Kaiya House
Kaiya House,, Varkala Town, Varkala 695141 India
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About
#1 of 66 hotels in Varkala Town
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Located only a 10 minute walk from Varkala's famous cliff tops, this lovely boutique hotel, Kaiya House, offers the traveler a calm and beautiful environment to enjoy the sights and sounds of India in a relaxed atmosphere. The 5 guest rooms all have a theme from different parts of the world ranging from the African room to the Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and English. Debra offers a unique experience of India in this family run business. Babuchi, Ledah, Hemant and Mini are there to take care of the guests needs and to provide a traditional Kerala breakfast. Other options would also be available Debra can arrange a variety of activities and services with advance notice.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Free breakfast
Airport transportation
Rooftop terrace
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Quaint
Languages Spoken
Hindi
Location
Kaiya House,, Varkala Town, Varkala 695141 India
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 75 out of 100
75
Trivandrum Intl Airport
36.7 km•
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Detailed Reviews
We arrived by uber from Trivandrum at midday and were greeted at the door upon arrival by the owner Debra and some of the other staff, once inside we were given a cold face cloth which was a nice touch and refreshing after our journey from Trivandrum.
After a short time in the room we joined Debra on the rooftop for check in details etc with some refreshing tea / coffee, at this point Debra gave us a run down office some of the tours in the area and arranged for young Hayman (Debra had a sore foot)to give us the guided tour of the local area ATM, beach, cliff, restaurants etc.
The property itself is immaculately clean and tidy, as well as being well presented. The house has lots of little lovely furnishings / ornaments throughout the house. All the doors and windows have small mosquito mesh on the outside which means very importantly there are no mosquitoes.
Our room was very comfortable and the air conditioning was working fine, the bedding and towels were fresh and clean there is also a fresh jug of filtered water in your room every day. A delicious local breakfast served every morning on the roof terrace.
We also used the services of Apoo the tuc tuc driver who took us back and forth to the beach and cliff areas as well as beaches further afield and also we used him to go upto kollam to get the ferry to Allepey.
After a short time in the room we joined Debra on the rooftop for check in details etc with some refreshing tea / coffee, at this point Debra gave us a run down office some of the tours in the area and arranged for young Hayman (Debra had a sore foot)to give us the guided tour of the local area ATM, beach, cliff, restaurants etc.
The property itself is immaculately clean and tidy, as well as being well presented. The house has lots of little lovely furnishings / ornaments throughout the house. All the doors and windows have small mosquito mesh on the outside which means very importantly there are no mosquitoes.
Our room was very comfortable and the air conditioning was working fine, the bedding and towels were fresh and clean there is also a fresh jug of filtered water in your room every day. A delicious local breakfast served every morning on the roof terrace.
We also used the services of Apoo the tuc tuc driver who took us back and forth to the beach and cliff areas as well as beaches further afield and also we used him to go upto kollam to get the ferry to Allepey.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Yurica, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 23 Feb 2020
Thank you so much, really happy you enjoyed your time here and so appreciate your review. Hope we meet again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There comes a time, especially when traveling through India, that you just feel the need for a "time out," to have a bit of comfort, communication, and caring. After a month traveling through India, I found that place at Kaiya House. From the moment I was greeted with a cold face towel, I started to unwind from being road-weary.
Debra is the consummate host, paying the utmost attention to every detail. Her staff is attentive yet not intrusive. And she has fantastic recommendations for tours, massages, restaurants, and even a network of rickshaw drivers who will show up to collect you at the end of a long hike.
The "made to order" breakfasts were some of the best I've had in India. And sitting on the breezy rooftop is a great place to begin or end the day. Just lovely all the way around!
Debra is the consummate host, paying the utmost attention to every detail. Her staff is attentive yet not intrusive. And she has fantastic recommendations for tours, massages, restaurants, and even a network of rickshaw drivers who will show up to collect you at the end of a long hike.
The "made to order" breakfasts were some of the best I've had in India. And sitting on the breezy rooftop is a great place to begin or end the day. Just lovely all the way around!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Yurica, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 14 Mar 2020
Thank you so much for making time to write this review. I'm really happy you enjoyed my home and had a good time here. Hope to see you again one day.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
From the moment we arrived at Kaiya house until the moment we left, we felt welcome, relaxed and well cared for. Debra takes her time to explain everything you need, and she and her extremely helpful and friendly staff are there to look after you with advise, coffee or (chai) tea whenever you need it and other services like arranging local tours, getting you freshly squeezed juices and doing your laundry within a day.
We had an amazing time and especially enjoyed the wonderful rooftop which provides an excellent spot for reading a book, having your breakfast and chatting.
Thanks Debra and team!
Cheers,
Jesper and Nathalie
We had an amazing time and especially enjoyed the wonderful rooftop which provides an excellent spot for reading a book, having your breakfast and chatting.
Thanks Debra and team!
Cheers,
Jesper and Nathalie
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 6 Jan 2020
Thank you so much, it was such a pleasure to meet you. Love the ginger sweets you left behind so I thank you for that also. I'm so happy your enjoyed your time in my home and hope we meet again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debra and our stay at Kaiya House made our Varkala trip the wonderful experience it was. Location is a short 10 minute walk to beach which is a good thing as you are easily close enough but far enough to be out of the busy main hub, rooms simple but stylish, great roof deck for breakfast and lazy evening hang outs. Debra is great, an original in every way, incredibly helpful and passionate about the area and about us getting the most out of our stay in Varkala. She has regular annual guests and its easy to see why.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 22 Jan 2020
Aw, thank you so much, it was lovely to have your gorgeous family here. And yes, I'm so fortunate to have return guests and hoping to see you all again! Really happy you had a wonderful stay.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I was a bit of a nervous traveller so I really appreciated how wonderful Debra was. Communication was excellent; before and during the visit with lots of useful information given, plus she organised a driver to pick me up from the airport. She looked after me the whole stay. The staff at Kaiya House are like a family and are always there when you need something. Breakfast was lovely tasty Indian food, but you could have granola, eggs or whatever if you needed it. The house is beautiful and the rooms are big and beautifully furnished. I chose an AC room, which made my stay really comfortable. Extremely clean and mozzie free.There is a lovely roof terrace where people chat over breakfast. I met some really nice people there. Debra's local knowledge was really useful in helping me plan my onward journey up the coast. A great first place to stay, Debra was literally a lifesaver! Would highly recommend.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 13 Jan 2020
It was so lovely to meet you and really happy you have a good experience. Thank you so much for your warm and generous review. I hope to see you again in Varkala one day.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We really enjoyed staying at Debra’s guesthouse. It’s comfortable, spotlessly clean and Debra and her staff go out of their way to help you in any way they can. The house is on a road about a 15 minute walk from the lovely beach. We had an air conditioned room which was welcome as it was 32 degrees during the day. The bed was comfortable. The roof terrace was a nice place to have breakfast and meet other guests. Debra organised a couple of excursions for us using tuk tuk drivers which were excellent. She clearly loves looking after her guests. Thank you Debra !
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 12 Feb 2020
Thank you so much for your time to do a review for us. So happy you choose to stay at Kaiya House and it was a delight to meet you. Wishing you a fabulous onward journey and hope you'll come back again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kaiya is a really easy place to stay. Deb and everyone working there are very happy to help in any way they can. The whole place is clean, virtually bug free and everything works. It’s a flat 10 minute stroll to lovely Varkala Beach and there are shops and juice options on the way. Mercifully, it’s also largely unaffected by the incessant sounding of horns by motorists as they approach intersections and corners.
Debra is happy to help with tuk tuks and transfers and, to my relief, the people she uses are not crazy drivers. She also told us off a few of the many festivals nearby which were unexpected and good fun.
Debra is happy to help with tuk tuks and transfers and, to my relief, the people she uses are not crazy drivers. She also told us off a few of the many festivals nearby which were unexpected and good fun.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Yurica, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 23 Feb 2020
It was really nice to meet you, happy you had a good time and experienced a bit of festival season. So hope we meet again and thank you for your lovely words.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a more than wonderful time staying at Kaiya House. Debra is the most helpful host, taking us for an introductory tour to show us around Varkala when we arrived, providing us with lots of helpful advise both before and after we arrived, organising great trips in the area etc. The rooms are nice and the place itself full of charm and interesting artworks. Lovely breakfasts at the rooftop terrace. Staff is always available to help with any requests. One of the highlights was following Debra on her daily beach walks to feed stray dogs and pick rubbish - Debra has a big heart and made our stay very special - we were all sad to leave.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Rooms in the back (not facing the street) are quieter
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 8 Jan 2020
Thank you so much for your lovely words. I so enjoyed having your family here and happy we filled your mum's request to feed the beach dogs. It would be fabulous to have you all return and hopefully during festival season which I think you would absolutely love. Til then have a wonderful coming New Year.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed here for a few nights in the middle of our trip to India. Having travelled from the Himalayas to Varkala we were a bit frazzled and so appreciated Debra's welcome - as soon as we were picked up at the airport she called to check in with us. The house is amazing and Debra is such a warm, interesting and laid back host. Our most memorable experiences in Varkala were curated by her - the boat to a temple, visit to the fish markets and most amazing dinner cooked by one of Debra's friends in the village (the best food we had in India without a doubt). All such authentic experiences. I am only sorry that it's taken me three years (!!) to get on here and write a review. Our time at Kaiya house was so memorable we talk about it often, and dream of coming back one day! Thanks a million Debra!
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Date of stay: June 2019
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I felt really spoilt at Kaiya House. Debra and the team gave great pointers, and they went out of their way to help me find my place over there.
The location is just right, about 8 minutes walk to the helipad, 10 to the beach. The house itself is one of a kind, with nicely decorated rooms, a beautiful rooftop, and great breakfast. I extended my stay, because I felt so welcomed and also because Varkala has a special vibe. So I got to test both an AC (Indian) and non-AC room (African), both of which were comfortable and beautiful to look at.
Tip: the non-AC worked fine for me in January.
The location is just right, about 8 minutes walk to the helipad, 10 to the beach. The house itself is one of a kind, with nicely decorated rooms, a beautiful rooftop, and great breakfast. I extended my stay, because I felt so welcomed and also because Varkala has a special vibe. So I got to test both an AC (Indian) and non-AC room (African), both of which were comfortable and beautiful to look at.
Tip: the non-AC worked fine for me in January.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 20 Jan 2020
It was so lovely to meet you and have your warm energy in my home. So happy you stayed longer and felt welcomed and comfortable. Hope you'll return and come with your wife next time. Thank you for making time to do your lovely review.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
You need to contact Kaiya House, not me😄
There are loads of New Year's celebrations all around Kerala.
I would echo the other answers - bikinis are really for tourist beaches. The sacred beach is not the place! Modesty still prevails in much of India... and why not? I was there December - April and the monsoons were about to arrive when I left. The main beach was definitely getting shorter!
Varkala is a lovely place to be ... enjoy!
No it does not have private beach access but to my knowledge nowhere does. It's a ten minute walk to the public beach. However you will not be disappointed staying here. Deborah & her team are the best.
"I am not sure what the other rooms are like but we had the Chinese themed room and it was fine. I am sure they are all good."Read full review
"You may prefer those at the back. However, the road is not really noisy after about 9pm or before 7am"Read full review
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LOCATION
IndiaKeralaThiruvananthapuram DistrictVarkalaVarkala Town
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kaiya House
Which popular attractions are close to Kaiya House?
Nearby attractions include Asparagus (0.3 km), Varkala Cliff (0.8 km), and Varkala Beach (0.7 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Kaiya House?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Kaiya House?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Kaiya House?
Conveniently located restaurants include Clafouti, Coffee Temple, and InDa Cafe.
Does Kaiya House have airport transportation?
Yes, Kaiya House offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Kaiya House located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.8 km away from the centre of Varkala Town.
Are there any historical sites close to Kaiya House?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Sivagiri (2.5 km).