Kerala
Deep in the villages, 8km southeast of Thattekkad, this low-key resort is set amid sprawling manicured grounds overlooking a seasonal lake. Cottages are…
Must-see hotels in Kerala
Kerala
Handily located 500m south of Kollam's boat jetty, Sudarsan is a surprisingly good-value budget-to-midrange spot: clean rooms, with kettles, are arranged…
Kovalam
Back among the palm trees and overlooking a lily pond just inland from central Lighthouse Beach, this multilevel guesthouse feels fairly faded but offers…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
An all-white upmarket contemporary hotel, just north of the train station, Hycinth is more business-smart than five-star flash, featuring functional, well…
Munnar
A simple, neatly maintained budget guesthouse nestled amid valley spice plantations, 12km southwest of Munnar, with good hiking opportunities.
Kovalam
A fresh budget-traveller bolthole hidden in a sun-yellow house 500m inland from Lighthouse Beach, providing neat, simple six-bed dorms with fans, personal…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Near the starting point of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on Punnamada Lake, 2.5km north of town, the smart, contemporary individual cottages here are strewn…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Under affable management, this lovely blue-pillared heritage home has simple high-ceilinged rooms with faded flowered curtains, Christian motifs and…
Kochi (Cochin)
The flashy lobby is more promising than the uninspiring but comfy enough rooms filled with wooden furniture at this midrange business hotel near Ernakulam…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
You'll get a bit of comfort for your rupee at this central business-style hotel, 300m west from the KSRTC bus stand. Staff offer a cheerful welcome, rooms…
Periyar Tiger Reserve
On the southwest edge of Kumily, this cluster of basic cottages with little porches can be booked through the Ecotourism Centre. The two-person ₹4000…
Northern Kerala
Immediately north of central Sultanbatheri, the efficiently operated budget annexe of Mint Flower Hotel is in great condition. It's no frills, but the…
Northern Kerala
A little back from Kalpetta’s busy main streets, this is a plain but comfortable and popular midrange option, with balconied rooms and more private garden…
Kerala
This efficiently operated old-school place is one of the better affordable hotels in central Kottayam. Rooms are spartan but fairly clean, spacious and…
Varkala
A colourful, mellow, yellow-walled budget guesthouse with clean, no-frills accommodation ranging from a well-kept four-bed dorm and snug private doubles…
Varkala
Perched on Varkala’s quieter southern cliff, these basic, whitewashed, podlike huts form a characterful Hobbit village with prim lawns and lovely sea…
Kingfisher Boat Club & Homestay
Kerala
A fleet of canopied motorboats and a well-maintained nine-room homestay (with Keralan-style lunch and dinner on offer) make this welcoming spot a good…
Kovalam
A welcoming and sensibly priced little seven-room place whose key selling point is its lovely seafront location at the southern end of Kovalam's main…
Kochi (Cochin)
There are six upstairs rooms at this welcoming, spick-and-span homestay run by helpful Saj. It can be a bit street-noisy at the front but the air-con…
Kerala
Occupying the former summer palace of the Maharajas of Cochin, 30km north of Thrissur, this riverside heritage hotel doubles as an ayurvedic resort, with…
Varkala
On the hillside just south of Varkala's main beach, this beautiful Kerala-design guesthouse is a delight, with heavy timber stylings and furniture gracing…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Set back from a busy market area, friendly in-demand Alakapuri is built motel-style around a green lawn (complete with fountain!). Various rooms are a…
Kochi (Cochin)
Spotless, unfussy rooms up a spindly staircase are good-value at long-running Costa Gama, which now inhabits a modern, pink-washed building with…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Around 600m northwest of the bus and train stations, this tidy, popular place offers small but spotless rooms with TV; deluxe rooms are more spacious and…
Kochi (Cochin)
A hospitable family oversees this five-room homestay, simply set up, immaculately presented, and popular with travellers thanks to its warm atmosphere and…
Lakshadweep
These basic cottages on Bangaram Island can be booked through Kochi-based SPORTS. The island is reached by boat transfer from Agatti airport (one-way…
Varkala
A cheery, brightly painted guesthouse in a tranquil spot tucked back from the cliffs, Lungi Vibe offers unfussy, clean rooms (some with small terraces)…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Though often full with groups, this efficiently run guesthouse with helpful staff remains a clean, secure and central choice; some of the doubles are…
Lakshadweep
Kadmat Island Resort has 28 modern cottages facing the beach, some of them with air-con. The island can be reached by overnight boat from Kochi, or by…
Kannur
Opposite the train station, in Kannur's market area, the Meridian is hardly palatial but it's friendly enough and offers a cornucopia of clean budget…
Kochi (Cochin)
A welcoming, expertly maintained homestay, 900m south of central Fort Cochin, with bright, unadorned rooms, some of them air-conditioned, and homemade…
Kochi (Cochin)
Though now much reduced in size, 50-year-old Elite is a popular budget bet in an unbeatable location on Princess St, behind a streetfront tour desk.
Varkala
Not bad value for the sea-facing clifftop location, Puthooram’s 10 wood-lined cottages are set around a charming little garden of pot plants.
Kerala
When not booked out by school groups, this is a drab but clean, secure and fairly helpful budget choice, though the very basic bathrooms have seen better…
Kerala
Cheap, cheerful enough and very basic budget guesthouse in a busy, central bazaar area.
