Jewish Heritage Tour of Cochin

Jo (Lijo) is an outstanding tour guide and a very kind, good person. He is clearly well-loved by his colleagues in the tourism business as they communicated warmly. This communal cooperation explains why Jo was able to arrange such an outstanding tour for me…and a delicious iced cinnamon tea from one of his many fiends. Joe arranged for me to visit four synagogues, two of which we could enter and fully appreciate their beauty inside and out. Joe was able to introduce me to Joseph Chai , gabai, and the man who subsidized the renovation of the Baghdadi Synagogue in the center of Jew Street. We walked down Jew Street and around JewTown, both of which still retain some of the architectural glory of their origins. We were able to visit the beautiful Paradesi Synagogue which also houses a museum of the history of the Jewish experience in the synagogue and on Cochin itself. Jo organized a Tuk Tuk ride to enhance the spirit of our visit to Fort Kochi. We had a delicious al fresco lunch at “The Loving Earth Yoga Cafe,” in an ambiance of trees dating back to the Portuguese contributions around the 1500s, in the heart of Fort Kochi. Jo proved himself to be extremely knowledgable about diverse aspects of Kochi’s religious demographics and the local and global relevance of kochi’s commerce and history. We were able to see the Chinese fishing nets in action on land and from our scenic boat ride back to the city center of Kochi. The tour ended with Joe returning me to my hotel near the airport, which I know was considerably out of his way. I highly recommend this tour experience.

The tour guide was not confident and had little knowledge of half of the tour. She had to ask for directions to the first synagogue we went to. Then after that she couldn’t find the next one at all. Later on the last one was easy to find and was very pleasant

‘Joe” was a charming companion a this trip and he knows his stuff. We took the half day version and saw all the major synagogues. We were treated to great Kerala lunch, too. The synagogues were beautiful and the ways that India has welcomed Jew from around then world is especially inspiring today.

We enjoyed the experience and our guide Lijo was very friendly, knowledgeable, has a great sense of humor and took us to all the amazing places. He curated the tour according to the historical locations of kerela and the places we wanted to visit. A great balance. I highly recommend this tour group to anyone 😃

A fabulous experience with Lijo! We covered so much ground, and I went to so many places that I never would’ve been able to visit otherwise. It was a really special experience. Also, I lost my hat in one of the synagogues and he went out of his way to have a friend bring it back to Kochi for me! It was a wonderful and memorable trip, I highly recommend!

Thanks to a wonderful and knowledgeable guide, Lijo Jose, I learned a great deal about the Jewish community of Kerala and their migrations. I highly recommend this tour and guide.

We met Lijo by booking on the Jewish heritage tour. He immediately made contact with us to clarify details. Through him we also booked the Alleppy backwaters trip as well as a visit to a village and the narrow canal. Lijo is very efficient and was an excellent personal guide on the synagogue tour. His driver Romi was first class. he is polite, knowledgeable and a very safe driver. Lijo is a good man to go to first!!

This was a fantastic tour. We went to see Jewish synagogues and (now mostly abandoned) Jewish settlements in Kochi and also in the towns and countryside outside of Kochi - places I never would have known to go to on my own. Most were centuries old and well-preserved. Our guide Joe was great — very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a delicious lunch beachside to finish off the tour. Very nice large comfortable car as well, driven by Mr Mithun. Would recommend to anyone especially if you have an interest in Jewish history. Was also just a lovely day out seeing a picturesque area north of Kochi.

Priyanka was super. Articulate, knowledgeable and friendly. Went out of his way to make sure that we had a great experience. Highly recommend his services

Lijo's tour is worth the money, with him providing a truly unique experience. While most tours in Kochi visit Jew Town and the Paradesi Synagogue, Lijo brought me to several different synagogues in the greater region and introduced me to the people who have taken up their maintenance and upkeep, including some of the very last practicing Jews in Kerala. His knowledge about modern Judaism as well as the historic waves of Jewish immigration that brought Jews to the Kochi area were deeply impressive and I unquestionably walked away with new knowledge I hadn't even known I didn't know. He hit a few extra stops as well, regularly offered stops for food/drinks, and shared the history of his family and the region. I will never forget this tour.