Akkara Homestay

We like the location of the property by the river and surroundings. Both the property and the gardens are beautifully kept. This house has its own story to tell and both the owner Korean and Ansam took the time to tell us about it. The room was very spacious and comfortable. I loved the stone polish floors everywhere and the style of the property. And of course the big metal bucket with masses of hot water to wash. We had the meals in the dinning room which also added to the atmosphere of being in an old house. We were shown aroung the grounds and told about the plants. We had a short trip in the river in a canoe, the river is very quiet and peaceful. We woke up every morning with the sound of many birds! We were a short tuk tuk trip from Kottayam but felt miles away. Thanks for the book Korean, I am still reading it and enjoying it; all the different names keep me busy. Thanks so much for talking with us on our last meal, made our stay even more special. Thank you Ansam for being such gentle, welcoming host. And thank you to all the rest of the staff, so polite and willing to please. Akkara house will stay in our minds as a happy memory.

Nothing

All good but can be better

Rooms could be upgraded

We loved everything about Akkara Homestay. If it was possible to score it higher we would. The commuication before our stay was excellent. Casey was so helpful in providing information. He booked train tickets for our onward journey to Madurai, as I was struggling with the IRTC website, this saved so much stress! He also recommended a taxi company, Mango Taxis, that we used to take us from Kochi to the homestay. Again this removed any stress of trying to get a bus or a train. On arrival at the homestay we were warmly welcomed by Ansan and shown to our room on the 2nd floor. The room was very clean and spacious, the bed was huge and the bathroom spotless, with a great Indian shower and lots of hot water. There is a shared kitchen with a big fridge full of bottles of filtered water, tea and coffee making facilities and plates and cutlery if you wanted to order a food delivery. The homestay is immaculately maintained and is a truly beautiful environment, far removed from the chaos of Kottyam. You can hear the birds singing when you wake up in the morning - it is idyllic. Breakfasts were fantastic - each day something different, all served with a smile from Ajoy! We booked dinner at the homestay on 4 of the 5 nights we were there. The food was always fresh, delicious and plentiful. We loved that where possible fresh produce from the garden was being used. You felt that you were eating good, wholesome food. Dinners were also excellent value for money. Thank you to Ajoy for providing such tasty food and serving it with such care and attention. I had booked a 90 minute steam and massage for my partner which he really enjoyed. We were in Kottyam to attend a wedding and Andy and Ansan could not have beem more helpful in recommending where to go shopping and advising on the suitability of my outfit.

You are a bit out of the way so if you don't have a car then you will need to rely on tuk tuks or taxis to get around - which really isn't a problem. A small prixe to pay to escape the bedlam of the city!

The property has enough space to walk around

The breakfast was not good and deserves a big thumbs down. the idly and sambar we had from there was a let down. It would have been better if the breakfast was not included with the booking.