Where to stay in Kerala India 🌴🛏 Backpacking Kerala travel blog

Hi there!

You can follow the exact route below and end up with a perfect trip to Kerala!

This basically starts in Cochin (there’s an airport kind of nearby) and then basically heads south down the coast.

A suggested route:

• Fort Cochin
• Alleppey backwaters and/or beach
• Munroe Island backwaters
• Varkala cliff and/or beach

For another route idea, see this suggested one week Kerala itinerary. It includes Kerala tea plantations.

For the most part, the places listed below are somewhat budget accommodation, and there are hostels in Kerala.

Hostels tend to have private rooms too. They also can have nice common areas, so even if you’re looking for a private room, don’t immediately discount the idea of staying in a hostel!

And if you know you ONLY want to stay in a hostel, have a look at the best hostels in Kerala. If you’re traveling in other parts of India, also see these Goa hostels, these Rajasthan hostels, and more hostels in India.

And if you’re still planning out your first trip to India, be sure to see…

• The need-to-know tips for a first trip to India
• How to spend one month in South India
• The basics of backpacking Goa
• The basics of backpacking Kerala
• How to get from Goa to Kerala
• How to get a tourist visa for India online

Now…

Where to stay on the backpacker tourist trail in Kerala

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Where to stay in Fort Cochin

Cochin is a popular gateway to Kerala.

If you’re arriving to Cochin Airport and want to stay around Cochin, Fort Cochin before moving on to other parts of Kerala, Fort Cochin is best. 

The Cochin Airport is about 1.5 hours from Fort Cochin. (It’s 2-2.5 hours from Alleppey if you want to skip Fort Cochin.)

Places to stay in Cochin

• Zostel Kochi (more photos)
• Happy Camper
• Rampart Homestay
• Santa Maria hostel

Where to stay in Alleppey

As the hub of the Kerala backwaters, Alleppey is one of the most popular travel destinations in Kerala, but that doesn’t mean that it’s just a crowded tourist spot. 

You have options to stay literally ON the Kerala backwaters.

Or, if you just want to go for a backwaters canoe tour during the day, then staying right near the beach can be a good idea too. There are chill vibes to be found here too. See a perfect way to spend one day in Alleppey! Backwaters + beach can be perfect!

Where to stay ON the Alleppey backwaters!

• Malayalam Lake Resort

Best places to stay in Alleppey for beach vibes

• Zostel Alleppey (more photos)
• Funky Art Beach House (way more photos)

More places to stay near the beach

• Alleppey Beach Garden
• Sea Breeze Beach Homestay
• Pine Beach Residency

More hostels in Alleppey

• Carpe Diem bnb hostel
• Artpackers hostel 

You may also consider staying in/near Alleppey town. In that case, see more places to stay in Alleppey. (And why you may want to stay in town.)

Where to stay in Munroe Island

This is a bit of a quieter alternative to Alleppey for the Kerala backwaters.

You could say that this is somewhat of a “sleepy island” in the sense that you really can feel like you’re in a somewhat remote part of India even though in reality it’s not all that remote.

Whether you go for a sunrise canoe tour or go cycling around the island, you don’t come across many people anywhere on the island.

And that’s part of what can make a Munroe Island backwaters homestay perfect!

Best places to stay in/near Munroe Island backwaters

• Munroe Nest homestay
• Green Chromide homestay
• Munroe Days homestay
• Munroe Heritage Inn
• Villagio Munroe

More places to stay in Munroe Island

• Munroe Island Lake Resort
• Lake N River Resort Munroe Island

Where to stay in Varkala

Varkala Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Kerala.

And there’s a cliff with a trail that spans along the coast.

This cliff is lined with shops, restaurants, and oceanside resorts.

This means that you can have every meal with ocean views if you so choose!

Where to stay in Varkala for ocean views

• Seawin
• Prashanthi 
• Cliff Stories – a little bit further away from main tourist cliff area but still get ocean views!

Hostels in Varkala not too far from the cliff

• The Lungi Vibe
• The Lost Hostel Varkala
• Tee Pee backpackers hostel

HAPPY STAY IN KERALA!