When I started researching things to do during our trip to Kerala, one experience that caught my eye was the chance to have dinner on a traditional Chinese fishing net. I discovered this in the latest edition of Lonely Planet, but couldn’t find much else on it online, aside from some great reviews on TripAdvisor. However, it sounded like such a great opportunity to get up close and experience Keralan culture and tradition, that I immediately sought out The Blue Yonder’s website and sent them an enquiry about booking it during our stay in Kochi. I was so glad I did, as we both agreed that is was one of our favourite experiences from our whole two week trip around Kerala. If you’re looking for a unique experience in Kochi that feels a bit more authentic and away from the crowds, I’d definitely recommend adding this to your itinerary.
What are the Chinese fishing nets?
The Chinese fishing nets, locally known as cheena vala, are probably one of the most recognisable sights in Kochi. These enormous wooden structures stretch out over the water and work using a system of counterweights, ropes and a large net. They can be around 10 metres high, with the net extending roughly 20 metres over the water. It takes several fishermen to operate them, lowering the net into the water before pulling it back up again.
They’re believed to have been introduced to the Kochi area between the 14th and 15th centuries, although exactly where they came from is debated. Despite this, they’re now an important part of Kochi’s history and have become one of the city’s key attractions. You’ll see them all over the Fort Kochi waterfront, particularly around Vasco da Gama Square, and they’re one of the most photographed sights in the city.
Fort Kochi Chinese fishing nets
The most famous and frequently visited Chinese fishing nets are in Fort Kochi, and if you’re visiting the city you’ll almost certainly come across them. But this is actually one of the reasons I was particularly glad we booked the experience rather than just seeing them from the waterfront. Fort Kochi is busy, and from what I’d read before visiting, the nets there have become much more of a tourist attraction. Some fishermen will ask tourists for money to operate the nets, and it can feel more like a tourist experience than traditional fishing. It reminded me a little of the stilt fishermen in Sri Lanka. Seeing the traditional practice is fascinating, but once something becomes a major tourist attraction, it can be difficult to know how much of what you’re seeing is still being done as part of everyday life. The experience we booked felt very different.
Dinner on the Chinese fishing net
The experience we booked was Nilāvala – Twilight Dinner on a Chinese Fishing Net, run by The Blue Yonder. One thing I discovered is that all their tours are booked directly through their website, and there is no booking form, you have to fill out an enquiry and someone from the team will come back to you with a quote and instructions on how to pay.
One thing we didn’t realise when we booked was that the experience is in Ezhikkara, which is around an hour’s drive from Fort Kochi. It’s not mentioned anywhere on the booking details or the website so we assumed it would be relatively close by, and only found out the day before when arranging our pickup that it was so far away.
So just be aware that you’ll need to arrange transport there and back. As we didn’t have a dedicated driver for our trip, we asked our accommodation to arrange a driver for us for the afternoon/evening. The experience is long as it involves a boat ride and then dinner, plus several hours of driving. I think in the end our driver was with us for around 7 hours (he picked us up at 3pm and dropped us back off at 10pm), and yet this only cost us £35. You’ll also need to ensure your driver waits for you while you do the experience, as it’s really in the middle of nowhere and there’s no way you’d get another car to pick you up and take you back.
A boat ride to the fishing nets
When we arrived, we were met by our guide, who explained more about the experience and how it benefitted the local fishermen (more on this later), then we were introduced to the three other people who would be joining us on the tour. The experience began with a punting trip on the river, taking us away from the road and close to the Chinese fishing nets where we could watch the fishermen using them to fish. It was fascinating to see how the huge wooden structures work in real life, especially after having seen the nets from a distance around Fort Kochi.
After watching the fishermen while the sun was going down, we were taken to the platform, where our dinner had been prepared. Here we ate a freshly prepared Keralan dinner by candlelight, surrounded by water. The food was delicious, freshly cooked fish curry along with traditional Kerala dishes, and we enjoyed chatting to our fellow tour buddies about our experiences in southern India so far in a really special setting.
Responsible tourism
Another reason I was happy to book this experience was that it’s run as a responsible tourism project. The Blue Yonder works with local communities, and the Nilāvala project involves repairing old or damaged Chinese fishing nets and repurposing their platforms as places for visitors to enjoy the sunset and dinner. The food is locally sourced and the experience provides income for people in the local community. Our guide was local, and the money from the experience goes back into the local community, including supporting fishermen and their families.
I always think experiences like this are a much better way to spend your money while travelling. Rather than paying for a generic tourist attraction, you’re helping support the people and communities who actually live in the area. It also helps preserve something that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. As our guide explained to us, traditional Chinese fishing nets are expensive to repair and maintain, while modern fishing methods and declining catches have made this traditional way of fishing less profitable.
Is the Chinese fishing net dinner worth it?
Im a word, absolutely. This was one of our favourite experiences from our time in India. There are plenty of things to see in Kochi but if you have the time, I would really recommend this experience. You get to see the fishing nets away from the crowds of Fort Kochi, go out on the water with a local guide, and learn more about the traditional way of fishing, not to mention enjoy some delicious food in a truly unique setting. It also feels like one of those experiences that not everyone has discovered yet and it felt like a genuinely special way to experience another side of Kochi.