Category: India

Goa, India

May 2, 2025 – May 2, 2025

Enjoy this marvelous old Portuguese and Hindu city studded with vibrant temples and majestic churches. Visit the stunning Baroque cathedral and quaint, colorful Panjim for a taste of Portugal in India. Explore the countryside and its spice farms, local markets and the region’s exquisite beaches.

Explore several of the most historical churches in Old Goa and enjoy an overview of Panjim, the charming capital of the state of Goa. You will see the legacy of the colonizing Portuguese in Se Cathedral, an imposing church that is larger than any church in Portugal. Like Se Cathedral, the Basilica of Bom Jesus was built in the 17th century and is considered the finest example of Baroque architecture in India. Another church, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, awaits you in Panjim, as well as other highlights such as the colonial neighborhood Fontainhas, one of the few Latin quarters in Asia. The Portuguese settled here in the 18th and 19th centuries, and you will see their influence in the brightly colored houses with tile accents. For a glimpse into modern life in Panjim, you will visit a Goanese family in their home.

Cochin, India

April 28, 2025 – April 29, 2025

Discover the amazing contrasts of this cosmopolitan, Portuguese-founded city with its lovely colonial architecture, Dutch-style palaces, historic churches, Jewish quarter and huge Chinese fishing nets. Or explore tranquil canals by boat and see ancient villages, exquisite scenery, plantations and temples. See Indian cotton made in traditional fashion.

Explore key landmarks in cosmopolitan Cochin, a picturesque city of peninsulas and islands whose long history reflects influences from a multitude of traders and colonists. You will see evidence of that influence in the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront. These unusual fixed nets are on poles operated from shore, using counterweights and ropes. The Portuguese left their mark in St. Francis Church and in the medieval-style Mattancherry Palace, both of which they built in the 16th century. You will learn more about their influence by browsing the collection of artifacts in the Indo-Portuguese Museum in Fort Cochin. You will also discover how Jewish immigrants affected the history of Cochin by visiting a Jewish community that thrived in the late 1500s. Although few Jews remain, the beautifully preserved Paradesi Synagogue from that time period still stands.

If you would like to see where and what we are while visiting Cochin
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