An amazing place to stay and relax in Varkala! It was past noon when we checked in and we were famished after an hour long journey from Trivandrum airport. When we arrived, their restaurant was under renovation but thanks to the hotel staff we never felt like there wasn’t one. Soon after we checked in, they offered us a few options, after knowing that we were Malayalees and enjoyed sea-food. What the hotel staff served for lunch was a simply mouth-watering dish – Jumbo prawns fry and prawns curry served with Kerala Red Rice (Matta Rice)! The prawns were fresh and perfectly cooked. S’s craving for Kerala seafood just got a power boost and in the two days we stayed there, we had a good fill.

The hotel itself is right on the beach. You could hear the waves breaking on the rocks from the room. The beach however is a small one with rocks to keep the power of the sea at bay. One could describe it as a ‘boutique’ hotel- with only 8 rooms. All rooms had a covered sit out, with a hammock like chair- a great place to sit and enjoy the rains outside. The room was lovely, neat and spacious and the bed was king-size and comfortable. They have tried to maintain a nice heritage charm to the place- the doors, cupboards and drawers had beautiful, elaborate wood carvings on them. Oh, I must not forget to mention that there was no TV in the room. I am not sure if this was intentional, but I saw it as an added advantage as I could get S to enjoy the scenic beauty and spend quality time with me without getting hooked to the idiot box!

Bobby, the person managing the resort is your man Friday here- always running around and eager to help! S had a slight sore throat and Bobby recommended a ginger-lemon tea concoction. He brought a mug full of it and boy, did it do wonders! This is the place to stay in Varkala if you are looking for a quiet relaxing holiday. A place to enjoy a long walk by the beach, read, eat good seafood, and let the days go by, losing track of time itself. I only wish it had been a longer vacation. We would definitely go back to Palm Tree Heritage, next time with a larger group, perhaps!