I feel kind of bad writing this review, because the lady who owns this homestay clearly is very hospitable and she means well. Nevertheless, we found the atmosphere at this place oppressive. The furniture and the room we stayed in smelled musty (not sure if the stuff isn't well over 50 years old), and it's the kind of place where you are pretty much forced to eat what is put on your plate, whether you like it or not. We were glad to leave after 1 night, since it reminded us of staying with elderly relatives when we were young. Then again, many others had written very nice comments in the guestbook, so we may have caught the lady owner on a bad day.

When you stay at a homestay, you are choosing to have a cultural and social experience where you let go of some control. For that, I have never encountered a better place than Akkara. My husband and I are independent-minded travelers who prefer to keep to ourselves and rarely let anyone else arrange things for us. But we truly connected with the owners and their relatives, too, and found we could trust their advice and their sensibilities. Everyone was welcoming and interesting. The estate was tasteful, our room was spacious and everything was modern and clean. We were given royal treatment - not only the food, which was superb, but the activities as well. We were taken by canoe to a seminary and given a private tour. We wandered among the estate's spice garden. Akkara arranged taxis and rickshaws and recommended itineraries, and they were mostly right on. You do need to be prepared to pay for transport, as Akkara is several km from the nearest village. For this same reason, you'll also pay for your meals at the estate. But you won't want to go out, as it's delicious and reasonably priced. Even for the independent travelers, I'd recommend taking a break and putting yourself in Akkara's capable hands.

Akkara is a wonderful house set in a very quiet area next to and running directly on to the river outside Kottayam. Go there if you want to be in a beautiful setting with fantastic food and a feeling, like me, that your wonderful grandmother was reincarnated and feeding you up, just like old times. The atmosphere and smells reminded me of my childhood (odd as it happened thousands of miles away) and made me very wistful. The rooms are beautiful, old-fashioned but beautifully clean. The river is also wonderful - lots of friendly kids swimming and I saw a huge flying squirrel when canoeing down it. Go there for a rest but also amazing food and a very intimate experience. A couple of days will do it nicely, tho you could stay there for months if you had the time. Only issue to be aware of is that the owner and her helper are very hands on and will knock on your door if you are late for dinner (and join you at the table) - you need to be feeling sociable and hungry!! Hope you love it.

A beautiful house in a lovely setting and your host will help arrange visits to the local attractions. The cooking was wonderful and it is a good place to relax and unwind. The only caveat is that you should be prepared to be treated as a guest of honour or long lost member of the family and this can actually be a little disconcerting. As an example, your host does not join you for meals but instead stands over you to ensure you savour every mouthful!