Finally! A Place to Relax in India

Beautiful cliffs
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If you've been traveling in North India, then you most likely need a breather both literally and figuratively. Enter Varkala - a beautiful cliff side beach "town" in Kerala, one of the Southern provinces down the coast from Goa. After stepping off the train and being whisked to the red cliffs by an auto rickshaw, you will enter a land of peace and relaxation. Most people stay at one of the numerous guesthouses along the cliff side, just a step or two behind the stone path at the edge of the cliff. There is a constant fresh, cool breeze from the Arabian Sea, whose big waves and strong currents make Varkala one of the most dangerous beaches to swim at in India. But the water is cool and refreshing and as long as you exercise caution, the beach is a great place to wile away the hours with few tourists and beautiful black sand. Varkala is still unspoiled by the tourist industry and while it is a tourist place, it is very "chilled out," as we Californians say. Many people stay here for weeks on end and after one day here my intention to stay for one week turned into a decision to stay put for some R&R for over two weeks!

An Indian man walks along the ocean
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There are things to do other than swim or read on your balcony, but I don't know why you'd bother - especially if you're escaping the trials of North India with your tail between your legs! Travel agencies can take you to the local Temple or a ride through a nearby village on an elephant (which I will do having somehow managed to travel all over Southeast Asia without once getting on top of an elephant). A walk along the sea wall will eventually bring you to a very quiet area where the local mosque can be found. It's a pretty place to be on your own and ramble through palm groves and watch Indian men work on wooden boats. There are loads of restaurants and cafes full of young Indian men trying to get you to sit down. While it's true that a walk down the path full of wonderful souvenir shops, bookstalls, and cafes can feel a bit like running the gauntlet, it is totally manageable...especially with some charras. Colorful handwoven fabrics and clothing are blown around in the breeze, waiting to be picked up by a tourist. Beautiful jewellery shops filled with goods from Rajasthan and Kashmir tempt passersby. There's a great selection of books and Internet cafes to duck into when you want to get out of the sun. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants have the exact same menu, so you may get a bit tired of the lack of choices. In the end, you'll probably find yourself going to each place at least once. Varkala, however, has excellent fresh seafood and every evening around sunset, you can walk by each restaurant's selection and make your choice. Because this is a tourist area, you don't have to worry about getting sick from the food...things are sanitary! Here are a few of my favorite places that have never let me down. All of them are on the boardwalk...like everything else.

things are sanitary!

Seaside Mosque
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Cafe Italiano: Delicious coffee and lovely breakfasts. This is the most unique restaurant with a quiet, beautiful atmosphere, with, as all the other places, a sea view. They have very good Italian food and usually choose better music (you won't find too much P Diddy here). They also have a book exchange, Internet, and the staff is nice and competent.

The Juice Shack: Set behind the main boardwalk you could easily miss this jewel. It's at the southern end near the rickshaws and behind a cafe called "The Juice Place." Walk down the souvenir shop - lined path and enter a quiet oasis. Delicious shakes and the best American - style coffee around. Also, they have a nice staff!

Cliff Side Path
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The Rock and Roll Cafe - OK, I don't have much good to say about the incompetent staff or obnoxious music, BUT they have the best seafood (delicious grilled fish with lemon, garlic, etc.) and the best Indian food in Varkala. Be forewarned...it's a necessary evil!

Dolphin Bay -  They have the best cocktails (all the restaurants have a good happy hour) and delicious tandoori fish. In addition, the staff is attentive and kind and they always throw in a complimentary treat. Good decor and music, as well.

Scientific School of Yoga
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The Funky Art Cafe- Terrible service, but their Mexican food, while not really Mexican food, sort of fills a bit of the craving. I'm from LA, so I have pretty high standards, but the beans were tasty.

In addition to eating and reading, a lot of people come to Varkala to practice yoga or get Ayurvedic treatments. I have been practicing Ashtanga yoga for a few years now and so Varkala has been my first experience with Hatha Yoga. There are a ton of little places and each has it's own atmosphere, but I love the place I chose, which is a hut with breezes blowing through it. It is the....

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Scientific School of Yoga and Ayurveda: The teacher is excellent and really knows his stuff. He also does Shiatsu massages, which I highly recommend. It's worth researching shiatsu, as it was my research which led me to consider it. Shiatsu was a good option for me because I couldn't afford Ayurvedic treatments, which are around 900 rupees per treatment and you need one or more each day for about 15 days to get a real effect. If you have the money and have researched Ayurveda, Varkala is a good place to get it, as Kerala is the center of Ayurveda in India, because all the herbs are grown here. This is also a peaceful place to rejuvenate and in the town you can find Ayurvedic pharmacies for your medicines.

There are a lot of good guesthouses so it just depends what your budget is and what you're looking for. Beware of which restaurant your place is behind, though, because some of them play very loud music at night and you can't hear the lulling sounds of the ocean over the din. This is most especially true if you are behind the Rock and Roll Cafe (aptly named) or the Funky Art Cafe. If you're looking for peace, I highly recommend staying at the southern end of the cliff side path (you can walk the entire length of the path in ten minutes). It's more quiet here in the evenings and the stairs lead down to one of the two beaches everyone frequents (the one at the Northern end is called Black Beach, after the color of its sand). I am staying at Sea View Beach Resort, which has good value (250 rps. a night), has a great balcony for each guest to either share or enjoy privately, and has rooms with a bit of character. The view is spectacular and it's right off the path so you get a good breeze. Plus, they have a cute puppy you can play with named "Boost." On the first floor, a gentleman runs an Ayurveda massage place where he gives and teaches massages. I was told by one woman that she really enjoyed it, for what it's worth. Sometimes he needs a "body" for his students to practice on and you can volunteer if you are in the mood for a free massage.

Varkala is more expensive than a lot of other places in India, but it is well worth the peace and quiet and sense of being on "holiday." I have found it to be the highlight of my trip to India thus far.