Mektoub Beach Retreat

This was my favourite stay in Kerala - it had amazing scenery, tranquillity and lovely food. It is very remote, but far nicer than the busy North Cliff area and less touristy which we preferred. We caught rickshaws into Varkala and the rest of the time just relaxed on hammocks and by the sea. The rooms are small, clean, and the hot water was a bit hit and miss - but that didn't matter to us. The host is lovely and helpful, and the food is delicious and reasonably priced. The local scenery is lovely - rice paddies behind, lily pond at the side, the sea a hundred yards away and water buffalo happily grazing on the grass (and wallowing in the river). I would definitely recommend thisplace if you want R & R and amazing scenery. A much appreciated place to relax on our otherwise busy and hectic trip.

7 years ago

This resort is around 2kms from the cliff. So if you are walking from the cliff it is a good 20-30mins walk along the coast. The rooms are around 50m from the cliff and the distance between is covered with coconut trees. It is calm and peaceful surrounding with faint sounds of the waves crashing and birds chirping.||||Rooms are basic but clean and airy. It is well done with a small sit out in the front. Staffs are very helpful and caring. I dint have any problem during my stay. Rooms are basic and donot offer AC. But I dint find it much of an issue since the ventilation was very good ||||One problem was the cost of the food in the resort. They were charging 450rs for a Biryani which is too much. Breakfast was part of the package and I should say it was fulling and tasty. Kudos to the food.||||There are not a lot of options to eat nearby that may be a pain point.

5 years ago

The rural location provided an interesting and peaceful setting for a relaxing stay; we especially appreciated the shaded balcony with a view over the ocean and local activity ..Easy access to other dining options and the busier North Cliff was a plus. Although recent environmental events have affected the waterfront, there is still a small swimmable beach. We appreciated having two rooms and two bathrooms, but the kitchenette was of very limited use, except for the refrigerator, due to minimal equipment. Our host Rafik ( perfect English!) made us feel at home and the rest of the staff were helpful and cheerful.

7 years ago

We stayed here for two nights, and were blown away by the beauty of the place and the serenity, as well as the architecture, facilities and exceptionally nice staff. Note that alcohol is not allowed here. The breakfast included is amazing. The only qualm I had was that finding the place was a bit difficult. We had to park our car up the hill and walk down for about ten minutes to reach the place. But overall, a peaceful Paradise of a resort

7 years ago

Away from the tourist horde of Varkala, and cocooned between the Ocean and the paddy fields is this property created out of wood and Laterite stone in Odayam beach||||Its a bit of a walk to find the route and Google Maps too gets confused (so do call the property), but as you enter the vicinity you feel the tranquility and peace this place has.||||The rooms are basic, but well thought and designed. It's clean and the food from the kitchen is yummy thou you won't have much of a choice on the menu.||||The veranda front opens into a garden of bamboo and coconut trees with the sea hammering the shoreline. The interesting part is the back of the rooms which as you climb up the stairs opens into a small balcony from where you enter the room. This side faces a huge spread of paddy fields with and wall of coconut grove faraway in the distance.||||The water-holding in the paddy field has its own collection of birds to thrill your early morning while the night has a symphony created by frogs & cricket. ||||All in all, it's a great place to stay, if you want to stay away from the hustle and bustle. Full marks to Rafiq and family to serve us with this unique experience.

5 years ago

Usually my Varkala trips involve staying at the cliff, but this time chose this resort as I was looking to have a quieter experience and the reviews of this place weren't wrong when it comes to that. |After a terrible scenario of waiting because of the severe incompetence of Travelguru.com, ended up directly booking with them and things just went uphill after that. |The room was very simple yet tasteful with sparkling clean toilets that have a hot water provision. The breakfast is definitely worth mentioning with a few unique flourishes to it.||All in all the stay was great! |Pro tip: For a nice meal, walk down to Palm Tree restaurant and have the Banana leaf grilled fish with coconut rice. You're welcome ;)

6 years ago

The place is stunning. As an architect I loved the rooms are it's design style. Laterite bricks are always a hit! The hosts are super warm and helpful. The breakfast is just ok. Could improve. Lunch was overpriced for the quantity served. But I'll let all that go for the truly blissful ambience. One can listen to the waves and wake up. It's located slightly away from the main road making it difficult to access by road(no road to the resort). We had a tough time finding the place at night without phone network and no proper signage to guide us.

7 years ago

A decent place for a decent price. Don't expect a high level service and things. The rooms are spacious for 2 and is well maintained. Food was ok. A definite try here is appam and vegetables stew. It was tasty to the core. The beach is just few minutes walk from here and it's clean and tidy. It was worth staying for 2 nights.

5 years ago