The Journey from Mumbai to Kanyakumari (Kanniyakumari) and Kochi (Cochin)

Journey from Mumbai to Kanyakumari (Kanniyakumari) and Kerala - Kochi (Cochin)

================

          During my earlier tour to Kerala, we had planned to cover Kanyakumari as well after visiting Thiruvananthapuram, but due to lack of time, we were not able to visit Kanyakumari. So this time, we planned a separate tour from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. Of all the mode of travel, travelling by train is my favourite; We travelled to Kanyakumari on the premium train via Ernakulam (through Konkan) so as along with the coastal route, we can also enjoy the beautiful Konkan rail route and making such a long journey more enjoyable as well as comfortable due to high speed LHB coaches. Since It is a long journey, We divided our Rail-journey into two parts; In the first part of our journey towards Kanyakumari, we travelled from Mumbai to Ernakulam in my favourite Duronto express and the second was, travelled from Ernakulam to Kanyakumari on the Island express i.e. remaining distance towards Kanyakumari covered by another train.

Kanyakumari (also known as Kanniyakumari) is a coastal town and is a popular tourist destination in Kanyakumari district, in the state of Tamil Nadu, on the southernmost point of the India and is located at the confluence (meeting point of) of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The famous beach of Kanyakumari, where you can experience a beautiful view of the sunrise and sunset over the sea waters. Best season to visit Kanyakumari would be between September and February.

Places of attraction: Below mentioned places are the most popular places in Kanyakumari and are major tourist attractions of India. (We visited all these places in my tour to Kanyakumari)

• Vivekananda Rock Memorial - Vivekananda Rock Memorial is monument in Kanyakumari, located approx.  hundred meters from the shore and is one of the major tourist attractions in Kanniyakumari. There are regular ferry services available between jetty and the rock.
• Thiruvalluvar Statue - The memorial statue (133 feet tall statue) of Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar is in Kanniyakumari.
• Kanyakumari Temple - Name of the place from the goddess Devi Kanya Kumari
• Sunset at Kanyakumari – You can capture a picture of the moon-rise and the sunset in the same sky at same time.
• Beautiful view of the Sunrise with Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock in the foreground
• Light House, Kanyakumari

How to reach Kanyakumari from Mumbai (How to go from Mumbai to Kanyakumari): The nearest city is Thiruvanathapuram (96km) and the nearest town is Nagercoil.

By Rail-Ways: Kanyakumari is well connected by rail-roads with almost all major cities across India.

Option 1 (our choice) – Mumbai to Ernakulam by superfast Duronto express that departs from Mumbai LTT at 8.50PM (20:50) and reaches Ernakulam Junction around 5.50PM next day (17:50). (overnight stay at hotel in Ernakulam). Next day, board another train for Kanyakumari from Ernakulam town i.e. Bangalore - Kanyakumari Island express from Ernakulam town railway station at 7:35 in morning and Arrives Kanyakumari at 15:20.

Option 2 – You can board the train from Vasai road (3:10) or Panvel - New Mumbai (@4:25) whichever feels comfortable and proceed towards Thiruvananthapuram Central (Trivandrum) by Hazrat Nizamuddin - Thiruvananthapuram Central Rajdhani Express.  (Note: Please check details of train arrival and departure timetable on the official website of railway). Arrives Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station at 4:55. From there you can hire a taxi to Kanyakumari or travel by bus. Buses are frequently available from Thiruvananthapuram bus station. (Approximate distance of Kanyakurmari from Thiruvananthapuram station is 95Kms- 2.5hrs journey) or you can also board another train from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari like Dibrugarh - Kanniyakumari Vivek Express which departs from Thiruvananthapuram Central at 7:10 in the morning and reaches Kanyakumari at around 9:50.

Option 3 - Mumbai CSMT to Kanniyakumari Jayanti Janata Express is well connected and direct train between Mumbai and Kanyamukari. (It departs from Mumbai CSMT at 15:45 and Arrives Kanniyakumari at 12:35 on 3^rd day of the journey). Another option is you can board Mumbai Nagercoil Express. Nagercoil to Kanyakumari approximate distance is 20Kms by road (half an hour journey).
Note: Railways timetable, schedule arrival and departure, reservation-availability of seats, the routes, PNR status etc can be checked on the official site of railway or other online recognized services.

By Road: You can enjoy a long drive by driving or hiring a car from the nearby cities like Trivandrum to Kanyakumari.

By Air: This is a better option if you want to avoid more than 24hrs journey by train also it is more comfortable and faster. The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), in the neighbouring state, Kerala; Approx. 95 Kms, from Thiruvananthapuram, from there you can travel by train, bus or taxi to reach Kanyakumari. It takes approx. 2-3 hours to reach Kanyakumari from Thiruvananthapuram.

Beautiful view of the Sunrise with Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock in the foreground

Details about my tour plan and experience of my journey to Kanyakumari :

Since travelling from Mumbai to Kanyakumari is a long journey, we divided our journey towards Kanyakumari into two parts, First from Mumbai LTT to Ernakulam Junction in Duronto express and second is from Ernakulam Town to Kanyakumari by Island express. The same way we followed during our return journey from Kanyakumari to Mumbai via Ernakulam by Himsagar and Duronto express trains. This is the 2nd time, I travelled through the Konkan Railway from Mumbai (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-LTT) to Kerala on the Duronto express, one of the most popular rail routes in India. Making a train journey through the scenic Konkan Railway is every Indian rail-fan’s dream. If you are a fan of railway and if you really want to enjoy the beauty of Konkan and enjoy travel along the scenic mountains of the Western Ghats and beautiful coasts, then you should plan for this trip. This is for all rail-fans as well as nature lovers, I would suggest you travel by trains which run during the daytime like Duronto or TVC Rajdhani express etc, so as you will be able to view the beauty of Konkan railway in the daytime also, these are the fastest trains, so your travel time can be maintained.  
Coming to my tour, 
Day 1: On the first day of my tour… We packed our luggage, had dinner at home and booked a taxi to reach the railway station. Around 8.30pm, We boarded the train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Mumbai and the journey began. We travelled on the Duronto express that departs from LTT at 20:50 and reaches Ernakulam Junction next day at around 17:50. Duronto is one of my favourite trains due to the features of a comfortable and high-speed journey. This train passes through 4 states in India namely Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. It takes around 21 hours to finish the entire journey from Mumbai LTT to Ernakulam via Konkan and South rail route. (Note: you can get details about train timetable/schedule on the official website of railway/railway enquiry system-helpline). 

Kanyakumari sea view from Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Day 2: After taking an overnight journey, when I woke up, it was around 6 am and the train was entering the Madgaon Junction railway station. As usual, my train was running on the right time. During the daytime, I got the chance to click some beautiful snaps. We were served morning and evening breakfast and lunch in train at regular interval. Around 6pm, we reached Ernakulam Junction in Kerala. There is an auto-rickshaw stand just outside the railway station where visitors can hire an auto to get to the venue. After reaching there, we proceeded to check into our hotel in Ernakulam by taking an Auto rickshaw. Since, I had booked a hotel near the railway station (within walkable distance), the journey from railway station to the hotel was over within minutes and the next day in the morning, we could reach station early on time to board another train to start our journey towards Kanyakumari. (Accommodation- Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Ernakulam).

The Chinese fishing nets, Fort Cochin

Day 3: We woke up early in the morning, and after freshening up, we checked out of the hotel at 6:30 and after that, proceeded towards the Ernakulam town railway station to board the train for Kanyakumari. We reached the station with our luggage quite early and had our breakfast at railway canteen. Our train arrived on-time at Ernakulam. We boarded the train (Island Express) for Kanyakumari from Ernakulam town railway station at 7:35AM and occupied our berths in 3-tier AC Sleeper class compartment. I sat at the window side and enjoyed the scenery all along. The train passed through few short tunnels in the ghat section near Kanyakumari. Our journey from Ernakulam to Kanyakumari was more enjoyable. After such a long journey from hometown, at last, around 3.15 pm, we reached our destination, the Kanyakumari Railway Station. Upon arrival at the station, we booked a taxi and proceeded to check into our hotel which was very close to the beach of Kanyakumari. Quickly we freshened up, had our lunch in the nearby restaurant and after taking a short break, we commenced our sightseeing tour in Kanyakumari. First, we headed for Sunset Point and after that we went to Triveni Sangam, a beach where you witness the confluence of three oceans (Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea). After sightseeing, we started walking towards our hotel. We had our dinner early and retired for the night since we were tired from the long journey. Next day we planned to watch the Sun-rise.

Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda rock, Kanyakumari

Day 4: Next day morning, we freshened up to head out for sight-seeing. We had our breakfast at beach-side restaurant and walked to board the boat from the jetty for visiting the Vivekananda rock memorial, which is a popular tourist monument in Kanyakumari. There is Ferry service available from the jetty that would take you to and fro with nominal fare (There are two types of queue; a normal and express queue which are eventually merged into the same ferry). In a boat, we were provided safety jackets, that everyone has to take and you have to return those when you are getting down. I fully enjoyed each and every moment I spent at the rock and ferry ride as well. View of shore from the rock-island was really breathtaking. It is a beautiful place, surrounded by sea water. After spending some time, we returned back to the main jetty on the ferry. Quickly we finished our lunch by 1pm, checked out from the hotel and headed towards Kanyakumari Railway Station to board the train for Ernakulam. At the station, wait for our train was a bit longer than expected. The train arrived about an hour late at Kanyakumari. At 3pm, we boarded the Himsagar Express for Ernakulam, Kerala and started our return journey from Kanyakumari. Around 9 pm, we reached the Ernakulam Town railway station. Next plan of our tour was sightseeing and shopping in Kochi.
It was my second visit to Kochi; the first one was in 2013. We checked in at one of the hotels near the station for a stay. (Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Ernakulam as per our tour plan.) 

Kanyakumari, Ferry Boat to Memorial 

Day 5: Coming to the 5th day of our Kerala Kanyakumari tour. That day, we woke up a little late in the morning as we slept late last night. We had our breakfast at a nearby restaurant and left for sightseeing in Kochi. That day we had planned to roam about in the city and shopping. 
The Chinese fishing nets, Fort Cochin – This is one of my favourite places in Cochin. We were lucky to see the Chinese fishing net operations and capturing fishes. There is a fish market where you can choose and buy fresh fish from the market itself and have it cooked by one of the restaurants nearby. There are many food restaurants available near the market, which offer quality food and are hygienic. We spent the evening on a private boat and Marine drive.
Cherai Beach (Vypeen Island) – One of the most visited beaches, a short journey by ferry/boat from Fort Cochin takes you to Vypeen Island. Ernakulam to Vypeen boat service available. (Approx. 15 mins travel).
Mattancherry Palace - You can take a boat to reach the Mattanchery boat jetty. (by boat, 20 mins)
Cochin shipyard
You can also plan to visit Athirapally waterfall – situated in Athirappilly, Thrissur district of Kerala. In monsoon season, this waterfall appears like The Niagara falls. The Distance of Athirappilly water falls from Cochin (Ernakulam) is approx. 60Km might be one and a half hr journey from Ernakulam.

Ferry from Ernakulam boat jetty

Day 6: After breakfast, we took an auto and went to the Ernakulam jetty-boat station for ferry service. There we bought our tickets and enjoyed a ride on the ferry from Ernakulam jetty to Fort Kochi and other places. Ernakulam to Fort Kochi, journey by boat will take around 20 mins. From there, you can also see the arrival and departure of big ships/large vessels from Cochin port i.e. boats going in or out of the harbour. There are frequent ferry services available from the Ernakulam Jetty. We spent the most time of the day in the market and beach area of the Fort Kochi and shopping over there. 
After local sightseeing and shopping in Ernakulam, we came back to our hotel, took some rest & checked out of the hotel at 8 pm and headed towards the Ernakulam railway station which was at walking distance from our hotel. Before that, we had our dinner at a good restaurant near the station and then moved to the station. As soon as I reached the station, I noticed that the rake of our train was waiting for departure from pf 1 of Ernakulam and the coach positions were being displayed on indicators to locate the right coach. Around 9:30 pm, We boarded the Duronto express from Ernakulam Junction and started our return journey towards Mumbai. 

Kanyakumari

Day 7: After completing part of the overnight journey from Ernakulam, when I woke up, it was around 8:40 am and train was just entering the Madgaon Junction railway station. It was time to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the Konkan coast in the daytime. The journey from Mumbai LTT was in the night so I could not see the Konkan rail-route till Kudal but while returning back, I ensured to travel during the day-time so as we did not miss experiencing the entire journey through the Konkan. The train entered into Konkan rail region and passed through many tunnels. We observed alternative tunnels and bridges at many places. The incomparable natural beauty of the coast and greenery can be experienced on this route. I enjoyed train travels along the scenic mountains of Western Ghats, beautiful coasts, picturesque villages, bridges and long tunnels which are the highlight of the journey. I was enriched by viewing beautiful sceneries along the rail-route. We were served morning and evening breakfast and lunch in the train at regular interval also we were provided bedsheet, pillow and blanket due to AC coach. 
Around 6:15 pm, we reached Lokmanya Tilak Terminal in Mumbai. I had already booked a cab through the online app, and our driver was waiting to take us home. By 7 pm, We reached home safely. It was indeed a very amazing and informative tour.

Kanyakumari

Details of expenses during my journey to Kerala and Kanyakumari:

• Train reservation ticket (Mumbai to Ernakulam by Duronto 2nd AC two tier ): Rs. 4000/- pp (including return journey fare from Ernakulam to Mumbai)
• Train ticket (Ernakulam to Kanniyakumari by Island express 3rd AC): Rs. 1010/- pp (including return journey fare of Himsagar express from Kanniyakumari to Ernakulam town)
• Note: Please check the official site of Indian Railways to get updated details about ticket fare, train arrival and departure schedule, seat availability etc.
• Taxi from Kanyakumari railway station to the hotel: Rs. 100/-
• Taxi from hotel to Kanyakumari railway station: Rs. 100/-
• Auto in Erankulam: Rs. 200/-
• Ferry ticket in Ernakulam and Kanyakumari:
• Tourist Entry fee in Kanyakumari:
• Food and Refreshment during the journey:
• Shopping:
• Accommodation:

Photographs

Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Kanniyakumari tourist map

I would be delighted to answer your travelling related questions; you leave in comment section of the blog. You can also leave a comment to suggest where I should plan to travel next.

To keep up-to-date with my posts, please subscribe

Happy Journey