Marine Drive along the Vembanad lake is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Kochi. It offers the best of views of the refreshing waters, Cochin fishing harbour, boat jetties etc. The Marine Walkway is kind of crowded at all times of the day, from bright sunny day times to the starry night times. Natives and foreigners are in love with this place as it has numerous magnificent sights to offer. The most ironic of the name is that, even though the name suggests drive, you are not allowed to drive within. It is a complete walkway with numerous food stalls, counters, shopping centres etc.
There are several shopping malls sprouting on the roads of Marine Drive making it a commercial hub of shopping centres ranging from national to international brands. On your walk along the way, you can see boat jetties that offer boat services to the nearby islands such as Cochin Shipyard, Jew Street, Bolgatty Palace, Vallarpadam terminal etc. There are of course roadways to these places, but a ride along the serene waters in calm and peace, enjoying the breeze of the cold winds is another feeling altogether, much refreshing than honking cars in the tiresome traffic of Kochi roads.
There are three distinguishing bridges in Marine Drive, which are indeed the crowd pullers of this tourist destination. The Rainbow Bridge, which is a spectacular sight at night as the whole bridge is brightened up with colourful lightings. A late-night ride to Marine Drive is coloured with this legendary sight of the rainbow bridge. The Chinese Fishing Net Bridge is the second one that offers a beautiful vision of the fishing nets hanging on poles made of teak or bamboo, waiting patiently for the greatest catch of fishes. And the other contemporary bridge is the House Boat bridge that provides the sight of numerous houseboats moving along the waters of Vembanad Lake. It is one of the best places in the city that is crowded 24 hours of the day, that really gets you all upbeat with the amazing vibes.
