Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Fringed by gardens of orchids, family-run Malayalam revolves around a pair of spacious two-storey four-room houses facing the lake near the Nehru Trophy…
Must-see hotels in Kerala
Northern Kerala
Chembra Peak looms high above this peacefully positioned, red-brick, colonial-era bungalow turned boutiqueish hostel, set in leafy gardens 6km south of…
Kochi (Cochin)
Just 300m north from Vypeen Island's ferry dock, this beautiful 1930 Keralan heritage house is a delight, with two large connecting rooms featuring quaint…
Kerala
With its location on Lake Vembanad, near the entrance to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, this government resort is a good deal for visiting birdwatchers…
Varkala
With an excellent location on tranquil Odayam Beach, this cluster of delightful beachfront cottages is designed in traditional Kerala style, flaunting…
Kovalam
Seek out a family-style stay at this peach-orange, efficiently run modern home surrounded by greenery, down a dirt path just five minutes' walk inland…
Northern Kerala
Around 10km northwest of Payyanur and 5km southwest of Ayitti Jetty, this tranquil homestay, sandwiched between a near-empty golden-sand beach and the…
Varkala
This intimate, romantic and elegantly understated boutiquey retreat just inland from southern Papanasham Beach revolves around four bright, spacious rooms…
Kochi (Cochin)
Behind a red-and-white facade, this branch of the Goan Hostel Crowd chain is just west of the Customs jetty. The nautical theme is a characterful touch;…
Varkala
Varkala's flashiest hotel, the hillside Taj-Group Gateway is all gleaming linen and mocha cushions in smart contemporary rooms overlooking manicured…
Kannur
The six rooms tucked into this 19th-century rust-red heritage home are enormous and filled with antique furniture, but most guests come for the Mappila …
Kochi (Cochin)
Escape the Kochi crowds at this peaceful waterside homestay and expansive garden in the village of Kumbalanghi, 13km south of Fort Cochin. Tidy rooms are…
Kerala
Fresh on the Marari scene at research time, this charmingly personal guesthouse-hotel sits 1km inland from the beach, with five smart, modern cottages and…
Munnar
If you want to be immersed in lush tea plantations but still close to town, Zina is the budget choice. While it looks slightly run-down, this fading, rose…
Kochi (Cochin)
Around 200m west of Fort Cochin's Customs jetty, this family-owned hideaway is one of the old core's few truly waterfront hotels, though the 16 smart,…
Kerala
Surrounded by backwaters on one side and a lawn of rice paddies on the other, this is the affordable Kumarakom getaway. The eight rooms are plain but…
Kerala
In a cream-coloured, colonial-style building, this is Thrissur's most characterful midranger, and its spacious, modern rooms are great value (desks,…
Kerala
One of the area's original retreats, award-winning Somatheeram provides a full range of ayurvedic and panchakarma treatments, ayurvedic food, yoga (three…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
A smart, contemporary, good-value five-star with all the business trimmings, popular for its professional service, outdoor pool and spacious, well…
Varkala
Hidden just inland from the southern end of the North Cliff, Belgian-Indian-run Mango Villa lives up to its alluring name with six airy, spotless,…
Munnar
Folded into a verdant valley, 13km south of Munnar, Santhosh and Maya's tranquil family home is encircled by palms, betel-nut trees and their own cardamom…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
With a lobby larger than most hotels in town, this towering Taj-Group property offers Trivandrum's smartest accommodation. Rooms are washed in calming…
Kerala
Around 3.5km south of Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Tharavadu offers peaceful slumber in a superbly restored 1870s teak family mansion (now sporting a cool…
Kochi (Cochin)
Zipped away down a small lane, Kochi's popular and sociable Zostel ticks all the right backpacker boxes. There are personal plugs, lights and lockers in…
Northern Kerala
Comfortable whitewashed cottages with terraces and traditional Mangaluru-tile roofs surround a pool amid shady grounds of palms and hibiscus at this warm,…
Munnar
The charming family at this long-standing pink-walled spot 1.5km south of central Munnar (tucked into a lane just far enough from the main bus station)…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Glossy teak and antiques, shuttered windows, five characterful rooms, cordial service and well-maintained gardens set the tone at charming, 118-year-old…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
An immaculate and friendly family homestay with fresh, modern rooms, most opening onto a terrace overlooking greenery and featuring fun touches like…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
Murals of leopards, jungle-clad landscapes and Periyar Lake line the stairs to this genial, characterful homestay, where a handful of rooms unfolds across…
Kannur
Under the watch of welcoming Hyacinth, this character-filled heritage home fronts unspoilt, palm-fringed Ezhara Beach, 9.5km southeast of Kannur. Rooms…
Kannur
Hidden amid greenery above quiet Kizhunna Beach (just south of Thottada Beach), this warm, yellow-walled guesthouse makes up for its lack of beach views…
Kochi (Cochin)
Billing itself as a boutique hostel, Happy Camper is a relaxed place with three en suite, air-con dorms (for four or eight; lockers provided), a small…
Munnar
Near Anachal village, 12km southwest of Munnar, Anna is more of a cosy guesthouse than a homestay, with 11 very tidy modern rooms, spacious rooftop common…
Varkala
A soothing palette of greys, whites and pale woods infuses the smattering of comfortable, contemporary and charmingly chic rooms at Indigo, a five-minute…
Varkala
Overlooking relatively peaceful Odayam Beach, this sweet, gorgeously positioned resort has attractive earthy-red timber cottages with tiled roofs,…
Kochi (Cochin)
In the heart of Fort Cochin, with a handy travel desk, this welcoming, efficiently operated Indian-Italian-run guesthouse has six unpretentious modern…
Kannur
Crashing waves will lull you to sleep at these four simply styled, very cute hexagonal laterite huts and adjacent four-room cottage above a semiprivate…
Kochi (Cochin)
One of Fort Cochin's original homestays, this charming whitewashed house is adorned with elaborate woodwork and dangling terracotta plant pots, while the…
Kochi (Cochin)
An 1891 former jetty-manager's house and ancestral home has been thoughtfully refurbished into budget-to-midrange accommodation, its palette of greys and…
Kannur
Slightly back from Thottada Beach in the palm groves, this long-established two-storey home pleases with its six spotless rooms, good food, deckchair…
