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The 16th to the 19th centuries were the time of the great sea voyages, an age when civilizations met. Cochin is the product of one of history's great tugs-of-war, as the powers of Europe struggled to dominate the spice trade, and the pepper of Kerala became, gram for gram, as precious as gold.

The Portuguese, the Dutch, the Jews and the English came in turn, and the port of Cochin became a crossroads. Carried on wings of wood and sail, lifestyles and beliefs commingled; new cuisines, art forms and societies were born.

The Brunton Boatyard Hotel (See map) is a looking-glass held up to this era. It's our attempt to capture the soul of a colourful and romantic age that remains one of history's most charming conjuring tricks, nurtured by Kerala's tolerant spirit.




These prints of old Cochin
hang in our reception area.

  

See more of the old Boatyard

History spoke to us from every timber of the venerable boatyard of Geo. Brunton and Sons. Once among Cochin's most respected shipbuilding establishments, the boatyard had gradually fallen into disuse. But its location was perfect, on a quiet harbour-front deep in the heart of Fort Cochin, where every by-lane could whisper tales from the city's colourful past.
Here, we set about recreating the world of 19th century Cochin, using the precise building materials of the time - brick, lime, wood and terracotta.

 



For what is essentially a small and intimate city hotel, The Brunton Boatyard possesses a remarkable sense of scale, evident the moment you turn into the tiled forecourt.
The lobby is a vault of sunlight and air, framed by arches and overhung with punkahs - enormous, old-fashioned fans of Indo-Portuguese origin.

The hotel's nautical past seems to follow you around. On one wall, old Dutch maps, on another, a small navigation device, in the courtyard lawns, an ancient anchor. Walk further, turn a corner, and you find yourself outside the Armory Bar. Perhaps later, you could enjoy a sundowner here, with old Portuguese breastplates and musketry for company.

A short saunter down the corridor brings you to a little doorway. Pass through and suddenly, the whole vista of Cochin harbour opens up beyond the pool's inviting waters. This is the spot to read a boring historical novel, work on your tan and watch the ships sail by, so close you can almost reach out and touch them. Crane your neck a bit and you can spot a serried rank of Cochin's famed fishing nets. They first made their appearance in 1350 a.d. and their much-photographed preying-mantis shapes form one of the city's most enduring images.

Also near the pool is the hotel's jetty, and a word at the reception gets you a variety of cruising options to choose from. The heritage of Cochin is most evident around its enormous harbour, and this is a not-to-be-missed experience.
 

An ancient anchor dominates the lawn.
(Above) The vaulted reception, with hanging 'Punkahs'

 

Virtual Visit: an interactive view of Cochin Harbour

Virtual Visit: an interactive view of the reception quadrangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All of the Brunton Boatyard Hotel's 22 rooms overlook the sea, and so, by happy circumstance, do the en-suite bathrooms. Few pleasures rival a long hot soak in your tub of an evening, watching the dolphins play tag with the trading ships of the globe.Your super-rested muscles should then have just enough energy to carry you to the quaint four poster bed that dominates your room. (A little footstool has been thoughtfully provided to assist the process).
You can choose from regular rooms, or the stately Harbour suites, where the appointments feature original colonial era artifacts.

Virtual visit: interactive view of a Harbour Suite

 

Clockwise from top left: Anglo-Indian doorways, bathtubs with a view, genuine
antique china in the harbour suite, the characteristic four poster beds.


 

The Brunton Boatyard Hotel is your chance to dine from, literally, a melting pot. All the cultures that came to the Malabar Coast over three centuries can be sampled in a single evening. For if they came to carry away spice, they also brought a host of new culinary ideas, evolving over the years into a fusion cuisine dating from centuries before the term became fashionable.
Grilled Mullet and a fine local white.
 

To the basic melody of black pepper, ginger and cardamom, each group that came to Kerala added a counterpoint of its own. The Portuguese came to trade in spice, but left behind the ' Indian' red chili. The Syrian Christians brought a variety of meat dishes, specially stews, that co-incidentally, tasted fabulous with the local string hoppers. The Jews found coriander both Kosher and delicious, so into the pot it went. And Dutch puddings were found to benefit greatly from a spot of fresh cinnamon.
At the History Restaurant, these cuisines have been given a new lease of life, recreated faithfully each evening by chefs who did their research in the best place possible - with the old families of Cochin.

A Recipe for Steak Fernandes

Look over the restaurants and bar areas


 

Armed with a map (ask at the reception) and some comfortable footwear, you can tour the historic Fort Cochin area where the hotel stands. Sadly, little remains of the fort itself, but the other legacies of history are everywhere.
Here, Vasco da Gama succeeded where Columbus failed, and found the fabled sea route to the Indies. His grave is still marked with a plaque and a brass rail, though his remains are back home in Portugal. Artefacts of that era abound in the old St. Francis' Church area, not far from the gravesite.

 

 

   Vasco da Gama was the Portuguese navigator who discovered the fabled sea route to the Indies, and landed here on the Malabar Coast in 1498.

 

 

 

Across, in the Jew town, the four-century old synagogue still stands testimony to the tolerant, multi-cultural nature of Kerala society.
Looming protectively over the synagogue is the Mattancherry palace, erstwhile home to the Verma kings and today a fine museum, not to be left unvisited. The Palace became known as the Dutch Palace in the early 17th century, as another era began in Cochin's history. Today, the crest of the Dutch East India Company can still be seen in the Stuber Hall. Of course, it was another East India Company that finally won the battles of the Spice Coast (and much of the rest of India as well). The high empire of the Raj comes alive in many places here, most notably in the half-timbered Cochin Club and the splendid Old Harbour House.

Map: A walking tour of Fort Cochin

 


 

 
 

 

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