Vanavasika Tourist Home

This is apparently the only decent place to stay as I did not see any hotels in the small temple town of Banavasi. The building being comparatively new, the rooms are above average and the surroundings are also good as this location is slightly away from the centre. A pleasant surprise was to find besides the mandatory soap/towel, 2 small bottles of natural shampoo and moisturizer. Hot water is available only from 6 to 8 in the morning as they use wood boiler for that purpose. I would prefer a solar heater to be installed as it is eco-friendly. The manager-cum-guide, Mr. Brahmakumar was bubbling with enthusiasm and took us to really nice places in a radius of 60-65 km. like Gudavi Bird sanctuary, Unchalli Falls(formerly known as Lushington Falls), Manjuguni temple, Sahastralinga besides the Kadamba Marketing Yard in Sirsi where good quality spices and condiments are available (nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, pepper, raisins, the unique liquid jaggery called Joni Bella in the local language, etc.). His assistant, Santosh also was sincere and actually prepared tea in his house on the first morning as there was a major power failure for more than 12 hours starting from previous night and they have only 1 electric kettle for preparing hot water. A gas stove should be installed at the earliest as 1 electric kettle is thoroughly inadequate for supplying tea to even 3-4 people and they have several rooms. The management of the Guest house has been taken over by one Outdoorworld based in Bangalore and the rates now are all-inclusive. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were had a t a couple of khanavels or dining places at homes in Banavasi and they were decent, tasty and easy on the stomach. All in all a pleasant experience (Oct. 4 and 5, 2013) even after considering above limitations.

11 years ago

Place is really good, very near to the Temple. Even the room was quite good and neat. But if you are biker do not expect anything like hotel facilities here to crash and relax at hotel after a long ride. There are no water heaters available, no hotels for food nearby and not a great help from guest house care taker itself for all these. Hope knowing all these details you guys can plan the stay.

4 years ago

Place is good but not maintained properly.. it's not that clean.. and would be closed most of the time. Be ready to be the only room booked if going in off season

6 months ago

Few things which should be kept in mind while visiting Banavasi, or particularly this guest house ||- This is a small village hence do not expect luxury||- There are lots of tree, might term as small forest, around the place hence you might encounter small insects and crawlies ||- If you visit during monsoon, then be ready for wet and muddy grounds||- As it is a small village hence there are no big shops, if you have some specific requirements then better carry those with you||||Now we come to the guest house. As I mentioned earlier, this is the only option to stay in Banavasi. ||- Rooms have basic amenities like table, bed, chair, sofa etc||- Shampoo, talc, soap, towels and moisturizer is provided||- Bed is very basic, few do not have back rests ||- 24 hr hot water is not there, they have a boiler which will give you hot water in the morning but if you need hot water at some other time then the caretaker has a boiling rod and he can provide hot water in a bucket to you||- There is no power backup so bring your torches with you, candles are provided in the rooms||- Mosquito repellent machine is there in each room, however you may bring your own cream/oil/coil etc||- There is no kitchen in the property, they can provide you with tea/coffee which they arrange from some nearby house||- For lunch/dinner/brkfst, the caretaker will take you to a small house where they prepare local cuisine for you. And believe me that you will love it. It is hygienic, tasty and not at all costly. ||- There is no security or guard at the guest house, so you are on your own. However, I do not think that Banavasi is so unsafe village that you need security. ||||The best thing about the caretaker/manager, Mr Brahma, is that he goes beyond lengths to make your stay comfortable. He has his own limitations as the place does not offer much help, however he does all his best to service you. I stayed here for two days and he was very helpful.

11 years ago

We travelled to Banvasi to visit the famous temple. We had already booked this guesthouse by searching on the internet. By the time we reached there, we were the only family in the whole building of approximately 12 rooms.||The accommodation is basic but considering the location and the tariff, it is good enough.||There is no kitchen here and you can get only tea which is prepared here. They take you to the village house ( 10 minutes walk ) for lunch or dinner. The food you get here is awesome. For every lunch and dinner you can go to different house and can enjoy different delicacies.|| You should stay here for atleast Two nights.

7 years ago

Just returned from a 4 day vacation of North Kanara. Had initially shortlisted "Bakula Homestay" but the online reviews of that place along with my initial experience (many phone call not answered or returned ) made me change my mind and settle on Vanavasika Tourist Home at Banavasi. North Kanara is a great place with great "non touristy" spots to visit .Almost every temple is a centuries-old heritage monument under ASI protection and is marvel in itself . The many waterfalls and natural beauty of the place only add to its allure .While the resort is set in sylvan surroundings, what clearly stands out is the exceptional service and sincerity of the staff ,especially Mr. Brahma Kumar. For a small place like this where one does not know the terrain and local language ,having the services of Brahma was a godsend. He doubled up as a travel planner and guide and ensured that we had a great hassle-free experience. While the resort does not have a kitchen facility yet ( there are plans for the future) ,we had our fill of authentic North Kanara cuisine at the "khanavalis". To conclude , a great holiday made possible by a wonderful location with great people.

11 years ago

I came to know about this place by reading in Lonely Planet and immediately made up mind to visit this place. Banavasi has everything, picturesque water falls, beautiful nature, historical temples, warm people and delicious food. We have stayed at this tourist place for 2 days, the hospitatility was amazing, Mr.Bramhakumar (and Santosh) guided us through out the trip, he got us juicy pineapples and made us authentic kannada home food. In the end visiting Banavasi has aggravated by love for nature.

10 years ago

We had planned for a 4D3N trip to Banavasi and stayed at Vanavasika Tourist Home. We regret the decision that we couldnt extend our stay. 4 days just isnt enough and you need more. As most other reviewers have stated, this place is not for those who need luxury. Anyone willing to move your "butt" around and ready to experience a new lifestyle, then this is a must. ||||About the stay/food: The acco is beautifully placed outside Banavasi village (a km outside) amidst greenery and silence. The rooms are simple but neatly done. 2 single cots to rest, blankets to keep you warm and attached toilets. Hot water is available every morning and in the evenings on demand. Yummy bed coffee is provided at the informed time. There is no pantry/food provided at the tourist home. You would be escorted to a local'ites residence, and you would be fed till death do you apart. Good veg food to satiate your pallate. Excellent variety too. Just inform the hosts if you find your meal spicy so that they can make changes accordingly. ||||What to See: You have tonnes of places all around Banavasi. You can speak to Brahmakumar in advance and finalize on the trails. He is very helpful, and will push you to see places :) Thanks to him, we had our eyes and hearts full. Temples, Archaeological monuments, Museums, Handicrafts, Sanctuaries, Parks,Waterfalls we saw them all... ||||Kudos to Brahmakumar for handling this so well. We suggest this place specifically to those who wanna explore more - those who wanna know more about rural tourism.

10 years ago