Ocean Pearl Varkala By Voye Homes

The cliff is walkable, and that was probably the only good thing about this property. It’s a very basic homestay that’s definitely overpriced, and there’s no food available. There are no attached bathrooms, just two shared ones. They didn’t make the details clear on the booking site, so the place might be passable, but it wouldn’t meet the expectations set by the listing. One room had no AC, another had a single bed, the kitchen was very dirty and unusable, and the backyard wasn’t maintained. The manager, Vijay, was uncooperative from the start. When we raised these issues, he kept telling us to cancel and pressuring us to move to one of his other properties, while saying he didn’t own this one. The host, Shiva, didn’t answer calls and was unreachable for hours. Honestly, it felt like a scam.

Just a few minutes’ walk from the stay, there’s a great cliff view of the ocean where you can watch the sunset. Since it’s away from the main cliff, it was a peaceful spot for a vacation. Mantara temple is only a minute away, and it’s beautiful and quiet. Vijay and Simi were lovely, very helpful hosts. Simi made an authentic Kerala-style breakfast, and Vijay suggested places to visit and helped arrange transportation. The room and bathroom were very clean, and we had a mini fridge, kettle, tea, coffee, and toiletries. We couldn’t have asked for a better stay in Varkala. We were thoroughly happy and highly recommend it.

The cliff view was really good, and the homestay is very close to the beach. We had the whole place to ourselves, including a private pool and a backyard with an ocean view. The staff and service were wonderful, and breakfast was homemade and complimentary. A lovely place to stay, definitely recommended.

The caretakers were humble and polite, and breakfast was delicious. We stayed for two days as a pair, and the rooms were clean and tidy.