For what is essentially a small and intimate city hotel, The Brunton Boatyard possesses a remarkable sense of scale, evident the moment you turn into the tiled forecourt.The lobby is a vault of sunlight and air, framed by arches and overhung with punkahs - enormous, old-fashioned fans of Indo-Portuguese origin.

The hotel's nautical past seems to follow you around. On one wall, old Dutch maps, on another, a small navigation device, in the courtyard lawns, an ancient anchor. Walk further, turn a corner, and you find yourself outside the Armory Bar. Perhaps later, you could enjoy a sundowner here, with old Portuguese breastplates and musketry for company.

A short saunter down the corridor brings you to a little doorway. Pass through and suddenly, the whole vista of Cochin harbour opens up beyond the pool's inviting waters. This is the spot to read a boring historical novel, work on your tan and watch the ships sail by, so close you can almost reach out and touch them. Crane your neck a bit and you can spot a serried rank of Cochin's famed fishing nets. They first made their appearance in 1350 a.d. and their much-photographed preying-mantis shapes form one of the city's most enduring images.

Also near the pool is the hotel's jetty, and a word at the reception gets you a variety of cruising options to choose from. The heritage of Cochin is most evident around its enormous harbour, and this is a not-to-be-missed experience.

The Brunton Boatyard Hotel is your chance to dine from, literally, a melting pot. All the cultures that came to the Malabar Coast over three centuries can be sampled in a single evening. For if they came to carry away spice, they also brought a host of new culinary ideas, evolving over the years into a fusion cuisine dating from centuries before the term became fashionable..

To the basic melody of black pepper, ginger and cardamom, each group that came to Kerala added a counterpoint of its own. The Portuguese came to trade in spice, but left behind the ' Indian' red chili. The Syrian Christians brought a variety of meat dishes, specially stews, that co-incidentally, tasted fabulous with the local string hoppers. The Jews found coriander both Kosher and delicious, so into the pot it went. And Dutch puddings were found to benefit greatly from a spot of fresh cinnamon.
At the History Restaurant, these cuisines have been given a new lease of life, recreated faithfully each evening by chefs who did their research in the best place possible - with the old families of Cochin