Venitia Homestay

You will not get facilities like a hotel but you will feel like you’re at your home. Thanks to Sheelu and Jija for making our stay so comfortable and homely. It really felt like we’re at home. Moreover, the location of this property is perfect and beach is just 2 minutes away.

A cup of complementary tea/coffee at the room might have been a bonus. Still, it was a perfect place to stay.

The family will welcome you really nicely, and you'll be 2 minutes from the beach!

Francis and Mary took the best care of us - no request was too big for them to fulfil including taking me to get my hair cut, watching Mary make her lovely food and helping us get to the doctor when needed. The room was perfect and we got our best sleep yet in Kerala there. Would definitely recommend - it is right next to the beach and loads of good places to eat near by.

Nothing!!

Frances and Jeeja and their lovely home are what made this stay so enjoyable. The house is spotless and modern. The breakfasts are amazing. I stayed a week just to have some relaxing time. Its quiet this far out of town but there are places to eat along the beach. My personal favourite was Catamaran, recommended by Frances. Great to see village life, watch the fishermen mending their nets, and the women praying each evening at the small shrine, for the safety of the men out at sea. Do the backwater tour by paddle boat, a great day out.

I didn't have A/C and the room does get quite warm from the sun. Otherwise everything was perfect.

A range of great local-style breakfasts every day were provided, with flexibility on what time I ate. I really appreciated the genuine welcome and homestay feel of the place, and as I stayed for 3 weeks I really got to know the family well. The location is ideal as you can walk to Alleppey Beach in under a minute, but also along the to quiet beach road or shoreline to restaurants that are 5 to 10 minutes walk away, or venture inland for longer walks 20-30 mins to small shops/churches/the lighthouse/other beaches. It's real fishing village life here, which I enjoyed observing and I respected. Local people's smiles are genuine, and (like in many international unspoilt villages) strangers say hello as they walk by you. I always received the correct change when paying and felt very safe, local food options also good. It is generally not a location for parties or alcohol, so if that's your thing there's other destinations to consider first. Beach was clean in that I never saw plastic rubbish drifted up onto the shore.

I'm not keen on stray dogs and there's a quite a lot of them in the village. They're not at all aggressive but they need treating for various conditions and they bark a lot. I work online so I had plenty of things to keep me occupied and I'm not in a rush, but I saw many travellers just pass through (as they do) spending 2 days taking photographs of tourist sites to tick them off the list and then pass on to the next place, so what they really missed is the slow authentic vibe of the place/people. I would say a week to slow down to the pace of local life is a better experience. Some of the boats for the river cruises looked a bit tired, maybe oversupply.

*Exceptional Homestay Experience* Located just 2 minutes from the beach, this modern and beautifully decorated property exceeded our expectations. The room was spacious, airy, and immaculate with a comfortable bed and clean linen. Modern, clean, attached toilet. Owner Sheeu and Jeeja's hospitality was top-notch, arranging cars, autos, and shikaras for seamless sightseeing. Amenities included - - Personal parking - Cozy sofa couch and balcony sitting area - Electric kettle and refreshments - finger licking customized food - open terrace - child-friendly - pet-friendly - free WI-FI Safety was never a concern, even during late-night strolls along the beach. Sheelu and Jeeja's warmth and kindness made us feel at home. They even returned my forgotten umbrella without any courier charge! Perfect for vacation, I highly recommend this homestay for a beautiful and memorable experience.

To say good bye.

Francais and Jeeja, I can't thank you enough for my stay in your wonderful home. From the moment I walked through the door it was like returning home. I received a warm welcome, Francais and Jeeja are both very kind and accommodating people, they really want to give you a beautiful experience, they are hardworking, sincere, generous people, who now feel like my family for sure. I have memories that I will treasure - I can't recommend staying here highly enough. Their home is located about a minute walk from the beach, and a couple of minutes walk from local restaurants, I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere at Catamaran. The beach isn't necessarily a place to swim or sunbathe, of course you could if you really wanted to but the locals tend to stand around or play various games. But the sunsets on the beach are really magnificent! I often walked into the town centre which is about a 45 minute walk, here you have access to lots for restaurants and shops. Francais and Jeeja recommended a place called Namaste Tiffins which does really good food. It was great for me as a solo traveler and someone who doesn't always want to rely on tuktuks and public transport, to be able to walk around to different places. One of my favourite things to do at the property was sunrise yoga on their rooftop. There's lots of trees and greenery in the surrounding area and the ambience of the early morning, tree tops and bird song was really special. I had a very decent size room with plenty of room to practice yoga in my room also. Wifi connection is also good for those needing it to work online. You will not go hungry in this household that's for sure. Jeeja is an amazing cook and supplied an incredible variety of local breakfast foods and the yummiest bananas grown in their garden. On request, you can eat here for any meal you like and they are happy to be accommodating to any requests you have for food, e.g if you wanted more western type food.

It was a cute homestay; I have been a traveller all my life, what I have learned is homestays are more about the hosts then the luxury. The host's family was so welcoming, the vibes in their home were truly divine. Their younger son helped us with amazing sight seeing plans; his father helped us with everything.. In the middle of the rain, they came to give us our bag as we got late coming back. True gentleman, God bless him and his family. -- The property is newly constructed; very well cleaned (usually you don't get this level of hygine in homestays) Bed was comfortable. Most important (all ladies will totally agree): washrooms were neat, tidy and well maintained. I mean, it was totally worth it, I strongly recommend this. Also, I forgot to mention, don't miss the yummy home made breakfast with home grown bananas

All was well; nothing specific