Homestays in Kerala, India

I’ll start by saying that we only booked this guesthouse as it was pretty much the only one available for our dates in Varkala that seemed well located and wasn’t a hostel in a dorm room (we are a married couple in our 30s and are passed the days of sleeping in a dorm bunk bed!). BIG MISTAKE! Following 7 weeks of travel in India and staying in almost 20 different guesthouses and homestays, this was by far the worst! One of the most expensive out of all the properties we stayed in and by far the worst in terms of facilities, value for money and management. Where to begin… 1. Frequent power cuts on our first day turning the lights and AC off in the room 2. We stayed in two rooms (one AC and one fan). Almost none of the plug sockets worked in either room with the exception of one 3. The shower was practically pointless and the water came out in a tiny trickle in both rooms. Not very practical for showering. We used the bucket for showering (which we have done many times in India, but not expected here considering it cost 2-3x more than other properties we stayed at in India). It’s also a wet room (common in India), but no mop/brush to push all the excess water into the drain (we had this in majority of our other guesthouses) so you’re walking into a soaking wet bathroom every time you enter 4. The rooms didn’t feel 100% clean - we were walking on sand before we even went to the beach and even felt sand in the bed! 5. Speaking of the bed, this was rock hard and super uncomfortable 6. We shared our AC room with 4/5 geckos each night. We are ok with nature and insects so this wasn’t a huge deal for us but just FYI incase you are not. There are vents in the room that allow insects in easily, despite them having some sort of sellotape over them to try and prevent this 7. There was construction work happening (either the property itself or next door). When in the AC room we were woken up quite early each morning with loud banging and drilling practically outside our window. The workmen also left their tools on our balcony 8. We were interested in doing the cooking class offered but were told that this was not available because the owner Suresh was too busy at his other property in Varkala (it’s called Gypsy Walker so will assume is also poor quality). Just as well, wouldn’t have wanted to have given another penny to this property! 9. The property requests that shoes are taken off before entry and left on the designated shoe rack. Respectful of the property’s policies and Indian culture we did just that. On the last day, one of our pairs of shoes was stolen from the rack. We know this happened that day as they were there late morning when we went out but not the evening when we returned to get them. When we informed Suresh of the issue, he was incredibly rude, shouting abuse at us down the phone and accused us of lying to get compensation out of him - incredibly insulting to say the least. We were told that no one has access to the property

Affordable distance to walk to the airport I didn't expect much because I chose it only one point. if you want to check in I was told that there was no reservation. Don't worry, there's a room, 1900 rupees. Even if you tell the color 々 such as pin code and reservation number, I don't have a reservation, so pay early. の A little Zhang り The manager came from somewhere to check the system and hit the head of the front staff, so I might have missed it, but the truth is unknown. I lost about 30 minutes. The room was large and the air conditioner worked well, but the bathroom seemed to be cleaned only properly. It was good that hot water came out perfectly even at midnight. Amenities are one small soap No toilet paper. The bath towel was attached, but two old towels, which are rare in India recently, and two slightly newer than that. It was one of the decisive factors that there was a chain store Sarabanabawan that was expanding worldwide in the immediate vicinity, but the next use is annoying. Free shuttle bus to airport It is posted on this site, but it actually costs 200 rupees. It's cheaper than going by taxi, but if you think it's free, you don't feel good. Of course, it's better than there is no shuttle bus.

Let's start with this place point by point date of visit (7 may to 8 may) 1- reached the hotel little early around 8.30 am. The assistant manager (Mahesh) said he will try to give the room by 11 after confirming with the manager (who refused to share his name but has worked for 11 years in Hospitality in Colaba, Mumbai) The manager refused and asked for additional amount. Which I understand must be the policy. But the arrogance of the manager is hard to miss 2- the room was filled with mosquitos. There was no Soap. The Linen was untidy 3- the Highlight (Check out) we checked out at 11.30 the official time and requested to keep the luggage at the side for sometime till we get some clothes and snacks. The Manager replied not more than 1 hour as it will create disturbance to us. How can 2 bags create disturbance if it's kept in a corner of the waiting area. Part 2 - we reached back by 1.10 pm which he didn't appreciate. We asked the manager about the other places that we can visit, he was completely clueless and had zero interest in replying. While we were sitting quietly in the waiting area he asked us to get out in an extremely rude manner. You can't ask your guests to get out of the property, they are not causing any inconvenience to other patrons. Please please please avoid this place just for the Manager. He is not worthy of being in the Hospitality industry. I really hope the owner of the property takes note of this incident and takes some action against the manager because despite being at good location the people who are running it are leaving a bad taste. I'm writing this review from a restaurant nearby the property as we were asked to GET OUT. P.S. the assistant Mahesh did apologize on behalf of the manager but the damage was done by then

I’m a British/ Australian female traveller who visited India for the first time with my Partner. Kerala is the first place we visited and I was incredibly impressed with how clean, safe and comfy the homestay was. It is in the perfect location, very short walking distance to Princess street. The hosts are incredibly friendly, they helped me with my washing and also made us two delicious homemade breakfasts. The air conditioning worked really well and there is also a fan. Will recommend this place to any traveller and I would definitely stay here again.

Simple but clean room with excellent air conditioning. Dining room on 2nd floor (no elevator) has pots and pan ***** with an electric kettle. Owners of guesthouse get food prepared from home, provided we give a 3 hour notice. Closest and decent accommodation for those who want to see wild elephants come for a drink of the water. Just 100 feet away.

Very good, professional service and worry free stay. 1. caretaker was very very friendly. He had called in advance to ask when we would check in, shared the number we can use in case of any need and also told us he will be out on the road if we need help to locate the property. we eventually did have to call him because the house is located beside a slope and it's from a level down to the road from the direction we came( the other side of the house it's located above the road). but as soon as we called he was out on the road and helped us. 2. One point to note is that we have to park the car on the road. The house required climbing stairs up/down, so we cannot take the car past the gate. 3. the bathrooms are very clean ( bathrooms are the biggest fear for me). Their shower was very very good and unlike most places in tvm located near the beach, the tap water was not hard water. it was soft. they have hot and cold water. Towels were also provided, so also soap and travel friendly size of shampoo and moisturizer. 4. you can hear the waves loud and clear. you can also see the waves from your porch etc. you can also see the Vizinjam mosque dome and minarets from he property. also the lighthouse is very close by and can be seen from the property. 5. The beach is super near. Everything is at walking distance. Breakfast offered was bread, butter/jam. so we opted out. Drinking water was provided. There are cupboards inside for storage.Chairs and a table too. There is a door between the bottom two rooms that can be locked or unlocked. Hence it's great for families security wise. Overall, it's reliable and worry free.

I’ll start by saying that we only booked this guesthouse as it was pretty much the only one available for our dates in Varkala that seemed well located and wasn’t a hostel in a dorm room (we are a married couple in our 30s and are passed the days of sleeping in a dorm bunk bed!). BIG MISTAKE! Following 7 weeks of travel in India and staying in almost 20 different guesthouses and homestays, this was by far the worst! One of the most expensive out of all the properties we stayed in and by far the worst in terms of facilities, value for money and management. Where to begin… 1. Frequent power cuts on our first day turning the lights and AC off in the room 2. We stayed in two rooms (one AC and one fan). Almost none of the plug sockets worked in either room with the exception of one 3. The shower was practically pointless and the water came out in a tiny trickle in both rooms. Not very practical for showering. We used the bucket for showering (which we have done many times in India, but not expected here considering it cost 2-3x more than other properties we stayed at in India). It’s also a wet room (common in India), but no mop/brush to push all the excess water into the drain (we had this in majority of our other guesthouses) so you’re walking into a soaking wet bathroom every time you enter 4. The rooms didn’t feel 100% clean - we were walking on sand before we even went to the beach and even felt sand in the bed! 5. Speaking of the bed, this was rock hard and super uncomfortable 6. We shared our AC room with 4/5 geckos each night. We are ok with nature and insects so this wasn’t a huge deal for us but just FYI incase you are not. There are vents in the room that allow insects in easily, despite them having some sort of sellotape over them to try and prevent this 7. There was construction work happening (either the property itself or next door). When in the AC room we were woken up quite early each morning with loud banging and drilling practically outside our window. The workmen also left their tools on our balcony 8. We were interested in doing the cooking class offered but were told that this was not available because the owner Suresh was too busy at his other property in Varkala (it’s called Gypsy Walker so will assume is also poor quality). Just as well, wouldn’t have wanted to have given another penny to this property! 9. The property requests that shoes are taken off before entry and left on the designated shoe rack. Respectful of the property’s policies and Indian culture we did just that. On the last day, one of our pairs of shoes was stolen from the rack. We know this happened that day as they were there late morning when we went out but not the evening when we returned to get them. When we informed Suresh of the issue, he was incredibly rude, shouting abuse at us down the phone and accused us of lying to get compensation out of him - incredibly insulting to say the least. We were told that no one has access to the property

Let's start with this place point by point date of visit (7 may to 8 may) 1- reached the hotel little early around 8.30 am. The assistant manager (Mahesh) said he will try to give the room by 11 after confirming with the manager (who refused to share his name but has worked for 11 years in Hospitality in Colaba, Mumbai) The manager refused and asked for additional amount. Which I understand must be the policy. But the arrogance of the manager is hard to miss 2- the room was filled with mosquitos. There was no Soap. The Linen was untidy 3- the Highlight (Check out) we checked out at 11.30 the official time and requested to keep the luggage at the side for sometime till we get some clothes and snacks. The Manager replied not more than 1 hour as it will create disturbance to us. How can 2 bags create disturbance if it's kept in a corner of the waiting area. Part 2 - we reached back by 1.10 pm which he didn't appreciate. We asked the manager about the other places that we can visit, he was completely clueless and had zero interest in replying. While we were sitting quietly in the waiting area he asked us to get out in an extremely rude manner. You can't ask your guests to get out of the property, they are not causing any inconvenience to other patrons. Please please please avoid this place just for the Manager. He is not worthy of being in the Hospitality industry. I really hope the owner of the property takes note of this incident and takes some action against the manager because despite being at good location the people who are running it are leaving a bad taste. I'm writing this review from a restaurant nearby the property as we were asked to GET OUT. P.S. the assistant Mahesh did apologize on behalf of the manager but the damage was done by then

Very good, professional service and worry free stay. 1. caretaker was very very friendly. He had called in advance to ask when we would check in, shared the number we can use in case of any need and also told us he will be out on the road if we need help to locate the property. we eventually did have to call him because the house is located beside a slope and it's from a level down to the road from the direction we came( the other side of the house it's located above the road). but as soon as we called he was out on the road and helped us. 2. One point to note is that we have to park the car on the road. The house required climbing stairs up/down, so we cannot take the car past the gate. 3. the bathrooms are very clean ( bathrooms are the biggest fear for me). Their shower was very very good and unlike most places in tvm located near the beach, the tap water was not hard water. it was soft. they have hot and cold water. Towels were also provided, so also soap and travel friendly size of shampoo and moisturizer. 4. you can hear the waves loud and clear. you can also see the waves from your porch etc. you can also see the Vizinjam mosque dome and minarets from he property. also the lighthouse is very close by and can be seen from the property. 5. The beach is super near. Everything is at walking distance. Breakfast offered was bread, butter/jam. so we opted out. Drinking water was provided. There are cupboards inside for storage.Chairs and a table too. There is a door between the bottom two rooms that can be locked or unlocked. Hence it's great for families security wise. Overall, it's reliable and worry free.

The room was very spacious, right opposite to the beach. If one wants a beach view, go for it. Food in the restaurant was just okay!

Affordable distance to walk to the airport I didn't expect much because I chose it only one point. if you want to check in I was told that there was no reservation. Don't worry, there's a room, 1900 rupees. Even if you tell the color 々 such as pin code and reservation number, I don't have a reservation, so pay early. の A little Zhang り The manager came from somewhere to check the system and hit the head of the front staff, so I might have missed it, but the truth is unknown. I lost about 30 minutes. The room was large and the air conditioner worked well, but the bathroom seemed to be cleaned only properly. It was good that hot water came out perfectly even at midnight. Amenities are one small soap No toilet paper. The bath towel was attached, but two old towels, which are rare in India recently, and two slightly newer than that. It was one of the decisive factors that there was a chain store Sarabanabawan that was expanding worldwide in the immediate vicinity, but the next use is annoying. Free shuttle bus to airport It is posted on this site, but it actually costs 200 rupees. It's cheaper than going by taxi, but if you think it's free, you don't feel good. Of course, it's better than there is no shuttle bus.

I’m a British/ Australian female traveller who visited India for the first time with my Partner. Kerala is the first place we visited and I was incredibly impressed with how clean, safe and comfy the homestay was. It is in the perfect location, very short walking distance to Princess street. The hosts are incredibly friendly, they helped me with my washing and also made us two delicious homemade breakfasts. The air conditioning worked really well and there is also a fan. Will recommend this place to any traveller and I would definitely stay here again.

Ok, where do I start off? Arrival: George welcomed us to their homestay and took the time to answer all questions we had and more. He is a very friendly, honest and patient *** with a ”Can Do” attitude. After speaking to him, we knew: were, what, when, how and how much. The Room: Very clean room with AC and Ceiling fan, good shower and plenty of warm water. There also seemed to be a little kitchen we didn't use which might be handy for some guests. Hospitality: George & Daisy are some of the nicest people you will meet on this planet. Very caring & honest. I was sick for some of my stay and Daisy nursed me back to health with some homemade remedies. George had some tips on medicine and within 2 days I was back to feeling ay okey! They saved our trip to Kerala. Thank you so much. I can recommend Elim Homestay to anyone visiting Kochi. 5 stars across the board!

All the facilities here are good. Food, restaurants, bus stop and railway stop are available in around 700 meters from this place. It is located right next to kochi metro station. All is well.

Stayed here on the eve of my birthday with my son. With rooftop beer parlour and tasty food it was an enjoyable stay. Will be back.

I stayed here for three weeks. This is a good value budget option. The hotel is very centrally located and is a safe place to stay. My room was medium sized and I was supplied with a kettle on request. There was a small outside balcony with no view to speak of. There was no fridge. The A/C was very efficient, as was the WiFi. Water was supplied daily. This place is very clean- well done to the hard-working staff who were all delightful: consistently very pleasant and helpful. Highly recommended!

I’ll start by saying that we only booked this guesthouse as it was pretty much the only one available for our dates in Varkala that seemed well located and wasn’t a hostel in a dorm room (we are a married couple in our 30s and are passed the days of sleeping in a dorm bunk bed!). BIG MISTAKE! Following 7 weeks of travel in India and staying in almost 20 different guesthouses and homestays, this was by far the worst! One of the most expensive out of all the properties we stayed in and by far the worst in terms of facilities, value for money and management. Where to begin… 1. Frequent power cuts on our first day turning the lights and AC off in the room 2. We stayed in two rooms (one AC and one fan). Almost none of the plug sockets worked in either room with the exception of one 3. The shower was practically pointless and the water came out in a tiny trickle in both rooms. Not very practical for showering. We used the bucket for showering (which we have done many times in India, but not expected here considering it cost 2-3x more than other properties we stayed at in India). It’s also a wet room (common in India), but no mop/brush to push all the excess water into the drain (we had this in majority of our other guesthouses) so you’re walking into a soaking wet bathroom every time you enter 4. The rooms didn’t feel 100% clean - we were walking on sand before we even went to the beach and even felt sand in the bed! 5. Speaking of the bed, this was rock hard and super uncomfortable 6. We shared our AC room with 4/5 geckos each night. We are ok with nature and insects so this wasn’t a huge deal for us but just FYI incase you are not. There are vents in the room that allow insects in easily, despite them having some sort of sellotape over them to try and prevent this 7. There was construction work happening (either the property itself or next door). When in the AC room we were woken up quite early each morning with loud banging and drilling practically outside our window. The workmen also left their tools on our balcony 8. We were interested in doing the cooking class offered but were told that this was not available because the owner Suresh was too busy at his other property in Varkala (it’s called Gypsy Walker so will assume is also poor quality). Just as well, wouldn’t have wanted to have given another penny to this property! 9. The property requests that shoes are taken off before entry and left on the designated shoe rack. Respectful of the property’s policies and Indian culture we did just that. On the last day, one of our pairs of shoes was stolen from the rack. We know this happened that day as they were there late morning when we went out but not the evening when we returned to get them. When we informed Suresh of the issue, he was incredibly rude, shouting abuse at us down the phone and accused us of lying to get compensation out of him - incredibly insulting to say the least. We were told that no one has access to the property