Your sightseeing at Fort Kochi will take you on a tour of the center of Old Cochin, an area that now the city’s heritage zone. See the Chinese fishing nets, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, and the many preserved heritage houses. During this 4-hour activity, you’ll see these sites on a walking tour. At the end of the tour you’ll head to the Kathakali center, where you’ll enjoy a performance of traditional Kathakali dance. Before the performance you’ll see the preparation and dressing of the artists, which is an experience in itself. Kathakali is one of the most complex and highly stylized Indian art forms. It is basically a dance drama, noted for its heavy and attractive larger-than-life make up, elaborate costumes, detailed body movements, synchronized eye-hand movements, and thematic presentation of stories. Kathakali’s popularity traditionally was confined to palace dance halls, the courtyards of Nair noble households, and temple festivals.