Magical Varkala, India
Where do I begin. This magical little slice of paradise was the first time I’ve had that feeling of being “home” in a new place since I left the UK.
I fell into the most peaceful rhythm of life, that pulled at the strings of my heart to stay longer. I abandoned the next stages of my trip to claim more days of the perfect ebb and flow of my time in Varkala.
Picture this: a little beach town, the North Cliff littered with market shops selling trinkets, spiritual books, silky patterned clothes, silk scarves, silver jewellery and more. Each one as you pass through the curtain to enter disappears far into the back, an abyss of colourful materials and burning incense. Layers upon layers of vibrant colours, endless sizes, always with an enthusiastic seller eager for you to try on as much as you like.
Although it can be overwhelming shopping in this environment, I rarely felt pressured into anything. I concluded that most of the patrons are friendly people who simply want to chat, and some company. I was there after the buzz of peak season, which leaves many of these shop owners stores empty, and many of their families struggling to make ends meet. Even your time and energy through conversation can make a difference to someone’s day.
I opted to stay on the South Cliff, where the beaches are quieter, the streets less hectic and the overall energy more what I was seeking. There’s an incredible community at Soul & Surf, a travellers hotel built by a British couple from Brighton. It’s on the more expensive side of accommodation (especially for India!) but I stayed a couple of nights here to make the most of the surf community and try to catch my first wave.
I sunk into the daily routine of surf, breakfast, beachside chill and afternoon yoga, the perfect mix for a happy life.
Surfing every morning with the Soul & Surf crew was a joy - bundling everyone aboard the pink retro cars topped with boards as we flew around street corners, honking at every opportunity, in search of the perfect wave break. Supported by the team of incredibly patient and kind instructors, there wasn’t a single person that didn’t get to enjoy the truly liberating feeling of riding a wave.
Assisted by their expert eyes, at one with the ocean knowing exactly which wave is the right one for each person, a firm nudge at the back of board and endless showers of encouragement, and suddenly you’re up. Gliding inside the curl of each wave, you almost feel like everything is happening in slow motion… the thick foamy board creating a solid platform for me to experience pure presence, pure thrill, pure joy. When your feet are rooted on that board, your body flowing with the speed and force of mother nature towards the shore, it’s impossible to be anywhere else but right there. After the call for “final wave”, we bundle back into the cars for everybody’s favourite part of the day - our stop off for chai & banana balls.
Pillowy, deep-fried sugary balls of banana bread dunked into a steamy hot cup of chai was always the perfect end to an already blissful morning. Hungry from the physical exertion of the morning, I’ll always remember the perfection of this morning ritual.
After a month of travelling through the hectic, busy cities of Johannesburg, Nairobi and Mumbai, I felt a deep longing in the pit of my stomach to be back beside the ocean. Arriving in Varkala was like taking a giant exhale, feeling relaxation flooding back into my body as I entered the ocean.
Although Mumbai has a beach front, it’s not a city you can swim in the ocean due to strict religion and tradition. Even within the Mumbai swanky hotel pools, you’ll often be asked to wear a t-shirt and swimming cap to enter the pool. So when I arrived at Soul & Surf, the first thing I wanted to do was dive straight in. As I descended the steep staircase built into the South Cliff from Soul & Surf straight down to the beach with my well-used beach throw, sunscreen and book, I was intrigued as to the cultural differences between the Keralan locals compared to being in Bombay.
Laying on the beach in Varkala was an interesting experience, at first entirely thrown off by groups of men approaching my beach towel to ask for selfies. Every 10 minutes another group would nervously approach to interrupt my reading and ask if they could take a picture with me. I quickly felt self conscious and was about to pack everything up, before it dawned on me that they were simply fascinated with a sight they hadn’t seen before - a woman laying on the beach, on her own, wearing a bikini. Every time this happened and I openly asked them to leave me in peace, they immediately did. This wasn’t always a sexualised encounter as I initially felt, my guard raised high, feeling alert and on edge, but simply a fascination, with a culture so wildly different to their experience.
Before coming to India (and even since I have returned) I’ve been asked by countless people of how safe I felt on my own in India, and I can honestly say that I felt safer than I have travelling so many other countries, even whilst being on my own. As an intensely religious and spiritual place, this coast of India feels like one giant tightly knit family, intermingled and bound together through the genuine respect for tradition.
The south cliff is also home to many local home stays, so if you prefer to stay somewhere less expensive, there’s so many options. I moved from Soul & Surf to Gouri’s Homestay just a few doors down, to save the pennies. You can still book activities at S&S like surfing or breakfast.
To Eat & Drink:
Hotel Suprabatham - cheap masala dosa, all day every day!
Chimney Family Restaurant - cute, cosy local dinner sit down restaurant
Darjeeling Cafe - there are lots of restaurants on the beachfront strip, unsurprisingly mostly tourist traps (expensive, not authentic food), however this one is worth mentioning. The food is absolutely delicious and the atmosphere is also great. The whole Keralan grilled fish in banana leaf was worth writing home about!
Cafe Sarwaa - tucked on the south cliff, I enjoyed many a morning lounging here, looking over the beach and enjoying working my way through the ice cold beverages menu. It’s a great spot and off the tourist track at the front so less busy
Aum Cafe - smoothies lassies & juices
Vinayaka Vegetarian restaurant - fully authentic cheap local food
True Thomas - decent for food
From Varkala, enjoy a beautiful day trip to watch the sunrise over the backwaters in a canal boat at Munroe Island (pictured below).
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