We run a small homestay on a river in Kozhikode, and we get asked the same questions every week by people planning their first Kerala trip. Most of them aren't about us at all. They're about how to tell a good homestay from a guesthouse with a nice photo. This is what we tell them.
What makes it a homestay
In Kerala the word usually means a family home where some rooms are let to guests. You eat what the house cooks, you get local advice from people who know the area, and you're a guest rather than a room number.
The word gets stretched online, though. Plenty of listings called "homestay" are small lodges, apartments, or villas rented out whole with nobody around. None of those are bad. They're just different, and it's worth knowing which one you're booking.
Classified homestays
Kerala Tourism runs a classification scheme for homestays, with three grades: Diamond, Gold and Silver. Under its guidelines, a classified homestay can offer a maximum of six rooms to tourists, the owner and family must be physically living there, and leased or rented houses aren't considered. A committee inspects the house, and the classification lasts three years.
A classification tells you the house met the department's checklist when it was inspected. It doesn't tell you whether the food is good or the host is kind, and many well-run places aren't in the scheme at all. Use it as one signal, alongside recent reviews.
Homestay, resort or villa?
- Homestay if you want home cooking, local knowledge and a quiet house. Expect fewer facilities and more personal attention.
- Resort if you want a restaurant, a big pool, activities on site and staff on every corner. Expect more people.
- Whole villa if you're a family or group who want a place to yourselves. Check whether a cook or caretaker comes with it.
Some places sit in between. We're one of them: a family property with four rooms, but with a pool, an Ayurveda treatment room and a barbecue deck you'd normally go to a resort for.
Pick the region first
Kerala is long and narrow, and travel between regions takes longer than the map suggests. Decide what kind of trip you want, then choose the homestay.
- Backwaters around Alappuzha and Kumarakom: houseboats, canals and paddy fields. Busy in peak season.
- Hills such as Munnar, Wayanad and Thekkady: tea and spice plantations, cool mornings, winding roads.
- Beaches in the south, like Varkala and Kovalam: cliffs, cafés and the sea.
- Malabar in the north, around Kozhikode and Kannur: the best food in the state (we would say that), quieter beaches, rivers and fewer tourists. Wayanad is a day trip away.
When to go
October to March is the easiest weather: dry, warm days and cooler mornings. April and May are hot and humid. June to September is the monsoon. It's wet, green and dramatic, prices are often lower, and it's the traditional season for Ayurveda, which we cover in our guide to Karkidakam and monsoon Ayurveda.
Questions to ask before you pay
A good host will answer these quickly and without fuss. If the answers are vague, that tells you something too.
- Who will be there? Does the family live on site, or is there a caretaker? Who do you call at night?
- What are the meals? Is food included, cooked to order, vegetarian-friendly? Can they cook for a child or a diet?
- Are the rooms air-conditioned? Many older homes have fans only. In April and May that matters.
- How do you get there? Ask for the travel time, not the distance. The last stretch to many homestays is a village road.
- Is there parking inside the compound?
- Are the photos recent and of the actual rooms you'll get?
- Children and pets: welcome or not, and any extra charge?
- How much is the advance, and what's the cancellation policy?
Staying in someone's home
A few things make life easier for everyone. Take your shoes off before going inside. Ask before photographing people, especially at temples and in villages. Tell your hosts if you'll be back late or want an early breakfast, since the kitchen is often run by one or two people. And ask about the house rules on alcohol and visitors rather than assuming.
What it costs
Prices vary more than you'd expect. In Kozhikode, simple homestay rooms in and around the city are listed on travel sites from around ₹2,000 a night. Riverside or beach properties with more space and facilities cost more. At BelleVue a room for two usually starts at around ₹5,000 a night, depending on the season and meals. Booking direct with the host is usually cheaper than going through a travel site.
Where we fit
BelleVue is a family-run riverside homestay on the Korapuzha near Koyilandy, about 45 minutes from Calicut city. Four AC rooms, a private pool, home-cooked Malabar food, our own Ayurveda wellness program, and pets welcome. If northern Kerala is on your list, read about our homestay in Calicut or see the rooms.
Sources
- Kerala Tourism: Guidelines for classification of homestay units
- Kerala Tourism: Homestay classification criteria
- TravelTriangle: Homestays in Kozhikode
Written by the BelleVue team in Koyilandy, Kozhikode. Last updated 12 October 2026.
