Villa Jacaranda

We stayed at Villa Jacaranda for 3 days in late September 2023. Ajay and his staff have put together a beautiful little paradise in the surf town of Varkala. The room we stayed in (Room no. 4), was gorgeous, super clean, with contemporary Indian decor. It makes you feel right at home, so much so that we really didn't want to go out that much. The view of the ocean from the rooftop garden, next to our room was mesmerising. The breakfast service is simple but impeccable. We didn't have lunch or dinner there but I think they can provide you with homemade food if you request ahead of time. The bathroom was sparkling clean as well and equipped well.

If you are looking to spend a few relaxing days, reading, bird watching, and just soaking in kerala's ambience, this is it. You will not be disappointed. The beach is a 5-7 min walk from the villa if you can convince yourself to leave the room.

Thank me later.

The room was exactly as you see in the pictures. Very peaceful. We felt like we were at home. Good vibes and energy. The balcony was spacious and the view was great.

The staff was very friendly and understanding. They took care of all our requests.

The breakfast options were limited as their chef was on leave but nonetheless the English breakfast options that were available were super tasty. Me and my family really liked it.

Everything was easily accessible from the location. Varkala beach at a walkable distance and black sand beach was just 2km away.

Lovely house, lovely bedrooms and lovely garden. Located far from the vulgarity of the north d'alise, that is to say at the south cliff. The service is perfect. The refined and delicious breakfast. And the host of this beautiful house so well designed absolutely friendly and delicious. The best place we stayed in Kerala. And by far.

Jacaranda villa location is near to varkala beach.room n their surroundings are very calm and soothing their greenary and pets make this place wonderful.

Villa Jacaranda is a really special place. Located just off the quieter south beach of Varkala, it has a real calm about it that means it’s the perfect place to relax. The owner, Ajay, built the house himself and has gradually decorated it beautifully; I’m not one to normally pick up on that type of thing, but even I was impressed by how great everything looked.

Because we booked very late and wanted to stay 7 nights, we stayed in three of the four rooms - and all of them were excellent in their own ways. Our favourite was room 4, which is on its own floor and has exclusive access to an incredible roof garden that overlooks the Arabian Sea. Room 1 and 2 were also great, though - Room 1 is on its own floor and so faces out onto the stunning garden, while Room 2 has a great balcony. Room 2 is perhaps a little quieter, if you had to pick between the two.

The standout feature of the house is the atmosphere Ajay has created within it - a very real sense of being in a home from home. That’s helped by his excellent team, who are very helpful and welcoming. They also serve the best food we ate in all of Kerala - healthy but delicious breakfasts included in the price, and enormous feasts for lunch and dinner as optional extras. The food itself was incredible but, even better, it was always served on your terrace/ balcony, which felt like a real treat.

We’d highly recommend the villa and, although it’s a little more expensive than other places you’ll stay in Kerala, it’s well worth the price. Varkala is more expensive than other areas anyway, and we looked at other hotels which were almost like the same price and nowhere near as good.

When we were staying there, another couple were there who’d stayed at the property 10+ years ago - and we’d love the revisit ourselves at some point, too; it’s that special!

Huge thanks to Ajay and the team for a very special stay.

Wonderful wonderful wonderful! Villa Jacaranda has to be one of our favourite places to stay in India. The house is stunning, with lovely design and extremely comfortable rooms set in a lush garden and only 5 minutes walk from the beach. Ajay and his team are amazing - offering great advice for local places to visit and eat etc. Breakfast is plentiful and fantastic and we’d highly recommend having lunch or dinner at the Villa - we had a great meal sat on the roof terrace…. Just perfect. We will be back for sure! We 100% recommend Villa Jacaranda. Thank you so much

Thank you for making our stay here at Villa Jacaranda an oasis of calm and tranquility. We had a wonderful “doing-nothing” two weeks here. You, your staff, Romy (the dog) & Mrs & Mrs Duck were kind, helpful and just plain lovely! This place is such a special place – many a pleasant and lovely evening spent on our veranda. Need to mention the splendid and magnificent garden – a verdant and fragrant oasis of 20 years of love and hard work. Breakfast was as big or as small as you want and gorgeous, from the fruit salad every morning and 'burji' (south Indian scrambled eggs), homemade brown bread, toasted to tea/coffee or both! The room was so tastefully decorated, with a mixture of Asian/Indian touches and European furniture. Fresh flowers were brought to our room everyday from the garden to all locations, including our room, bathroom and veranda. Mosquito coils were left 'uncoiled' ready for us to use - little touches, but showing attention to details which makes the difference. We highly recommend Villa Jacaranda, Ajay and his staff. With deep appreciation and wonderful memories to last a lifetime. Thank you all for everything, we hope we will be back someday in the not so distant future.

“Unwind”…. This isn’t a hotel, it’s an antique Home with a beautiful balcony upstairs facing the lush green garden. This is also a home for different birds. Ajay, the owner has decorated the space very tastefully. Great hospitality. I slept like a log and had a very relaxing time here. My special appreciation for the “Masala Tea” Ajay offered us generously. I wish to stay longer in my next visit.

What a beautiful place in Varkala, Ajay and his staff are lovely, they took good care of us by preparing delicious breakfast and lunch which we loved and missed so much, the Villa and the garden are gorgeous, we will definitely go back hopefully soon

Villa Jacaranda is a little paradise tucked away in Varkala. Ajay and his team are the loveliest bunch and went out of their way to make everything perfect even down to helping arrange a magical little birthday celebration.
Everything is stylishly done with personal touches everywhere, fresh flowers in the rooms, lush little garden. Breakfasts were delicious. AND there’s a cute dog. What more could you ask for? !
Thanks again Ajay, we loved it xx

We stayed at Villa Jacaranda for 4 nights and throughly enjoyed our time. The balcony of Room 2 is very spacious and surrounded by the beautiful garden. Ideal for bird watching. The room has an excellent, quiet fan and AC and just the right amount of furniture and decorations to make it cosy. Overall the Guesthouse is in very good condition and pristinely clean. Ajay was also very helpful and gave us good restaurant tips)

Unique balcony (Room 2) overlooking beautiful garden with fruit bats, hummingbirds, sea eagles. Just perfect for lots and lots of reading times, thinking times, relaxed breakfasts. Decor and furnishings inspiring. Jai (Ajay's brother) so welcoming, as were lady and gentleman staff.

Located in a quiet place, a short walk away from the beach, this property is quite beautifully maintained, and immediately gives homely vibes. Jai was a wonderful host and every conversation with him was a charm. The breakfast is wholesome and very tasty. One small note, when we stayed, no food other than breakfast was available. Would be great if some (even if limited) options are made available for lunch or dinner.

Second stay at Villa Jacaranda and it didn't disappoint. Easy communication, great location near Varkala Cliff, and the cutest garden. The highlight was the breakfast, that exceeds, in terms of service and attention to details, anything you could find in many fancy hotels. If you're looking for a homestay in the Varkala area, look no further! The room with the private rooftop is a must for ocean view.

The dreamiest most beautiful place. Ajay is such a lovely person and I couldn’t have enjoyed my stay more. The interiors are gorgeous, the courtyard is magical and the location is perfect - peaceful and back from the road with ocean views, yet walkable to anywhere you’d want to go in Varkala. Villa Jacaranda is very special, and I will most definitely be returning one day.

Great place to stay with an attentive and friendly host. I stayed at the room with the terrace garden. Will definitely stay again. You can take surfing lessons at "Surf and Soul" across the street. Good restaurants near heli-pad.

Ajay and staff made us feel like family immediately. Communications from the outset were spot on, transport organised from airport was super efficient and as expected. Villa Jacaranda is a very attractive property, we stayed in room 4 with the roof terrace and found the spacious room comfortable and perfect for our stay. Decent air con and generous bathroom. Breakfast on the terrace was served perfectly, was delicious and more than we could manage. The beach is a short walk and North Cliff can easily be reached on foot or by tuk tuk, which are parked pretty much outside the villa, so getting back of an evening is easy. Although our stay coincided with recent global issues, we found the villa a perfect haven and intend to return once the current crisis has improved.

Beautiful, cosy Location with nice people and perfect breakfast. We loved it there on our journey through india. Recommendation: Book a private yoga teacher! ;-)

Lovely welcoming atmosphere by Ajay when we arrived.
We have a large room (room # 2) with its own large balcony with the view of the sea between the canopy. Lovely large bathroom with plenty of hangers and good pressure in the shower.
Good start to the day with breakfast served on our own balcony.
3min walk to the beach at South Cliff.

We have stayed on both the northern part of Varkala (Odayam beach) and on the south (South cliff). The area around the South cliff is leafier and quieter and the beach south is long and with little people.
Tip: get an umbrella in town so you get shade on the beach, when we were here there was rental only north where there are more people (about 25 SEK / day).

What we liked:
- Arrival. Welcoming response with a thorough introduction to the surroundings.
- The bathroom - good lighting, lovely big shower.
- The room, personal and cozy.
- Our large balcony with fan, where we are served breakfast
- The ice served on our balcony (BYO liquor)

What could be better:
- Electricity outlet by the bed

Ajay, Sunny and staff were wonderful hosts, Villa Jacaranda a peaceful retreat in calm leafy and quiet surrounding. Great attention to detail and lots of really good trustworthy recommendations for massage, restaurants, everything was perfect. Highly recommend. John and Christina

A person lived in UK and widely travelled had started this lovely Homestay in Varkala Kerala. Very well planned rooms and place to chill