Kerala India Travel

Great accommodation can really make your stay in Kerala, and there is a fantastic range on offer. Here are some useful resources for finding accommodation in Kerala, whether you are looking for a budget homestay or luxurious resort.

I-escape

I-escape is a wonderful website that focuses on hip hideaways and boutique places to stay. If you are looking for somewhere stylish and special to stay in Kerala then this is the website for you. The Kerala section has lots of practical travel information (when to go, activities, places to visit, travel tips) and lists over 30 places to stay sorted by area and budget. Everywhere from homestays to palaces are covered, and there’s even an eco-friendly houseboat run by electric motor.

The best feature of i-escape is the detailed reviews of every place to stay. These are the most comprehensive accommodation reviews I have seen on the web, and give you a complete picture of the hotel. They include an unbiased breakdown of the pros and cons of each hotel; photos and detailed descriptions of the rooms, food and activities; links to other reviews and of course prices. You can even book your stay through i-escape.

There are some amazing places to stay in Kerala reviewed on i-escape. The only downside is that prices are high for India.

Recommended for honeymooners, and travellers with a larger budget looking for a unique and stylish place to stay.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is the most popular accommodation review site on the web. It currently lists over 1000 accommodation options in Kerala from family-run homestays to huge resorts and international chains. The reviews are submitted by readers so are unbiased, although it can get confusing when people have vastly different views on the same place. Each listing is rated out of five, so you can sort by the top rated hotels.

I prefer looking in the B&Bs/Inns and Specialty Lodging sections to find smaller and cheaper places to stay in Kerala. The Hotels section is where you’ll find the bigger and more expensive resorts and hotels.

TripAdvisor also features a forum where you can ask questions.

Recommended for everyone. It covers all accommodation options.

India Mike

India Mike is a very helpful India travel forum where you can read or post questions on all aspects of travel in India. To find accommodation in Kerala you can search the forum, post a question on the Kerala branch of the forum, or read reviews of over 300 hotels listed in the Kerala Hotels section.

Recommended for everyone, especially travellers looking for budget accommodation.

Lonely Planet

The Lonely Planet website features the useful Thorn Tree forum where you can search and read old posts, and ask questions on the India branch.

You can also search for accommodation in the Hotels section on the website. Not all of the listings have been reviewed by Lonely Planet writers, and you need to search by city,  so you can’t browse all Kerala listings.

Recommended for budget travellers.

If you use one or more of these websites you’ll be able to find some great places to stay in Kerala. In Part 2 of How to Find Great Kerala Accommodation I’ll be recommending more useful resources for finding Kerala homestays and hotels, including an interesting option for free accommodation.

Tags: blogsherpa, India, Kerala, Kerala Accommodation, kerala homestay, Kerala India Travel, Trip Planning

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Kerala Accommodation, Kerala India Travel, Trip Planning Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.