Places to stay

Looking for a great place to stay during your travels? In this new section, we have put together a collection of both well-known hotels and hidden gems, places that we have liked and would go back to. We are not into 7-star hotels (although we don't mind them occasionally), but we are usually more impressed by the ones which lie in a modest range and still manage to create a long-lasting experience. So you will find that we have a good number of B&Bs on this site.

These are our favourite places to stay and you might agree that these things are personal; it's a combination of individual experience, the location, value for money and, most importantly for us, whether we would come back for another stay.

We will continue to update this section as we go. In the meanwhile, if you come across a special overnight accommodation, please let us know and we'll try to check it out. Now start browsing and planning your next trip!


India - Karnataka


Most visitors to Karnataka see little beyond Bangalore. Read our post on why you might want to spend more time travelling through this southern Indian state.

Jungle Lodges   Run by the Forest Department, this is one place run by the government that we love going back to. Jungle Lodges has properties spread across Karnataka and, so far, we have stayed in their huts in Kabini (2007), Dubare (2009), BR Hills (2008) and Bhadra (2008) and not been disappointed. Expect basic but clean accommodation, wildlife safaris run by guys who know their stuff, a kitchen serving simple but delicious food and interesting conversations with the staff. Book here: website

Pictures from our visit to BR Hills - those are Jungle Lodges' huts
Our posts about BR Hills and ideas for your travels:

Kabini


Kabini is a man-made lake cum national wildlife park about 1.5 hours south of Mysore. Poorly connected by local transport, you will need a car (or hire one from Mysore) to get there. Check out the Jungle Lodges link above for their huts in Kabini.

Red Earth Kabini ****   This place certainly has a wow factor but it is, unfortunately, very expensive. Absolutely remote, comfortable huts with a view of Kabini lake. Great food and extra clean kitchen (yes, Wolfgang's checked it). Go on wildlife safaris from there (Wolfgang jumped out of his skin when he spotted a tiger!) or just sip a relaxing coffee under a mango tree with a view of the river Kabini. Book here: agoda

Madikeri/Coorg


Coorg (also called Kodagu) is the coffee growing region north of Mysore. Madikeri is the main town in this area. Monsoon (June-September) can be a tricky time to visit but the sun is usually out the rest of the year.

Gowri Nivas B&B   This B&B is located in the heart of Madikeri, a short walking distance from Raja's Seat which is one of the main sights in Madikeri. Gowri Nivas is somewhat special. Spotlessly clean rooms, a nice garden, the feel of being somewhere remote but still in the heart of Madikeri. A nicely decorated dining room, good food, and great conversations with the hosts. Use this place as a base to explore Coorg. We've been there twice already and since then become good friends with the hosts. Book here: website

Kabbe Homestay B&B   Located on a working coffee estate somewhere half-way up the Kabbe county. Have breakfast on their terrace, go for an easy 45 minute hike to a mountain with a stunning view, Coorg on one side, Kerala on the other side. When we stayed there in late 2013, we did this walk, three days in a row! Go there for the location - and the food! Coorg cuisine is so different from the rest of India, vegetables, pork, chicken, whatever you want. If it's just two of you, go for the rooms - the cottage might be too big for you. Book here: website

Kabbe Homestay - unforgettable food, coffee, hikes and more

Taj Vivanta Madikeri *****   This place is simply spectacular. Step into their lounge and an entire mountain range opens up like a theatre created specially for you. Quite honestly, we haven't seen anything like this before. The only downside of this place, it's really really expensive. If you don't want to stay overnight, come here for an all-you-want-to-order breakfast (around INR 900 incl. all taxes) to soak in some of the experience. That's what we did although, in the high season, it's probably best to call ahead for a reservation. Book here: agoda

Taj Vivanta, Madikeri


Our posts about Coorg and ideas for your travels:

Mysore


Hotel Metropole ****   An easy 5 min walking distance from the railway station and one straight road (20 min on foot) away from the Palace. Colonial architecture creates a great atmosphere of days long gone by in this hotel. Good for business travel as well as for upmarket tourism. Very nice open-air restaurant with excellent chicken kebabs. Unfortunately no swimming pool to speak of. Admitted, we have only been there for dinner and haven't stayed there ourselves but we do know a dozen or so colleagues who have used it for a few weeks and liked it. Book here: agoda

Hotel Regaalis ****   Round the corner from Hotel Metropole; again, an easy 5 min walking distance from the railway station and one straight road (20 min on foot) away from the Palace. A bit of an older business-style hotel (don't go there for atmosphere but for practicality), well maintained, nice swimming pool, good food. We haven't stayed there ourselves but are occasional restaurant guests. Book here: agoda

Hotel Komfort Suites ***   A fairly nondescript purpose-built hotel recommended because it is relatively new (opened in late 2012). Lies in a residential area and the main tourist sites are not within walking distance. You'll need to have your own transportation or haggle with autorickshaws; luckily there is an auto stand just opposite. Easy to find, every auto guy in town will know Vikram Hospital in Yadavagiri, which is just opposite the hotel. Pratibha used them for an overnight stay when we moved to Mysore in early 2013. Book here: agoda

For other hotels in Mysore (and there are plenty of options), please see: agoda (Mysore)


India - Kerala

In the area around Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)


Thapovan Heritage Home ***   When was the last time you booked a stay, asked for a pick-up and stepped out of the airport to be greeted by the owner himself? With jasmine garlands in tow? For us, it was in 2008 with Andreas, an enterprising German who runs this place in Trivandrum. It had my parents, who were with us, talking for the next few months! We stayed in rooms located on an elevated slope with the main eating area overlooking the shimmering sea. A buggy would take us a few hundred metres down to the beach when all the walking and climbing up got a bit too tiring for my dad (of course, we used him as an excuse for a ride). Beautiful and quiet, great food and very attentive staff. Book here: agoda

The Leela Kovalam Beach *****   When India's much-awaited monsoon comes in, Kerala is a beautiful place to be. Luckily, this is also off-season and hotels try to get you in with tempting offers. We used one such discounted rate in 2007 to take in a weekend break at The Leela. Their lounge with stunning views of the sea was alone worth the money. Try and see the Napier Museum while in Trivandrum, their collection of Raja Ravi Verma paintings will make up for time lost at the beach. Book here: agoda


Clockwise from top left: The Leela, view from the hotel, Napier Museum and Kovalam Beach Lighthouse

Kasaragod / Bekal Beach 


Taj Vivanta Bekal Beach *****   Bekal Beach is not Goa. You won't find the hordes of foreign tourists but you don't have the perfect beaches either. Having said this, the hotel is located between the backwaters and the beach; with a trail inside leading to a public beach. Swimming is not recommended in the sea though. Great hotel to come to for a week-end break, to explore the region. Our suggestion: book a river-view room with balcony (1st floor); that's where we stayed on a week-end break in early 2014. Book here: agoda

Taj Bekal, Kasaragod

Our posts on the Kasaragod area with ideas for your travels:

Kannur / Malabar Coast


Seashell Beach Resort   You might have a bit of a difficult time navigating the narrow roads leading to this place. Don't let the 'resort' in the name put you off - it's really a collection of rooms in assorted buildings that the enterprising owner has brought together in a style that will appeal to some, and maybe not so much to others. We have mulled this one a bit before giving it some space here. I (Pratibha) think it's great value for money and the owner is a friendly and generous host - the rooms have fantastic sea-views as does the eating space and the beach is a stone's throw away. I would go back, Wolfgang wouldn't. Let us know what you think! Book here: website

Top: Room and balcony views at Seashell Beach Resort. Bottom: Malabar Coast scenes

We visited in February 2013. Our posts on the Malabar area with ideas for your travels:


India - Tamil Nadu


Coonoor


The Gateway Hotel Church Road *****   A five-star place which comes at a very reasonable price. Maybe a bit "old & colonial," but that made this place charming for us. When we stayed there in 2009, we had a room with a fireplace and a guy came over to light it for us every evening. Really sweet and service-oriented staff who kept us well fed and happy throughout the break. Book here: agoda

The Gateway Hotel in Coonoor

Ooty


Destiny Farmstay ***   We made it up to Destiny Farm in Ooty in 2007. They asked us to park the car at a cottage and came to pick us up in a monster truck. And up we went the mountain on roads which would have been impossible to negotiate on our 4-wheel-drive. Amazing views of Emerald lake and great walks, good home-cooked food in the restaurant. Rooms were unfortunately somewhat damp and furnishing a bit disappointing; make sure to take more than a T-shirt, it can get a bit chilly in the mountains. We would go again for the views and unspoilt nature while cautiously hoping that they haven't changed too much since our last visit! Book here: agoda

Destiny Farmstay - lakes, hikes and views, the views!

Kodaikanal


Cinnabar Farm B&B  You know you have enjoyed a place if you continue to talk about the hosts and their food long after you have checked out. Bala and Vasu are in that category; warm-hearted, fun and big on travel themselves. The house itself is close to Kody's main spots and check with Bala if you would like to do some special hikes. We were there in 2008 and would go back in a flash for the delicious meals, warm bread straight from the oven and the scenic hills of Kodaikanal. Book here: website

Dolphin's Nose in the hills of Kodaikanal

India - Assam


 Wild Mahseer in Balipara We were really in Assam for the rhinos in Kaziranga and the river Brahmaputra. But we couldn't resist sneaking in a couple of nights in this boutique hotel planted right in the middle of a huge tea plantation.Their bungalows were formerly in use by managers running these plantations and now take in guests. The rooms, at least the one we were in, were modest. The place lingers in our memories for excellent tea (served black or with a tinge of milk), delicious food and the conservatory which is now the dining area. A very charming host who is also an old hand in the tea growing business with some excellent stories to share. Book here: website.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links and, at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase or a booking. This is not sponsored content; we know all the places above and recommend them because they have made our travels better. Please check independently and if you are ready to book your stay using the affiliate links above, it will help support our website ReiseYatra. This way everybody wins. Thank you.