George is the owner of GK's Riverview Homestay and he states that it is a bird sanctuary. This is not a bird sanctuary, he has no knowledge about birds. He knows nothing about the birds genius, habitats, what the birds eats, where they migrate, how long they stay in a particular area, when they lay eggs. He does nothing when it comes to the protection of birds. George is not affiliated with any ornithologist organization or is affiliated with any group in the area, there are no bird counts held at his so and so sanctuary. It is very disappointing for people who have travelled and came to this homestay.
The food that is made at the homestay is sugar and salt based and the family members suffer from obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure. There are no stores in the immediate area. The directions to get to the homestay are horrible, people in the area don't even where the homestay exists. It is a hush hush deal. The owner is prejudice of people who are not Christian. So if you are Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim he will treat you very poorly and nasty. He has a contempt for people. The homestay is outrageously overpriced with no airconditioning or hot water. He charge $3,000 rupees plus.

We absolutely loved our stay at GKs Riverview. Why? Because George and his family made it a time to remember, they are really, really great hosts. The rooms are clean, comfy and basic, we had one with a fan in the guesthouse which we loved, they also have two A/C rooms in their family house. When you are there, you become part of their family, and they will go out of their way to ensure you have a treat experience of the backwaters. While we were there, everybody at their place spontaneously went on a spectacular day trip across the backwaters and the lake to Alappuzha in a boat that George rented for all of us - such a pleasure. You can choose between veg and non-veg food, it's basic but good - and the best part is sharing it with your host!

Stayed here for a night.The location is quintessential Kerala - green paddy fields, backwaters, tall coconut palms and spice gardens all around in a most rural setting.The rooms were basic but spacious, clean and well kept.George Kutty, the owner, was welcoming and arranged for us a canoe ride through the backwaters which was a great experience.As was the walk around the village, using his hand-drawn map.Two things could be better - the meals, tasty thought they were, could help with few more items and the price of accommodation could be lower for what it was.What could not be better were the hammocks George had thoughtfully set up in the tree shades - perfect to relax, read a book or simply to laze and fall asleep.

As others have noted the rooms here are very basic. The bathroom is essentially a wet room, the shower is not separated, i.e. no curtain or anything, so most of the bathroom gets wet when the shower is used. The bathroom is generally not very nice and also not very clean, but the bedroom is clean, with the floor wiped everyday. The bed is rather small for 2 people for European standard.
All that is compensated by really idyllic surroundings and lovely hosts.
You are in the middle of a genuine village with small canals all around you. You can walk or take a canoe and spot soo many different birds!
George is a very nice host and will do his utmost to make your stay a very memorable one. Di serves typical Keralan food, especially the breakfast is delicious!
So if you want to see the real backwaters put up with the rooms and stay here :-)