Foreigners First Impressions of Kochi, India🇮🇳 (Not what we expected...)

Welcome to KERALA! We'll be traveling around Kerala for the next 11 days. In this video, we start in Kochi - exploring Fort Kochi, trying some new dishes, and trying to survive in this heat😅
INDIA is our country number 43 / 197! (This is our 2nd visit!)
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🌏Hi! We’re Ben and Haley. We sold everything to travel around the world. We left behind our very normal life to travel the world with only a backpack and on a budget. We left the US with no definite plans and decided to go wherever the cheapest flight takes us. We've been on the road full-time since July 2022. Come with us as we explore this beautiful world. We'll be sharing the good and the bad, the wild and the mundane, and all of our best travel tips to help with your own adventures.
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[@pradeeppunkunnam]

Welcome to Kerala. Thank you for visiting our state.

[@Elodie12313]

I,m From North India but Kerala, Himachal, Uttrakhand This state are best for Foreigners...😊😊

[@Nazrin355]

Kerala*

[@manmohanr7840]

I am from Uttarakhand as well. i think other states should learn from Kerala. I've never been to Kerala unfortunately, now I've moved abroad.

[@manvikamehta8530]

Jammu and kashmir too😊

[@alansmods1775]

North East India too

[@eliminator2847]

Karela*🥒

[@TooniMe]

The stereotype which foreigners heaving into their mind is old Delhi and Mumbai's Dharavi and they think all india is just like that because of their media ,but na man ..India is 7th biggest country on earth you have tones of amazing places to visit and they are not like old Delhi or Dharavi

[@benandhaley]

100% agree That's why we made this video show that there's SO much more to India outside of the chaos of Delhi, Mumbai, etc. that you typically always see on KZbin. Many incredible places to visit

[@TooniMe]

@@benandhaley if you guys are still in india you can visit srinagar (kashmir) or Nainital ( uttrakhand) in the north himalayas region these places are heaven for summer much colder and fresh than the rest of india and so beautiful you can search it look how beautiful are these places specially Nainital

[@Adi-nd4bp]

@@benandhaley You ppl should have come after monsoon season.This is the PEAK of summer and before pre monsoon shower which is the hottest time in kerala.Even we are dying bcz of the heat, and humidity makes it worse 😂.But the good thing is that you can walk and see everything at summer,which I think is what ppl comes for.During june -aug and nov -dec it can rain on any random day,which might spoil plans.But it depends on the person if they like rain.whether they like to see MORE greenery, walk in somebodys lawn or field ,experience cool breeze,drink some tea and vada in a rooadside stall when its drizzling and walk on wet road and muddy soil after a good rain.And the rain here in kerala is a lot more refreshing than the rain in many other countries and i've personally experienced this as well...

[@praveenkv6746]

​@@benandhaleyKochi city is called as 'Queen of Arabian sea'

[@Aghori-3]

​@@benandhaleyTourists should definitely avoid UP, Bihar,Jharkhand and West Bengal. Cities like Mumbai and Delhi. The states and cities i would recommend you to go are Kerala, Karnataka, Goa , Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, all the NE states, Ladakh and Gujarat along with Cities like Guargoan, Hyderabad.

[@newguyat77]

Its very hot season now.. Careful of dehydration..

[@akhilj307]

Learnings: 1. Biriyani and Mango curry is an unusual combination 😅. You should try Porotta and Beef Roast (as a meal) for sure & fried rice and chili chicken (as a meal) 2. Everybody is indoor because it is so hot outside; (west loves sunny days, kerala loves cold weather) Kerala cold = west warm = 70 degree farenheit. Try not to go out during the day time, the state is on Yellow Heat Alert now. 3. People are super helpful and can share a lot of information that is not present on Google Search;

[@benandhaley]

We said the same thing after we ordered the mango curry and biryani haha we wanted to try both and couldn't decide😂 And yes, everyone is super helpful! We've met many amazing and kind people who have given us information and helped with anything we needed. Incredible experience. Thank you for watching our video❤

[@paulvonline]

@@benandhaleymango curry with biriyani is a weird combo. You could try mango curry with plain rice or with traditional kerala meals

[@benandhaley]

@@paulvonline Haha we had the mango curry with plain rice and then the biriyani separate😂 We wanted to try both!

[@equaliser777]

Thank you for visiting us ...🙏

[@rahulpr3104]

No.. biriyani with mango curry 😅.. its like pizza with sauce for Italian

[@chairpants]

This summer in Kerala is insanely hot. It started wayy earlier from February and even us Indians can't bear it. Climate has gone crazy this year.

[@user-nq2js8ng4t]

Cos of heat waves

[@user-yt9yw6uf4m]

(South India) State of Kerala🌴 must visit places: -Aleppy backwaters ('Venice of the East') -Vagamon ('Scotland of Kerala') -Munnar hill station ('Kashmir of South India') home to tea plantations, spice garden, tasty homemade chocolates and different wildlife -Varkala Beach and Kovalam Lighthouse beach -Fort Kochi attractions with Jewish synagogue, Dutch Palace and Portuguese church alongwith the European influenced streets -world's first water metro also try the land metro -Kerala is a major football hub and has got featured in FIFA channel -Athirapally waterfalls ('Niagara falls of South India') - Lulu International Mall (largest malls of South India in Trivandrum and Kochi) -Jatayu largest Bird Sculpture -Do interact with the locals they are really sweet and helpful -This state has the highest literacy rate -Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews etc.. all live in peace and harmony♥️ -It is also the home of Ayurvedic medicine -The Kerala cuisine consists of non-veg including beef and pork and seafood.Also try the traditional meal served on banana leaf 😍

[@asharafalavi]

You said kerala people are very nice and kind and very friendly that words make me very happy and proud because I am from kerala,,,,,thank you very much and sorry for the weather 😅😅😅😅😅

[@Elodie12313]

South East Asia - Tuk Tuk In India - Rikshaw 😂😂

[@benandhaley]

Haha we have spent too much time in Southeast Asia that it's habit now😂

[@user-nq2js8ng4t]

In south India it’s auto

[@Dimitri_1996]

India is so diverse ❤🇫🇷

[@pdpr91]

The reason street's are empty is because of the heat! You are certainly brave walking around getting sunburnt

[@niranjan286]

Kerala is generally not that crowded. The population is spread throughout the state and not concentrated like other states.

[@sajidmunir864]

Its just what I thought the reason for empty streets, people like to stay indoors during extremely hot weather

[@niranjan286]

​@@sajidmunir864 Kerala is usually less crowded as the population is well distributed throughout the state. There are plenty of empty streets in Kerala were I like to walk or drive.

[@nichen6966]

south india is best visited during monsoon season approximately … June through september. Cool weather. The trade off , of course , there are some days that it could rain continously for a couple if days , but its like in the US , during winter , there may be that bad one week. ( in Arizona , South of Flagstaff we dont have to worry about snow), but otherwise Monsoon is the best time to visit South India.

[@dineshd4351]

Mam you are visiting kerala in highest summer season, ie Apr and May. The season for visit is Sep to Dec

[@Kalki0025]

India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories. Foreigners often visit Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Agra, or Rajasthan and find it busy. Sometimes, they visit Kerala and say, "I never knew India had such relaxed places; it's different from what I expected." You guys only explored cities, which is just a small part of the country. I can tell you about more than 15 states and Union Territories like Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand in India. Then, you probably say the same thing, "This doesn't seem like India." But if you keep visiting just Delhi or Mumbai repeatedly, you say, "This is what India feels like." However, many of the 15 or more states don't match that perception.

[@benandhaley]

Exactly. That's why we made this video to show that there's SO much more to India outside of the chaos of Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, etc. that you typically always see on KZbin

[@praveenkv6746]

​@@benandhaleyKochi City is called as 'Queen of Arabian sea'

[@guspeter]

Nice video. Enjoyed it. Sorry to see you struggle in the sweltering summer heat. Summer this year has been exceptionally brutal. Try to avoid going out between 11AM and 4PM unless you are in hill-stations like Munnar, Thekkady, Wayanad etc. Those hill-stations - with their rolling tea/coffee/cardamom plantations and winding roads - are great visual treats and the main reason why Kerala is called 'God's Own Country'. Hope you will have a wonderful and pleasant time in Kerala and elsewhere in India. Looking forward to your next video...

[@cziffrathegreat666]

You said kerala the right way... better than most other indians say it too, wonderful !

[@RAJAKUMAR-lf1jr]

Its Summer now in india.visit in winter or rainy season for better experience

[@AmericansinIndia]

Love the content, my family and I need to make it a point to visit Kerala in monsoon season. 🔥🔥🔥

[@1965RoyWilliam]

Thanks for visiting Our beautiful Kerala..

[@soorajkoottungal5291]

Welcome to God's Own Country KERALA ❤ ...... Just Experience how different is it from other States .....

[@antojoseph4883]

Guys u r at the No. 1 state of India by literacy rate, least poverty rate, and many more. Kerala is known as the spice bowl of india.If u have time visit munnar and vagamon known as the switzerland of india. Only place where u can see the most beautiful estates of tea and cardamon plantations and all spices if u want to.

[@HARSHADtp]

Wrong time of the year to visit kerala 😂. People of kerala typically use umbrellas to beat scorching summer heat. You can buy umbrellas in every nuke and corners in kerala

[@arulcastro5013]

What a wonderful couple you both are. Great to see you smiling always. Thanks for sharing.

[@ExpatNatt]

I’d love to visit India! What an adventure! New subscriber here, glad I found your channel!❤❤

[@bharatisamurai4614]

Enjoyed the video, wish you a good trip and thanks for visiting India! 😊 PS: A wide brim floppy hat might help in keeping cool.

[@rajeevanand3380]

Enjoy your time, enjoy the Indian hospitality, enjoy the local culture and cuisine, to whichever Indian State you may be visiting. 😊

[@itsme-ck9nq]

Thank you for visiting😊

[@acoolindian]

Wonderful vlog.. you both are awesome Keep yourself hydrated ❤

[@gtanuja5931]

Due to summer u can go to hill stations such as Ooty, Kodaikanal , munnar, Darjeeling,Shimla, Kulu Manali , Himalayan region, kashmir , ladakh

[@gtanuja5931]

U can visit south India u can see variety of different foods temples heritage and culture especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,goa, Hyderabad it's amazing Kerala, munnar, kochi, wayanad, Ooty, coimbatore, manglore, Gokarna , Coorg, Bangalore, Mysore, Alleppey, Udupi, Chennai, Karnataka, Kodaikanal

[@Usernet1]

There is water metro boat which is air-conditioned. Anyway as of now summer season

[@AjuMobin-wn2bu]

Welcome to Kerala....... ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@relax3576]

in a Beautiful place..wrong time

[@vishnubinu3888]

Thankyou for visiting my country and my state kerala

[@MikhaelaBryden]

Looks like such a great place to visit!

[@gopalbagul6029]

Wellcome to India 🎉❤

[@kidnation3133]

Welcome to Kerala

[@cprijesh]

Visit on June , July it's too hot nowadays. Rainy season is best to visit ..

[@meditatewithme6254]

This time you should have gone to ladakh or himachal this time. There should be cooler higher up the mountain

[@benandhaley]

We hope to visit there soon! We certainly would be less sweaty if we had decided to go there haha😅

[@hahahap9844]

@@benandhaley mainly the temperatures go 40-48 C and sometimes touches 50 in some areas , water and eating something will be good.. white clothes

[@akshay7887]

You came here in wrong time 😂 because it is very hot now .iam from kerala and even though I can't handle the heat. Anyway ❤from kerala 🌴 also plzz visit varkala 🏄‍♂️🌴(south kerala)

[@gopuprakash160]

The place is super hot and humid now. You guys are crazy to be there now 😮 I was there last week and it was exhausting. Kept drinking one thing or the other to keep myself hydrated

[@men7822]

Welcome to your second home India. Take care of the heat n humidity. Stay hydrated. With love from Mumbai

[@saji.432]

Nice to watching your vlog. From Kerala ❤

[@bobbyeapen6049]

Please check out the following while your in that sate: Also, if you can handle spice, try the many local dishes. 1 Jattayu 2 Lulu mall 3 Kalarippayattu 4 Kathakali 5 House boating in backwaters (a day or so, overnight, private chef, bathroom and bedroom 6 Padmanabhaswamy Temple 7 spice tour with a meal 8 Vakala beach and Kovalum 9 Ayurvedic spa, Munnar 10 Fort Kochi, Jew Town, 11 snake boat racing 12 Tree house stay, Athirappilly Waterfall 13 old churchs, bible tower, st. george, st. marys,

[@myschool9482]

Welcome to my country ❤enjoy the trip

[@blackman7186]

The absolute worst season to travel in India. The summer heat is insane.

[@harshachoudhary7847]

Awesome

[@jchittillam77]

Hi Ben and Haley......I am from Kerala and now setteled in Chicago for 12 years.....still every year I used to visit Kerala.....this time summmer is harder .... be careful about heat stroke.....warm welcome to Kerala.

[@PradhanmantriBruhh]

How's there in Chicago, fellow mallu? I am not hearing positive things from there!

[@onlyfun4040]

i think, you should shortlist some amazing places, cultural stuff, hill station, fort, monument, temple and unesco sites.....etc where you can visit, always check weather of destination place (comfortable or not)

[@cem611]

it is hot hot summer. this is the best time to explore the mountains Indian Himalayas most beautiful part of India-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Ladakh is other worldly place most beautiful in India and one of the most beautiful in the world.

[@sanusap1984]

Welcome to kerala guys enjoy ur trip lol🎉❤

[@RamaswamyIyerGanesh]

Double well come 😊

[@Jeevan19966]

Our Kerala 💥🤝

[@nataraj1000]

wow super one

[@eliminator2847]

I hope you guys are having a great time.🙏

[@binuaayush2037]

That was a nice video. Please visit to Varkala

[@devakychandran1753]

Come to Kerala between June to Feb for cooler weather

[@JSpa123]

Munnar, idukki, Palakkad, alappi, thiruvanthapuram, Kochi, Malabar side wayanadu,Kannur side,

[@americankidsinindia]

Hello I hope that one day my siblings and I are as confident in our videos as you are!!! We are American kids in India that just moved here. ❤❤❤ Keep up the great work!

[@thomasmathew1212]

Nice and beautiful tree

[@encepesallinone]

Nice video...

[@bidyutmondal317]

It will be so hot. Don't burn your skin dear. Safe journey , stay safe.

[@CoconutDiaries]

Enjoy Kerala. Use the mozzy spray only in evenings and nights, daytime is fine. Also, say adipoli instead of thanks and see the smile on their face😊

[@AkhandaBharatGK]

This, India is experiencing severe hot summer, hope there will rains sooner. then India turns magical. In summers, we try to avoid going out in the afternoos, (11am to 4pm sometimes 4:30) ..

[@josephraju7223]

Welcome to kerala but this is summer time you try to visit munnar, thekkady its a hilly area as well as cool climate

[@rrongphar]

❤❤Wllcme to 🇮🇳

[@Ozukovsky]

You should definitely visit the state of Meghalaya. Little known facts about it. Its a state covered with clouds, mountains, pine trees. Rainiest place on planet earth is in this state of India (mawsynram). Asia's cleanest village of exists here (mawlynong). Living root bridge (testament of human bio-engineering since thousands of years without any modern tools and how to live in harmony with nature) , cold climate, crystal clear lakes where you can literally see the surface and the reflection of your boat, canyons, caves, places that might remind you of Narnia, hundreds of waterfalls, completely different culture, language, food. Cuisine is more closer to south east asian cuisine. Also only matrilineal state in India. You might not find too many hindi speakers but almost everyone speaks English. Even street vendors can speak manageable english so not much issue with communication. This is just one of the states of north East. Each state of north east is unique in its own way for their natural beauty. Total 8 states also called 7 sisters and 1 brother state (sikkim is the brother)

[@Samira_gt]

This video gonna be viral 💯

[@roshanqrs]

Come to northeast India you will love it especially Meghalaya and Sikkim

[@invaderg3332]

Man you guys are so upbeat about Kerala now. I remember most Keralites just randomly raved about Kerala to foreigners, nobody was paying attention. The tourism minister sure did his magic, noticing more and more of people like this now. Kerala is more like thailand where you can just wander around and find something nice. It's not like Delhi. But not every restaurant or food place is going to be very healthy for you aka many common snacks are deep fried, alot of sugar etc. Maybe a smaller percentage might be give you diarrhea but I haven't had a problem for ages now. Vet restaurants like how you might vet restaurants in the USA. Guys if you'd like please take a look at the movie Aadujeevitham (the goat life), it's a malayalam movie about surviving in the gulf desert, kind of like cast away. The director wanted to release during the summer, so that people can feel the heat. I don't know about subtitles.

[@uchihamadaragaming5309]

why are you comparing a modern city and a natural beauty? Both are totally different. Did you mean to demean Delhi?

[@invaderg3332]

@@uchihamadaragaming5309 I have heard this from people visiting there, so not my opinion. Sorry if it hurts your sentiments. I heard not every body can run around Delhi and always find great things to buy or experience and have a great time. I might be wrong.

[@invaderg3332]

Plus you can find everythng in Kochi nowadays, quite a consumer friendly city nowadays.

[@govinddas7876]

Oh nooo you came at the wrong time. Monsoon is the perfect time to visit Kerala

[@sajiantony7473]

Kerala never exceeded 31-32 celsius at the peak of the summer when I grew up there in 80s and 90s. During my ocassional trips to Fort Kochi, it was one of the coolest (I meant weather-wise) place in mid-Kerala. Today things have changed. Have to blame the real estate build up in the whole of the country which has eliminated as many trees as possible and the carbon pollution.

[@bikkarsingh8050]

Welcome to India 🙏🙏

[@GOMZY40]

donot forget to visit Alleppey and house boat ride. you will love it. and dont feel shy do bargain when you are india. love from india. hope you get treated like a king and queen here❤

[@BobsClique]

Try the Odomos cream from Kerala, which is effective at repelling insects while also moisturizing and providing a pleasant aroma.

[@benandhaley]

Thank you - that is good to know! We like the Soffell spray and have found that to work pretty well, but we'll look for the cream too!

[@mikeandashley]

We're in Rajasthan now and were thinking about heading south next, but after watching your video, we may head north instead. Great video BTW! We just subscribed. 🙂

[@ozymandias7372]

Ya, its better north at this climate. But please visit south during monsoon or winter time. Its a really beautiful place.

[@PradhanmantriBruhh]

Equally beautiful up there. I just request every foreigner to not visit Delhi for once😂

[@shahidhes]

It will be hot in Kerala until May last week

[@benandhaley]

Thanks guys! We love your channel, so that means a lot!☺ Luckily we knew the weather ahead of time and decided to brave the heat because we've wanted to come here for awhile, but it really is quite hot. Kerala is BEAUTIFUL and everyone is so friendly, so definitely keep it on your bucket list for next time!

[@emilyashna5879]

do visit kerala in last week of may or monsoon season, because it's too hot even we malayalies can't bear the hot.

[@user-ov6ut1hu7z]

Love both of u.very innocent comments ❤

[@shakeersulaiman5044]

Wellcome to our fortkochi❤

[@amaldev4201]

I loved this video ❤, A Malayali guy from UK.🫶🏻

[@siliconslice]

It looks cleaner than I thought.

[@ashusoni3527]

Sun is gonna get crazier.

[@swarupanandamahato8618]

Nice😊

[@arunsajan2479]

Hot out there keep hydrated love from kerala

[@1965RoyWilliam]

Have you ever been in Trivandrum.. So beautiful.. Lot of tourist spots

[@user-mp1fk2cg8e]

This is fkng hot season in Kerala, Try to visit Kerala in the Monsoon season!

[@SY-zv2cz]

Best time to visit Kerala. Peek summer. 🤣. My place is just a few mins walk from your hotel though I'm not in India right now. I could see my apartment through your window. If you come out of your hotel and walk towards the left you will reach Bolgaty palace which is a Dutch palace converted into hotel. Its a nice place to visit especially in the evening. The synagogue in fort kochi is a nice place to visit. Around 20 kms from your hotel you have Cherai beach and many more. Being in kerala during hot summer, you should probably visit Munnar which is a hill station 100km from kochi and spend couple of days there. The temperature will be much lower and you get to enjoy nice greenery.

[@Sunj7]

Tourists should try the water metro ride from Kakkanad to Vytilla. Its a beautiful experience!

[@siddhikm7362]

If you are in KERALA, it means 1. You are in Gods own country. You are safe. You love this place and visit once again. I am sure. Welcome dear. Of course heat is too much. Enjoy every bits. Good bye for now. V

[@MohanKumar-rx5vz]

From May to November is good time visit Kerala

[@jissonphilip6984]

You should explore the Idukki district of Kerala,munnar,vagamon,kumily,ramakkalmedu,anchuruli,calvarymount etc

[@Get.Lost.Travel]

You GUYS! Congrats on the video! 16k in one day?? You were due, I'm so excited for you!! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@benandhaley]

Thank you so much for the love!😊😊

[@rahulpr3104]

While ur there visit Varkala as well

[@rakshithrenganz9285]

Welcome to the peace point of India :Kerala❤

[@gopakumarls1529]

It's too hot in March, April may

[@DevRaj-xx7qc]

In summer travel north and east best time and in winter west and south

[@midhulajcypcd]

Vaskoda Dama ship traveling very landed Kozhikode beach in Kerala and later made Kerala a British colony and India made full target etc...you Palakkad Koduvayur Visiting 👍🏽

[@jewelsworld6455]

38°celcius temperature in Kerala....be careful day time use a umbrella

[@bensonthomas123]

Try Ellunda | Black and White Sesame Seed Balls in Kerala

[@njo3181]

There is fishing harbor near by

[@thelonevagrant]

This vlog is nice

[@soumyasekharsar1591]

Please visit these places in India 🇮🇳❤️ 1. Ladakh 2. Kashmir 3. Manali 4. Shimla 5. Rishikesh 6. Mcleodganj 7. Jaisalmer 8. Goa 9. Kerala ( kochi, varkala, Alleppey, Munnar) 10. Hampi 11. Darjeeling 12. Sikkim 13. Meghalaya 14. Andaman and Nicobar islands 15. Udaipur

[@DrUK93]

Ootty kodaikanal pondichery mysore hubli