Kerala homestay
| country: | India |
| location: | Kalady, Kerala |
| price: | From £20 - £30 per person per night or £30 - £45 per couple per night, including meals |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Kerala homestay
Relax with a family in their eco friendly and heritage home while you travel in Kerala / South India.
Some come here to learn more about Hinduism, Ayurveda and the culture of Kerala / India. Others are looking for a relaxing holiday, while scholars find it a place to write in a peaceful and serene atmosphere. And some have participated in community services such as teaching and environmental awareness. So, this is a different place for people who are looking for a difference!
Our home is approved by the Tourism Department of Government of Kerala, under the Grahasthali Project to protect and preserve the old houses in its original glory. This was the home of famous Malayalam writer Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, and we bought it from his nephew in 1994. The house is more than 100 years old was renovated after the great flood of 1999.
We are a vegetarian household and offer Kerala vegetarian cuisine and no liquor is allowed inside the house. We are very flexible about the visitor's activity / program. It depends entirely on the visitor's interests and needs.
All our rooms are non smoking. We offer two rooms. The first room, Thekkini, is a part of the house and located on the South side. The second room, Kulappura, is situated on top of the car porch and it is the one rebuilt from the ancestral house at Kottayam. Originally, it was the room above an internal pond specifically for ladies of the house.
We are situated 9 kms from Kalady, the International Pilgrim Centre famous by the birth of Adi Sankaracharya. We are just 19 kms East of Cochin International Airport and can be the first place of stay after landing in Kerala. We are 45 kms away from Cochin city which is one hour drive. Nearest railway station is at Angamali (16 kms) and Aluva / Alwey (25 kms). Regular bus services through the village is also helpful for adventures travellers.
Save hours - search 38 flight booking sites simultaneously using our amazing one stop flight search to find a flight to this accommodation.
Some come here to learn more about Hinduism, Ayurveda and the culture of Kerala / India. Others are looking for a relaxing holiday, while scholars find it a place to write in a peaceful and serene atmosphere. And some have participated in community services such as teaching and environmental awareness. So, this is a different place for people who are looking for a difference!
Our home is approved by the Tourism Department of Government of Kerala, under the Grahasthali Project to protect and preserve the old houses in its original glory. This was the home of famous Malayalam writer Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, and we bought it from his nephew in 1994. The house is more than 100 years old was renovated after the great flood of 1999.
We are a vegetarian household and offer Kerala vegetarian cuisine and no liquor is allowed inside the house. We are very flexible about the visitor's activity / program. It depends entirely on the visitor's interests and needs.
All our rooms are non smoking. We offer two rooms. The first room, Thekkini, is a part of the house and located on the South side. The second room, Kulappura, is situated on top of the car porch and it is the one rebuilt from the ancestral house at Kottayam. Originally, it was the room above an internal pond specifically for ladies of the house.
how to find us
We are situated 9 kms from Kalady, the International Pilgrim Centre famous by the birth of Adi Sankaracharya. We are just 19 kms East of Cochin International Airport and can be the first place of stay after landing in Kerala. We are 45 kms away from Cochin city which is one hour drive. Nearest railway station is at Angamali (16 kms) and Aluva / Alwey (25 kms). Regular bus services through the village is also helpful for adventures travellers.
Save hours - search 38 flight booking sites simultaneously using our amazing one stop flight search to find a flight to this accommodation.
traveller reviews for Kerala homestay
There are so many wonderful memories that I will hold dear in my heart, it is hard to choose one. I remember the peaceful quiet of morning sitting in the kitchen drinking fresh chai. (more)
rooms, food and facilities
Kulappura Wooden Room - from £20 for single and £30 for double (all meals included)
Thekkini Southern Room - from £30 for single and £45 for double (all meals included)
Thekkini Southern Room - from £30 for single and £45 for double (all meals included)
- 2 rooms with twin beds, tiled toilets with Western toilets
- Herbal hot water, Kerala Vegetarian cuisine – breakfast, lunch, dinner
- International telephone dialing from room (connect call), internet connection (hourly rate)
- Doctor on call
- Taxi and travel services as required
special things to do and see here
- Cooking lessons (on Keralan vegetarian cuisine)
- Village walks / cycling, trekking to Malayattoor Hill
- Visit Kalady, birth place of Adi Sankaracharya, various Ashrams and Temple
- Visit Kodanad Elephant Kraal (training centre)
- Visit Iringol Kaavu (rain forest and temple in the middle of a town)
- Yoga/meditation sessions can be arranged at additional cost
- Ayurvedic treatment on specific ailments/rejuvenation can be arranged while staying in the house itself. Additional cost of minimum US $20 per day, including Doctor’s consultation, fee for masseurs and medicines.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This is the first Grihasthali project (for the conservation of Heritage properties) in Kerala. It is the only tourism project in the village, and you can relax alongside the welcoming family and the local community. One of the family members, Santhosh T.P., is a trained professional from Green Globe Asia Pacific (GGAP), and Distributor of GGAP's services in India region.
 We use local services (e.g. taxis) and buy local products, vegetables and fruits. Our a herb garden around the house accommodates many plants for daily use. The conservation of the old building is done by reusing materials of other demolished buildings (tiles, roof tiles etc). We have natural ventilation to reduce the electricity consumption on lighting and cooling, and a huge nutmeg tree and many areca-nut trees provide enough shade and cooling within the property. We avoid plastics, synthetic chemicals, petroleum products and other environmentally degrading products as far as possible & use natural products. We offer economic accommodation for those on a budget and for students/researchers, and are actively involved in conservation projects and consultancy works, such as helping the Government preserve the old houses/buildings. We actively help other heritage homestay with their itineraries & suggest marketing portals such as Responsibletravel.com. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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