Kaiya House
Kaiya House,, Varkala Town, Varkala 695141 India
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#1 of 82 hotels in Varkala Town
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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
Full view
80Somewhat walkable
Grade: 80 out of 100
10Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
3Attractionswithin 0.5 km
472Reviews7Q+A75Room tips
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
We stayed for two nights at the end of our Indian holiday, which turned into three nights as our final hotel cancelled our booking following coronavirus outbreak. Debra was very happy to help us out during our moment of crisis and let us stay another night. Kaiya house is a lovely relaxing place with a gorgeous roof terrace which is great for sitting in if the sun is too hot for venturing out in. It is clean and the breakfast (we chose the western option with muesli, fruit and yogurt) was exactly what we were craving after 2.5 weeks of curry. Debra is a unique and very attentive host who paid great attention to making sure her guests were happy and safe. Our only issue would be the barking dogs which woke us and we found the bed a little uncomfortable. Would definitely return.
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Date of stay: March 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.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
We had a fabulous time in Varkala staying here with Debra and her team. The rooms are attractively decorated in various themes. They are clean and sealed against mosquitos! There is also a roof area to relax in. Debra is very keen you should see the best of Varkala, so a guided tour of Varkala beach is included. She also organises trips to local festivals, a tour of local sights and meals with a local lady who is an excellent cook. Debra is very caring.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: All the rooms are nice
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
We stayed for 5 nights and had a very relaxed time - after a nice greeting with cold towels Hyman took us for a short walk so we could orientate ourselves (first time that has happened in India) and that was a very nice way to set us up for the week. You are 10 minutes walk or a R50 ride from the North Cliffs which are full of restaurants and the main beach - or - Beach Road which is less bust and less touristy. It is pretty central without being bang in the middle of all the tourist hustle and bustle. The room is good, functional and well decorated (we had a non A/C one - the Japanese Room) and everything worked, breakfast is included as is limitless tea and coffee (very nice if you are an early riser and sit watching the world drift by from the roof). Debora will also fix outings for you with known / trusted guides and these trips were good. She also gave us her Tuk Tuk Driver’s mobile and Appu would come and collect / drop is off if we were going out (nice knowing the guy that is collecting you in the evening and nicer knowing you are not getting ripped off). The roof is just great for sitting and chilling out at any time of the day -it is also nice being just far enough away (but walkable) from the main tourist area. Great place and Debora is a great host.…
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Date of stay: March 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.
Helpful
Response from Debra Yurica, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 14 Mar 2020
Thank you so much, it was such a pleasure to meet you both and I wish you a continued great experience in India until you fly home. I do so hope we'll meet again and really appreciate your detailed review.
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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!…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
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.
Places like Kaiya House are why we like homestays rather than hotels. Our host, Debra, has a huge heart and she and her team really made us feel welcome. She knows her festivals and the hidden places to visit around Varkala. Her home is full of wonderful artefacts collected over many years. We had a lovely time meeting fellow travellers on her amazing rooftop space. Four poster bed was firm, cold shower only (welcomed), air con in our room. Excellent breakfasts too!
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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.
Helpful
Response from Debra Yurica, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 28 Feb 2020
So lovely to meet you and really happy to know you've made great memories, that is so what travel is about. Hope we meet again, a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for making the time for this lovely review.
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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.
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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.
Helpful
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 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. …
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
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.
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
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.
I loved it so much I extended my stay. Debra and her staff are awesome. As a solo traveller, it can get a bit overwhelming, but Debra and fellow travellers (including return clients) made me comfortable and befriended.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Debra Y, General Manager at Kaiya House
Responded 7 Feb 2020
Thank you so much for making time to review us. It was lovely to meet you and so happy you had a feeling of comfort. Hope to see you again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LOCATION
IndiaKeralaThiruvananthapuram DistrictVarkalaVarkala Town
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Kaiya House
Which popular attractions are close to Kaiya House?
Nearby attractions include Varkala Cliff (0.8 km), Varkala Beach (0.5 km), and Janardhana Swami Temple (0.4 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 InDa Cafe, Darjeeling Cafe, and Clafouti.
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).