready – as we had planned quite a bit of sight seeing before heading to the airport. Once again, a cab was booked and waiting for us! 

Ratings:

Service: Good courteous staff

Ambience: Good, clean rooms and loo

Food: We had breakfast twice- which was simple yet delicious, though not too many options

Location: Napier House
1/275, Napier Lane, Napier Street,
Fort Kochi, Kerala
India – 682 001

Website                     : http://www.napierhouse.com/

If you are not looking for over the top fancy, and are happy staying in a comfortable place, then Napier house is just right for you!