| This page is the full entry for the pilgrimage
and beach town of Varkala in the state of Kerala, offering a description
and some practical information on local accommodation, transport
and grub for backpackers and budget travellers.
To see an index of all places we cover within the state go to the
Kerala state listing. The
recommended index has a full list
of the other Indian states and places reviewed on this site.
Click here
for a description of the rationale behind the recommended section
(pops up in a new window).
|
While
Kovalam is Kerala's sun & beach Concrete Hell for a lot
of package tourists, Varkala caters more to the independent
backpacker and a lot of ashram junkies (term nicked from a
friend) taking time off from achieving inner peace and enlightenment.
Varkala beach is not a patch on Goa's wide white sandy palm
fringed beaches, but rather a narrow strip of sand bordered
by a cliff at the back on the northern half, where most of
the foreign tourist hang out. It's an okay place to stay at
for a bit - a kind of "it's own little world" not
much to do with India, apart from the town of Varkala itself
or the southern half of the beach, where some of the Indian
pilgrims (after having gone to the Sri Janardhana Swami Temple)
venture. It's a different story on weekends when lots of overly
hormonal Indians 'yoof' crawl the beaches to study crabs digging
their holes next to female sun-worshippers - or what ARE they
doing with binoculars?