Marari Beach Villas

We stayed at Marari beach villas for nine nights after originally booking only three. That's how lovely a place it is to be! Well managed and run by Ragu and his wife Jini and staff, it would be difficult to find a more pleasant, relaxed and comfortable place to stay. Nothing was too much trouble for them; we stayed in one of the two litttle villas a little removed from the main house, but Ragu would walk across with either a newspaper. cold beer or anything else we might want. The villa was cleaned to spotlessness every day, the bedlinen and towels changed daily too. Food was served in the covered dining area on top of the main house, and was wonderful - varied and very tasty home-made cuisine which never failed to delight. A particularly pleasant aspect of our stay was the fact that we were made welcome by just about all the local residents who always had time to chat and always seemed glad to practise their skills in speaking English. The beach is a delight, miles of white sand. Yes, it is, unfortunately used as a toilet by some of the locals; I am not condoning the practice, but it is, sadly, quite common in India. So if you are looking for a fairly-priced, clean and comfortable place to stay near Alleppey, give this one a try. If you receive the wonderful welcome and attention that we were afforded by the kind and generous Ragu, Jini and staff (not forgetting their lovely children), you will not be disappointed. As to being ripped off, there was nothing extra charged for anything during our whole stay, in fact Ragu and his family seemed eager to give little extras rather than to charge for them. P.S. Ragu tells me that he is hoping to have a swimming pool installed next year - watch this space!

This cottage is a gem in a peaceful haven. Raju was ever so helpful and ensured we were fed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was reluctant to advise of other dining opportunities nearby, such as the Marari Beach Resort next door (buffet for Rs1000 pp if you fancy a splurge). To be honest the food that Raju's wife cooked was the same if not better than the buffet next door. The cottage is basic and clean and the bathroom out the back opens to the sky with a little tree growing in the middle of it. Very quaint. At meal times the other residents of his homestays come to eat in the garden too. The experience was wonderful until it came to sort the bill before leaving. We were very disappointed to see that on top of the daily rate which included breakfast, the coffee, lunches, dinners and kingfishers which we had ordered and were happy to pay for, Raju had charged RS100 extra per day for pineapple juice each (watered down with sugar added which was awful, but which he kept serving for breakfast every day without asking us if we wanted it), and extra fish at dinner Rs150 each which we did not ask for. We just ate what we were given but he told us after that it was extra!!! It was a pity because this put a damper on the experience, well at least on this review. Raju did say he would create a menu and put the prices on it.

we found this place by accident as we where travelling on a motorbike, we stayed 2 nights, in a beach bungalow, very clean, family really hospitable, the price included breakfast, also you have a option of eve meal, we had the meal in the evening it was served in there garden the food was local & gorgeous. the hosts father cannot do enough for you and makes sure you have everything you need, lovely place for a chill

This review is long overdue. We stayed here for a couple of nights over New Years with a group of 12 adults and 3 kids. The property is nice with a badminton court, courtyard with hammocks, and roof terrace for lounging and meals. The rooms are a good size, a/c works well, and it is less than a 5 minute walk to the beach. But what really makes this place amazing is Mr. Raju and his wife. They truly treat you like family and are so incredibly helpful. We had called ahead and requested a typical Kerala meal on banana leaf upon our arrival which they happily arranged. There was a wonderful cultural program planned for us on New Year’s Eve. And he arranged for a houseboat last minute on New Year’s Day. They also happily entertained the kids during the stay and all meal times so that the adults could relax and enjoy the food which was all very tasty. Only regret is that we didn’t stay here longer. Would happily come back and definitely recommend to anyone looking for a home away from home while on vacation!

Very nice and committed service, good location. The owner helped in the organization of visiting the surrounding attractions. Simple and clean room and very good dinners. The house is situated not far from a nice and quiet beach. All this made the stay here a great rest for us after exploring the northern parts of India

I would like to recommend this home stay as it gifted us the best memories there. 24th Feb was my dad's 70th birthday and i asked Mr. Raju (owner) to get the cake only. But he arranged the best of best like a small party with decorations, music, mike etc. my dad was really surprised by this arrangement and they made our day and stay very special. my 1 year and 4 year kids were super excited. Felt like our own home. this is our first home stay as we always prefer resorts only. we are waiting to stay there again when our relatives will come from outside India. Special thanx to Mr. Raju and his wife for adding a chapter of good memories into our life .