Varkala

For such a small tourist enclave clustered tightly around the majestic red cliffs hugging the beaches of the Arabian Sea, Varkala seems to be the nexus of backpackers in Kerala. If a backpacker is in Kerala, somehow and some time, and maybe even a couple of times, he or she will arrive in Varkala. If the backpacker practices yoga, then Varkala becomes a load stone as either a resting place before or after a stay at the nearby Sivananda Neyyar Dam ashram or as a place to find 10 different yoga teachers within half a mile. Finding a good teacher, though, is a journey in itself.

Varkala visitors have many accommodation choices from high end ayurvedic resorts to low end basic guest houses with corresponding prices ranging from US$100 down to US$8. The biggest cluster and tourist destination central is the North Cliff area which is located between the helicopter pad and the end of the high cliff paved sidewalk near Sunshine Inn. For those who want a more reclusive, non-touristy experience and are willing to walk to restaurants and internet connections, the areas north and south of North Cliff are best. After a few days of strolling along the busy North Cliff sidewalk, one does tire of the shop owners and restaurant staff trying to lure you into their places.

Varkala saw a rapid rise in tourism and corresponding rise in accommodations and rates over the last three or four years during its busy season which is usually November to March with a peak between mid-December to mid-January. All the locals that I spoke to said that the 2008-2009 season only had 10 days, around Christmas and New Year, due to the financial crisis and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Later, I read that tourism is down more than 50% in Kerala, self proclaimed “God’s own country,” this year.

Yoga practitioners seem to be bucking this year’s trend though as they keep coming in a steady stream. We ended up trying different yoga teachers as a cheap way (90 to 100 minute classes run from US$3 to $4) to experiment with different teaching styles and yoga schools. After trying more than six different ones, the only ones that we would recommend would be Sri Ullas Kumar in Progressive Yoga and Santosh in the hotel roof behind the Juice Shack. The Namaste Yoga teacher isn’t bad but not great either. Don’t bother with SM Ayurveda’s yoga class – one of the worst yoga classes I have ever had. If you want a pure Sivananda yoga class, the teachers on the rooftop of Hilltop Resort and Keratheeram Beach Resort can provide that.

After yoga classes, a leisurely meal is a visitor’s only option. Working with too small kitchens, too few chefs, and too many slow paced waiters (only men provide food service in India), even a solitary, hungry diner can not expect to enter a restaurant and leave within an hour. That just doesn’t seem possible. Typically, between getting the menu and actually receiving the food, we waited about an hour to 90 minutes – even if the restaurant wasn’t crowded. So, time just keeps slipping by in lazy, slow paced Varkala. After all, if you are spending four hours just eating two meals, how much more can one do in a day when you have to squeeze in swimming, yoga, beach lounging and reading, and email? I had hoped to do the parachute/wind gliding experience but the owners got busted by the police after I was here two days. I had hoped to catch the local dance/cultural show but the 6:30 viewing time always conflicted with the derigeur watching of the sunset over the waves.

So, I’m back for a second visit in Varkala but on the South Cliff this time. I’m going to the intensive 10 day Vipassana meditation class outside of Allepy from February 7 to February 18 and I think I will retreat back to Varkala to recover from that experience. For me, Varkala has become my own personal retreat town and my Keralan nexus…and I don’t even like sitting out on the beach!

Logistics if you ever come to Varkala:

Keratheeram Beach Resort on the North Cliff. Very centrally located as it is next to but behind the Hill Top Resort. It is run by friendly Priji and his sister Sanji. Her husband owns and run the next door Cliff House. We paid 500 rupees for double rooms but rates for the same room can range from 2000 in high season to 300 in low season. Contact information: keratheeram@rediffmail.com or mobile is 9447271382. If you stay a while, ask for Sanji to make dinner for you – her Keralan seafood curry and vegetarian dishes are wonderful!

County Inn on the South Cliff. This place just opened about 9 months ago and they are trying hard. Rooms are very clean and come in a range of prices due to three different buildings. I have a nice single room for 400 rupees. The County Inn is on the cliff with no side walk in between and has a wonderful yoga pavilion halfway down the cliff, hammocks and sitting areas along the top of the cliff, and very friendly staff. They have a restaurant on site and County Inn abuts the posh Oceano Cliff Resort which has a more expensive restaurant with small gazebo eating areas. Dhanaraj is the friendly County Inn manager and he can be reached by 09744476003 or by email at kannandhanraj@gmail.com.

Rickshaw rides between the railway station and South or North Cliff seem to be fixed at 50 rupees. At night, it costs 50 rupees to get back to the South Cliff from the North. We found a very nice and reasonably priced rickshaw driver named Gireesh. He is studying economics at a local university and is trying to support his family. He speaks excellent English and is very responsible and prompt. His mobile number is 9995570472.

Some restaurant recommendations: Hungry Eye, Sunshine Inn, Blue berries, and Cafe Del Mar. For the best espresso, Tower or Temple of Coffee. The Juice Shack has great fruit juices and charges 10 rupees to fill up your water bottle to reduce plastic bottle waste.

my am yoga pavillion at county inn

Varkala at 7 am

Red cliffs of Varkala