Not many people really travel to Cochin for a holiday. Most use it as a gateway to the rest of beautiful Kerala, or it's all about Fort Kochi. And on most days, I’d agree. But a stay at the Eighth Bastion changed that. I went expecting the usual British or French Cochin. Lo and behold, I walked into the Dutch Cochin, which I didn’t know existed! Something the owners of the hotel say is quite unknown. In fact, the hotel is smack in the centre of the Dutch quarters.
A boutique hotel, it has only 19 rooms, across the same category. What’s different is that they all have some unique feature or the other. One has a bathroom that opens onto a little garden, the other may have a rain shower, some have verandahs and others come with old school sunken tubs to wallow in. But all have one common feature — they all have some outdoor space to enjoy the Malabar weather! Pretty neat, seeing as the entire bungalow’s frame has been retained, but the interiors are a flash forward to the present — chic, minimalist and modern, but with hints of the past. Think retro touches in the form of railings, tiled roofs and replicas of furniture used on Dutch sailboats. I do love me a slice of the past with the comforts of the 21st century. Next stop, the swimming pool!
In the courtyard of the hotel, the pool is somewhat an infinity pool, albeit it’s not really one. Just outside the restaurant, you can lounge about cooling off, get a drink and go back to the pool and just relax. Meals here are quite a treat, though service is a bit slow. Serving a mix of Indian, Asian and global food, East Indies is known for fusion fare. From a stellar creme brulee and a mean (meen!) Kerala fish curry to Indonesian pork and Travancore fish, they’ll woo you with food.
Biking around the area is a lovely option as you can soak in the Dutch Cochin. The hotel has bikes you could borrow to weave around the city. Make sure you stop off at the Jew Town, Princess Street for a spot of local shopping and of course, Old Town. The one thing I urge you to not skip is the David Hall — a gallery cafe by the same folks of the hotel. Serving coffee, pizza and dollops of amazing art, the restored house is actually the home of civil and military commander David Hall. Simply put, it’s gorgeous, and a real page out of history.