Kerala
A reliable, efficiently run Thattekkad choice is this blue-walled homestay, 200m inside the sanctuary and owned by the enthusiastic Ms Sudah and son…
Must-see hotels in Kerala
Kerala
Run by welcoming naturalist Vinod and his family, this tranquil two-room homestay just inside Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary delights guests with its guided…
Kochi (Cochin)
Beena has been feeding and sheltering travellers for years in the family homestay, just off Ponnoonjal Rd 1km south of central Fort Cochin, and maintains…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
One of Kumily's friendly, family homestays, Tranquilou stands in a peaceful street just off Bypass Rd, with neatly furnished rooms in a modern-design…
Lakshadweep
The most upmarket resort in Lakshadweep offers semi-luxurious cottages in a private setting, along with water sports and a restaurant. Most visits are…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Built in 1890 to house the Malabar British Club, this slightly worn but quite charming six-room hotel has more character than most other Calicut…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
One of Alleppey's better non-hostel budget offerings: six spotless rooms with Italian marble floors and, for three of them, garden-facing verandahs,…
Kochi (Cochin)
Coconut palms dot the backwaterfront gardens and Chettinadu tiles adorn the floors at this 120-year-old heritage home, on Vypeen Island 5.5km north of the…
Kerala
In a handy little compound tucked back from busy KK Rd, super-central Homestead has a variety of well-maintained budget rooms, the best of them with…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
With six individual cottages dotted across green grounds, this welcoming guesthouse focuses on lakeside charm, swinging hammocks, home-cooked meals and a…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
One of Trivandrum’s more characterful places to stay is the 250-year-old family home of retired Colonel Roy Kuncheria: a four-room Indo-Saracenic bungalow…
Kerala
Run by a trio of ayurvedic doctors, this sprawling 75-room resort scattered around a meandering lagoon is wedged between the beach and backwaters…
Varkala
Just above Black Beach, this palm-studded ayurvedic resort specialises in yoga therapy, with daily classes (₹400; drop-ins welcome) and professional…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
This quirky longtime favourite, run by the gregarious Johnson Gilbert, is a rambling two-storey family residence with themed rooms, old-school furniture,…
Kerala
Accessible only by 20-minute boat ride, this resort is popular for its romantic 'floating' wooden cottages moored on the water's edge – though most of the…
Lakshadweep
The remote island of Minicoy, the second-largest island in Lakshadweep and the closest geographically to the Maldives, offers accommodation in modern…
Munnar
Almost entirely surrounded by deep forest, 8km south of Munnar, the 10 comfy, well-kept rooms at this tucked-away guesthouse have balconies and views of a…
Munnar
Set in thick forest 20km southwest of Munnar, this remote-feeling place lies on 150 hectares of spice plantation and farmland (not tea plantations). There…
Kerala
No-frills rooms at no-frills prices, in a handy (though chaotic) location opposite the Round. The basic, secure and tolerably clean rooms are on the 5th…
Varkala
Set around gardens and a lotus pond just steps from quiet Odayam Beach, this peaceful, traditional-feel resort provides an antidote to Varkala's…
Kovalam
Beachfront Jeevan is strung around one of the few seafront pools on this strip, with a restaurant-bar out the front and freshly painted, decent-sized…
Windsor Castle & Lake Village Resort
Kerala
Some of Kottayam's comfiest rooms inhabit this grandiose white box, 3km south of the town centre, though the more impressive accommodation is in the Lake…
Kochi (Cochin)
A genuine backpacker place, efficiently run John's is your best budget bet for an overnight stop in Ernakulam, especially if John himself is in residence…
Kovalam
Friendly family-run Greenland occupies a tiered no-frills complex hidden beneath trees in the tangle of lanes backing Lighthouse Beach. It's far from…
Kannur
Most rooms are sea-facing at this compact, slightly faded midrange hotel looking over small Baby Beach, 2km northwest of Kannur's fort. Facilities are…
Kochi (Cochin)
Spacious, up-to-date, wood-furnished rooms huddle around a leafy garden in fastidious Mr Walton's lovely old family home, painted a nautical white with…
Kovalam
Grape-purple Wilson has modest but reasonably well-maintained rooms with terraces orbiting a shady pool among the lanes behind Lighthouse Beach. There's a…
Kerala
Almost a century old but now neatly refurbished, Gurukripa is a fine budget heritage hotel with more charm than most, in a quietish spot set back from the…
Northern Kerala
This reasonably priced and remarkably well-equipped complex in Sultanbatheri's hectic town centre has everything from sprucely maintained rooms to…
Kochi (Cochin)
Right in the thick of Fort Cochin, the six old-fashioned rooms at this friendly, efficient Portuguese-era guesthouse are ultra-clean and well presented,…
Varkala
For that basic bamboo-hut experience, this popular place halfway along the North Cliff squishes together dozens of spotless, simply furnished Balinese…
Kerala
Behind a traditional whitewashed facade with a sloping tiled roof and a bit of greenery, the six plain, spruce rooms at this 100-year-old ancestral home…
Munnar
Away from the Munnar town bustle just south of the main bus station, Royal Retreat is an average but reliable and perfectly comfortable midranger with…
Northern Kerala
There are just two simple, spotless modern rooms (one lemon-washed and fan-cooled, the other air-conditioned with a red feature wall) with a shared…
Kerala
The garden is filled with hammocks to loll in and there are just five basic rooms (three with air-con) in a small, helpful guesthouse right near the shore…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
The colourfully themed modern rooms and three-bed dorm set back from the road are a good-value find at this budget town-centre guesthouse, with a social…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Still holding its own in the budget bracket, pastel-coloured Greenland is popular for its (busy) location just metres from the train station and bus stand…
Kochi (Cochin)
Central and very homely, Leelu has three spotless, modern upstairs rooms (two of them with gigantic bathrooms), a rooftop terrace (yoga can be arranged)…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
This simple tented riverside accommodation within the reserve is available through Kumily's Ecotourism Centre. Rates include trekking, a bus safari in the…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
In a glass-fronted building, the Princess Inn promises a relatively quiet no-frills sleep in a central side-street location. It's comfortable, with TVs,…
