Fort Kochi in 3 days

Huge cantilevered nets on the shore, lowered and raised by teams of fishermen; come at sunrise or late afternoon to see them at work.

In Mattancherry, the Paradesi Synagogue of 1568 with its hand-painted Chinese floor tiles, at the end of a street of antique and spice shops.

St Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was first buried, and the Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese and remodelled by the Dutch.

Kerala's classical dance-drama, with stories from the Hindu epics; arrive early to watch the performers put on their make-up.

Old warehouses and colonial houses turned into galleries and cafés, especially during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.