Where is The Real Marigold Hotel filmed, whereabouts in India is Old Kochi and is it a real hotel?
THE Real Marigold Hotel is a popular BBC reality show that’s taken eight ageing celebrities on the trip of a lifetime.
Viewers are currently loving the second series of the programme, which has seen the famous faces try out retirement in Kochi, India.
But where is the hotel located and can everyday tourists visit it?
What is The Real Marigold Hotel about and where is it filmed?
The programme has proven to be a reality TV show with a difference as it took eight senior celebrities on a mission to see how they would fare retiring on the other side of the world.
It became a ratings hit on BBC Two as stars such as dancer Wayne Sleep, actress Miriam Margolyes and former newsreader Jan Leaming took on the challenge to see what retiring abroad could offer them.
The celeb pensioners have been trialling what life without work would be like if they moved to Old Kochi, India.
Whereabouts is Old Kochi in India?
In this second series, the gang will be sent to the village of Kochi – which is in the tropical Kerala, Southern India.
The port city lies on the nation’s Malabar Coast.
Kochi was formerly known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, and residents have used its access to the sea as a hub for trade since the 14th century.
As each episode of the series goes on, the famous faces will be followed as they experience the ‘real life’ of the region.
They will be able to catch a glimpse of the ruins of the British Raj, the famous Chinese fishing nets and take a trip across the picturesque beaches.
Is The Real Marigold Hotel a hotel in real life?
The celebrities are staying in a luxury 16th century mansion during their time on the show.
They will reside in one of Asia’s oldest, Le Colonial, which used to be the private residence of the Portuguese Governors.
Luckily for envious fans of the show, the mansion is actually open for public visitors and travellers when filming of The Real Marigold Hotel isn’t taking place.
The breath-taking two star hotel contains two grand rooms and five standard ones, which each cater for two guests.
During the summer season, guests are charged £185.55 to stay in the luxury suite for seven nights, while a standard room costs £129.94 for a week.
In winter, these prices are hiked to £324.53 for the grand chamber, and £231 for the regular.
As well as enjoying the perks of being nestled in a beautiful location, the hotel’s restaurant offers guests traditional south Indian cuisine, as well as Continental and Oriental dishes.
