Soul & Surf Kerala

Why do surf places not offer shampoo!? ! You offer all the other nice thoughtful delights but the thing you need most when surfing is missing. Bizarre

Soul and Surf is such a calm and lovely oasis away from the bustling north cliff. Great breakfast and refreshing drinks (turmeric tonic ftw). I loved the surf lessons here (best surfing I’ve done), they were expertly guided, as were Pim’s amazing yoga classes. The yin was super grounding, just what I needed after a morning surf and the perfect way to transition into the evening at sunset! Thank you S&S team. <3

Soul and Surf is an absolute gem, I had such a wonderful stay. The location is beautiful, facilities are perfect and food is great. I loved both the surfing and yoga lessons and the staff are outstanding, so knowledgeable and supportive. There’s a lovely community vibe and I felt so welcome!

From the start a great pickup from the airport with a pre-arranged pickup from the Airport with the fantastic driver Biju.
Soul & Surf create a good Vibe true to the name with friendly staff, with a focus on Surfing, Yoga, and great Vegetarian food served in the Cafe. An amazing cliff top location with a peaceful grassy garden with loungers and comfortable outdoor seating and steps down the cliff with direct access to the beach.
Visually impressive as you enter with the old Jeep, Ambassador and the old villa and the gateway too.
The surfing instructors were fantastic, the vibe in the water was playful, the ratio to beginners good and the equipment spot on. The transport to the surf sites via Auto Rickshaws and the old Ambassador loaded with surfboards enhanced the experience - the fact that you can purchase high resolution photographs of you surfing also captures the experience for you.
I loved the food in the cafe with varying breakfast options post-surf, a recently revised menu and Tiffin box options for lunch when closed. Knowing they may have been in a phase of transition. However the service didn't always live up to the level you would expect from the price you are paying to stay. I waited for 20 minutres for a cup of tea. At times, you thought the staff (some of which are volunteers) would rather catch up with colleagues on last night's activities than serve you. Also the fruit platter includes two pieces of each fruit which isn't exactly generous after an active morning of surfing, burnt and dry toast were hidden under the acceptable toast and not accompanied with butter, jam nor the lovely chutney which was provided on the first morning.

My main gripes are based on the price you pay and the accommodation you are provided - I had to upgrade to the top level room due to limited availability which I didn't mind initially. The AC unit then could not run without making a loud buzzing noise and the fan could only work at very low speed or super fast where it created much noise so the first night I did not sleep and had to miss surfing the first morning. Even though I reported this the following morning, 12 hours later when I went to go to sleep nothing had been done and I had to call the manager who came late at night and found me a different room. I also didn't have running warm not even hot water at any point in my stay which I could get at all other accommodations at a fraction of price is not really good enough.
I actually looked to book another couple of nights on my return to Varkala but to pay 130 GBP per night per person for a lower class room discouraged me and made me wonder how much is it really about the Soul?
Finally on checkout, they tried to overcharge me saying that I had only paid a deposit when I had paid the full amount for a forced upgrade in advance. I mentioned the fact about the AC and they admitted that they had to replace the unit, but not without any offer of discount, compensation foe me having to move late at night and no apology about the attempt to overcharge. A lasting impression unfortunately and maybe as I have said I had a different experience to most - but you pay a massive premium for a vibe.

I love Soul & Surf and everything that this company is about. I visited their Sri Lanka retreat last year and decided to try Kerela this year. I am already in the throws of booking Portugal for this summer and I only returned from Kerela yesterday! The staff are absolutely amazing and the location is so peaceful. I went completely burnt out and arrived back in Kuwait completely refreshed and stress free. I can't recommend Soul & Surf enough to anybody!

Total bliss! Couldn’t recommend this place more highly. Beautiful spot, delicious food and the best vibes.

Cannot rate this place highly enough. Everything was brilliant, the Soul and Surf team create such a welcoming, fun and caring environment which makes it feel like a home away from home.

You enjoy great surf coaching, being able to meet a down to earth fun group of people (both guests and staff!) to make your stay memorable, it is also a beautiful place to stay and is really well positioned to allow you to enjoy the Varkala area, getting to know the local sights and people.

I did checked out this sea view cafe in the south cliff during my Varkala trip. This place is mostly full of foreigners and they did had the best view and it’s very quite and dinning was super comfy. The only con is that the waiting time is very long and they take half an hour to get your dish ready. Apart from that, the service, location and everything was top notch.

Didn't stay here but did a couple of surf and yoga sessions. Both surf and yoga were great as were the people (staff and guests), grounds and general vibe!

Very nice place to stay in Kerala. The campus is very clean and confortable. The surf teachers and all the staff are excellent!

We had a fabulous time at Soul and Surf! Never been anywhere near a surf board before - but thanks to the help of our lovely instructors, we were able to ride the waves and have so much fun in the 2 sessions that we had. The rooftop yoga was a delight as well, and the garden/cafe is a beautiful spot to relax with delicious breakfast or evening meal.

It is perched on top of the cliff with steps down to the gorgeous beach (slightly away from the main beach area - so perfect for a quieter dip).

A stay here is definitely on the pricier side, but we felt it was worth it!

We stayed at Soul & Surf for a week and had an incredible experience. The surf instructors are all excellent - very friendly, patient and had us (complete beginners) standing on our boards quickly. The breakfast is fantastic and filling with a different special on offer everyday. The yoga classes were run looking out onto the sunset each day and were the perfect way to bring in the evening. All the staff are friendly and go out of their way to make sure you have a great holiday. We were very sad to leave and can’t wait to come back!

Very good vibe, tables in the shadow with a great view, away from the noise of Varkala. The menu is simple (6-10 alternatives) but the food is really very good (try the fish tacos).

This place is so welcoming and calm, no sign of pretentiousness like you see in other surf locations. After a slightly rocky start we now love Soul and Surf. So yes, it is expensive for a basic room but what you get here is not about fancy rooms (which you're hardly in anyway). The location is perfect and peaceful and the views are stunning! We arrived into a building site as they were behind schedule but it's nearly finished now and the place looks incredible and we finally got to eat a meal at the cafe yesterday which was delicious and in a beautiful setting. Here, the staff make the stay, they have a way of bringing all the guests together as a team, I loved our breakfasts and dinners together. The yoga is amazing, I will never forget the sunset sessions. The surf was pretty terrible but we knew that it might be at this time of year, it was still really good fun, again mostly because of the S&S guys. We have made some good friends here and I hope to return one day.

I think the best place to stay in Varkala! We loved the very well designed garden, living area and rooms! Very friendly staff make your stay even better! Highly recommended especially if you’re into surf, yoga or both:)

Undoubtedly it was the best hotel to stay in Varkala, considering it’s view. Unfortunately we had a very horrible experience. Rooms that we booked was Quiet nice room but it actually wasn’t a nice room. Rooms were bit dirty with horrible bathtub. Paid 2500₹ / night, but it was only a twin bed that was provided not a double bed. Street lights were very close by to our room, due to which our room was lit all the time, despite turning off our lights. And the worst part was, during our stay there was frequent power cuts due to rains and we had to pester them to switch on the generator in the middle of night. And there was no current from 6am until we checkout. Effort the management took to build their website, if the same had been shown on maintaining the property, it would have been great. It had the best view and no doubt about it. But that wasn’t just enough.

It was an amazing experience. With an in-house cafe and surfing classes. Everything there is to varkala can be experienced from this place.

First surf experience and LOVED IT. The people are welcoming and friendly. Cafe and rooms are really good too.

We went for an evening outings there. Cafe don't have much choices before 6pm though. However by late evening we had some nice juices and snacks. Ambience is good. Especially the view of the sea and beach is awesome. U have a way to go down to the beach from the resort. View from resort towards beach and way downwards to beach I have kept here

Soul and surf claims to try and be sustainable but they filter out local Indian travellers by allowing payments only through international cards. They also use extremely racist language in the booklets provided in each room. When we contacted the management directly, they gave a non apology and refused to make any changes.

We didn’t get to stay here (next time!) but went for evening drinks and dinner. It was pizza night, we had mixed opinions about the pizza, I personally thought they were great, good cheese and base and done up in a wood oven.
There was a rather big group having a baller of a time, one of their friends was playing music on his mini console and it was a very happy disco vibe! It did initially feel like we are at a house party but don’t know anyone.
The servers were nice but probably intimidated with the massive crowd and party. I loved the overall vibes and want to definitely stay here the next time and do a beginners surf lesson!

Good place to spend the afternoon, food is awful, tasteless and costing more than it is worth (may be catering to different set of people). Staff, the guys are cool but rude, lacking basic human courtesy,
won't let you play the music even after having the facility
You may feel not very much welcomed I don't know if this is specific to Indians.
They let you spend time there for free but above mentioned things come along:)

My sister and I stayed at Soul & Surf Kerala just last week and couldn't recommend it enough. After travelling around India for a couple of weeks, we found a real haven in this place. Everything about the retreat is so special and unique.from the cliff top location, to the incredibly caring team, early morning surfing lessons and feel-good communal breakfasts, we loved it all.

Having several severe food allergies, the kitchen team went above and beyond to cater for me for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We definitely hope to come back sometime soon! Thank you!

"Soul&Surf" വർക്കല

മങ്കി പെൻ എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലാണ് ആദ്യമായി ഇ സ്ഥലം കാണുന്നത്. ആദ്യം ഗോവയോ പോണ്ടിയോ എന്നോകെ ആണെന്നാണ് കരുതിയത് പിന്നെയാണ് മനസിലായത് നമ്മുടെ സ്വന്തം അനന്തപുരിയിലെ വർക്കലയിലെ സ്ഥലമാണെന്ന്. ആഹാരം കഴികുന്നത് ഏവർക്കും ഇഷ്ടമുള്ള ഒന്നാണ് അതിനോടൊപ്പം നല്ല ഭംഗിയുള്ള കാഴ്ചകൾ കൂടെ ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ അതിന്റെ ഫീൽ ഇരട്ടിക്കും. സുന്ദരിയായ മദാമ്മമാർ കൂടെ ആകുമ്പോഴോ ജങ്ക ജക ജക. ഇത് നടത്തുന്നത് മദാമക്കാർ തന്നെയാണ്. രാവിലെ എണീറ്റപോൾ ദോശയും സാമ്പാറും തേടിയെത്തിയ എനിക്ക് കിട്ടിയത് പാർട്ടിക്കാരുടെ വെട്ട് കൊണ്ടുള്ള രീതിയിലുള്ള പഴവും ബൾബ്‌ പോലെ നിൽക്കുന്ന ഓംലെറ്റും ബ്രഡ് ടോസ്റ്റും. പിന്നെ സുന്ദരിയായ മദാമ ഉണ്ടാകി തന്നത് കൊണ്ട് മറിച്ചൊന്നും പറയാൻ നിന്നില്ല. പക്ഷെ സംഭവം കൊള്ളാം പക്കാ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് സ്റ്റൈൽ രുചിയുണ്ട്. കഴികുമ്പോൾ കടലിലെ തിരകളും തിരകളിൽ ആടിയുലയുന്ന മദാമ്മമാരെയും ഓക്കേ കണ്ട്‌ ആസ്വദിച്ചു കഴിക്കാം. എല്ലാംകൊണ്ടും നല്ലൊരു ദിവസം ആണ് ഇവിടെ നിന്നും ലഭിച്ചത്. ഇതുപോലെ നല്ലൊരു ഫീൽ കിട്ടാൻ നമുക്ക് ഗോവ ഒന്നും പോകണ്ട നമ്മുടെ അനന്തപുരിയിൽ തന്നെ ഉണ്ട് മക്കളെ.

NB: വെളിയിൽ ഇരുന്നു കഴികുമ്പോൾ ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുക കാക്ക അപ്പിയിട്ടാൽ സിംഗിൾ ഓംലെറ്റ് പോലെ ഇരിക്കാൻ ചാൻസുണ്ട്: P

I stayed here for a week just before Christmas 2018, and can’t speak highly enough of the place. I booked the surfing package, with the expectation I may potentially stand up on the board once during the week. The instructors were so good and encouraging however that not only did I stand up on the first day (and all days after) but the instructors made a really big deal out of celebrating success, which created a real sense of camaraderie and pride amongst me and my fellow “surfers”.

The actual hotel/villa and all common areas are perfect - not only “intagrammable” but also just carry a really great energy. The staff are super chilled and friendly, and the fellow travelers during the week we were there were incredibly warm and open. I can’t speak highly enough of this place and can’t wait for my next S&S experience!