Ohana Homestay

Not a good place to stay. The rooms lack essentials like soap and hand wash, towels are soiled, mattresses are uncomfortable. No dustbin no TV and no water also provided. and there is a notable bed bug issue.

a year ago

Paradise Beach Resort is the ideal place for a long stay, although most guests are backpackers who move on after a short stop. I stayed for 29 days, and I loved every minute of it! The manager, Umer, gave me one of the 3 cottages in the garden in front of the main building, because I was staying so long and he thought it would be more peaceful, which it was. He also charged me less than the usual rate for the cottage because of my long stay, so I was very grateful. What's more, he brought me a 30 litre container of drinking water, absolutely free! The place is run by 3 Kashmiri brothers, Umer, Jahan and Suhail, who also own a shop with their parents just outside on the cliff path, so it's a real family enterprise. The main building looks quite modern, but my little cottage definitely wasn't, having a thatched roof and lumpy plaster, and damp stains in the bathroom. None of that bothered me though, as the place had such a great atmosphere, with brightly coloured walls hung with beautiful patterned throws. There was an efficient fan over the bed, and a good shower and washbasin in the bathroom, plus the usual extra tap under the shower and a spray by the toilet for people who don't use toilet paper. Umer provided me with an extra row of electric sockets which included a British-style one, so I didn't even need my adapters. The only drawback was the visiting ants, but unfortunately you can't avoid those in tropical countries!||||The upstairs rooms in the main building were spacious and had access to large balconies with sea views, though the cheaper downstairs rooms were smaller, and some were behind a wall with no outlook. There was a huge roof area, part of it undercover where yoga classes took place, and an open area ideal for hanging clothes to dry, or just sitting to admire the view. Downstairs there was a small kitchen for guests to use, but I didn't cook as there are so many cheap restaurants and cafes within a few minutes' walk along the cliff path. But I did find the fridge very useful for my fruit and salad items. There was a cleaning lady who swept and mopped the rooms occasionally, but any guest who is a cleanliness fanatic definitely wouldn't be happy at this guesthouse, as Indian-style cleaning bears no resemblance to cleaning standards in Europe! It was fine for me as I was left in peace, and I always pack cleaning cloths to use myself if necessary.||||The guesthouse has a large garden, which unfortunately looked very brown due to drought, but it's full of beautiful coconut palms, and there's a hammock on the lawn for guests' use. An opening in the front wall leads directly onto the cliff path where all the restaurants and shops are. It's about a 10 minute walk left along the path to the glorious golden main beach, with a rather dangerous flight of stone steps down to the sand. In the other direction, a 5 minute walk takes you to the end of the cliff, and the Black Beach (sometimes, but not always, it has black sand), which is the perfect place for a morning swim before the waves get too large. When it's rough, there are lifeguards on duty at both beaches, but the waves are sometimes huge with a strong current, so it's wise to be very careful when swimming. The main beach has no shade at all, unless you hire a sunbed and umbrella (quite pricey I thought), but at the Black Beach you can sit just above the beach in shade under the palmtrees, which I found was the perfect place to enjoy a good book! ||||My favourite thing about Paradise Beach Resort was the friendliness. Every day as I sat on my balcony, one or all of the 3 brothers would come over for a chat with me, and so would guests from the main building and the other cottages. I had so many interesting conversations that I felt completely at home, and never for a moment felt lonely.

7 years ago

The people here are real friendly and very helpful. I have stayed here twice and have had a very good experience with the place and the staff here. ||||The rooms are very clean and well kept and very hygienic. We found this place through one of our friend's reference and we are glad we decided to stay here. ||||Umer, the owner, is a nice and friendly soul. The rooms are nominally priced and a good deal for the kind of service you get here. They do serve good breakfast as well and can help you rent scooters or bikes for sightseeing in Varkala and in and around places! Do make sure you stay here when you visit Varkala!||||My stay at Varkala was awesome the last 2 times because of staying here and I would definitely recommend the places to my friends and family who are visiting Varkala! Thanks for making my stay experience so wonderful in Varkala! Be back real soon :) to Varkala and to Paradise Beach Resort

7 years ago

My friends and I had a great pleasure to stay at Paradise Beach Resort. We spent two days and if only we had more time we would have definitely extended our stay. The location is just amazing, you can actually see the sea from the balcony and sleep with the peaceful noise of waves. Moreover, staff is just great (special thanks to Umer). Overall it's a great choice especially for backpackers and low budgeters.

8 years ago

The rooms are clean and the place is very peaceful. The toilets are also well maintained. They leave a book in every room when we check in and that was a nice touch. We got the rooms for about rs 500 per room per night. The caretakers were also very helpful. The place is right on the cliff. The place was always wet but that is because of the monsoon and I actually liked it. Overall, I'd recommend this place for people looking for affordable stay in varkala

5 years ago

We stayed at this resort and because it was so good we extended our stay, the bungalow was lovely, middle front bungalow and the staff were fantastic, Umer and his brother are great hosts, they work very hard to get everything right for the guests and were always helpful. They are planning to work on the resort after the season is over and it is important that they do this, the place must be kept well because it is a great location but will need lots of attention. Decoration in the bungalows and the areas outside. There is not a better place for relaxation in Varkala, close to the shops and restaurants but discreet enough so that people cannot see you in your bungalows sitting outside. Thank you Umer and your lovely brother, sorry I can't remember your name but you were a great help to us.

7 years ago

We were very lucky to spend our holidays in Varkala, staying in a great hotel. Clean, comfortable rooms, ocean views, morning yoga on the roof, a beautiful beach within walking distance - all this fades before the wonderful hospitable owners of this hotel - the two brothers Sukhil and Umar. The friendly and warm atmosphere that we have been surrounded throughout our vacation is impossible to buy or compensate for anything. Guys, thank you so much !!!!!

5 years ago

We stayed in a cute little beach hut, and enjoyed reading and watching the ocean from our porch. Comfortable beds. Suhail is a fantastic host, willing to go the extra mile, including picking me up medicine when I had a cold without my even asking. They have a cute little gathering space and a yoga hall on the roof. If I were looking for a space to host a yoga retreat in varkala I’d definitely consider Paradise Beach.

5 years ago