Ensuring the best of local experience and hospitality, homestays are a great way to spend quality time away from mundane city life. Down south, there are some great options. We handpicked a few.

The Bangala, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu

The Bangala

The Bangala is a heritage property in Chettinad, built on a property that has been with the host family for almost 100 years. Located in Karaikudi, it combines traditional Chettiar hospitality with modern amenities. The extensive property retains its Chettinad charm, with quaint gardens, old-style furniture, extensive verandahs, and is also equipped with a swimming pool, gym and massage center. Renowned for its family kitchen, the Bangala is the ultimate destination for authentic Chettinad cuisine, with recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation, creating a dining experience that cannot be missed. There is much to see and do in Chettinad, and the Bangala has local guides who can give you an insider’s view of the area and its unparalleled architectural legacy that is rapidly gaining fame all over the world.


Cardamom House, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu

Cardamom House overlooks the monsoon dependent Kamarajar Lake near Athoor. This family home stay nestles in the unbelievably beautiful foothills of the Western Ghats, close to Sembatti and Dindigul. It provides Western comforts in a rural setting. The house was established by British physician Dr. Chris Lucas in 1996. Along with this team, he works towards making it the best homestay in South India with world class facilities amid the woods, blooming flowers, and colorful birds. Cardamom House is also known for its dedicated staff, who come from local villages, but have been trained well and offer exceptional service.

Glenora Homestay, Wayanad, Kerala

Glenora Homestay

Would you like to wake up to a rooster’s alarm and peep out of your window only to see mist-filled mornings and hazy sun? It is blissful to spend a weekend in calm and serene atmosphere, one that is entirely different from noisy and polluted mornings back home. Check out Glenora Homestay at Vaduvanchal; a small village nestled in Wayanad, the land of tea and coffee plantations, spices, legends and folklores. The owner, Rajagopal Glenora ensures impeccable service and comfort for all his guests. It also offers camping facilities in coffee plantations, indoor games, barbeque and even houses a library.

Vembanad House, Alleppey, Kerala

Vembanad House

Vembanad House is a bungalow surrounded by the vast Vembanad lake on all three sides. Behind the house, there are paddy fields and natural tropical gardens, charming villages and beautiful old temples. From the sit-out in front of the house you will have a breathtaking view of the lake spread out in all its glory. The house itself is eight decades old and a typical traditional house built as per ancient Kerala architecture. It has been renovated time and again over the years but its essence has been kept intact.

Thippanahalli Homestay, Chikamagalur, Karnataka

Thipanahalli Homestay

It is a gigantic red mansion with 28 rooms, located around 15 kilometers from Chikamagalur, in the fertile coffee district of southwest Karnataka. The mansion is a heritage plantation bungalow, built in 1934, and the hosts come from a long line of planters. They’ve been growing coffee in the district since 1860! The hosts decided to open their home to guests as they missed the extended families that they grew up in, and thought it would be nice to have other people visiting and sharing their home. There are five guest rooms. One of them is in the mansion, while the other four are in separate cottages on the property. Two of the cottages have been refurbished, while two are newly constructed. You can stay here and trek among the hills and the coffee plants, drive around the mountains, laze in beguiling sun and be yourself.