Riverlap Homestay

I booked 3 nights but ended-up spending 5 nights in this relaxing and welcoming homestay. It was a "real" Kerala experience without the crowds. The property is immersed in a community who lives in nice villas surrounded by a lush forest of coconut trees. The area is a long stretch of land between the river and the sea populated by peasants and fishermen. In few minutes, you switch from lush rice fields, to the long sandy beach. You can enjoy a boat-ride in serene backwaters or visit mosques and small hindu temples. The individual bungalows are quite comfortable while not being luxurious (A/C, frifge, good, indiviual terrasse). Mine was in right front of the pond surrounded by coconut trees where local birds nestled. Vinod is a great host who arranged airport pick-ups from Kannur through his brother (2.5 hours drive). He always asked me about my preferred meal time and desired menu. The meals are taken in the dining-room of their modern property next to the bungalows. The wife cooked delicious seafood from the nearby fishermen's pier. I enjoyed king prawns and fishes cooked in a delicious masala mix. For breakfast, you can get local Indian breakfast, fresh fruit (ananas, watermelon) or eggs with delicious homemade masala chai. What sets the River Lap Homestay apart is the hosts. Vinod and the team are very nice and can arrange several experiences. I recommend asking for a sunrise boat ride in the backwaters (ask for the narrow river beyond Maddakara bridge). They have a motorised long-tail boat and the wife prepared a thermos of masala chai and bananas for me. We also went by boat to the nearby fishermen's pier to buy the morning catch. In my view, it is a great alternative to the "touristy" backwaters near Allepey & Kochi where I did not go. It is a more relaxing and authentic way to discover Kerala if you like nature.

Amazing place to stay near the beach and the backwaters of Nileshwar. The location is amazing. Very peaceful and quiet. The beach is stunning, with palmtrees as far as you can look. Vinod is the most amazing host. Very polite and helpful. He bought us traintickets and arranged us a boatride through the backwaters and a visit to the temple to experience the Theyyam ritual. The food at River Lap is the best. The shrimp massala was the best i've ever had. I highly recommend this place.

We spent 8 glorious days at this amazing homestay. First of all, the location is unique and incredible, between the sea and the backwaters and you are able to see both from the property which itself is spacious with 2 beautiful ponds and a paddleboat as well as hammocks and swing chairs. It’s luxurious in a natural, rustic way; it’s heaven on earth. Vinod, the owner, was so kind and helpful, solving any problems we had with ease and offering fantastic suggestions. We took some outings we could never have found on our own and got to really experience Kerala, simply fabulous! The food was great, home cooked by family members who only want you to enjoy. They were responsive to all requests and the seafood was especially delicious! It was a perfect vacation and a perfect place to stay and I certainly hope to return. One word of caution, the wifi is not great and if you need it, request the middle cabin though the other cabins have boosters which do help at times. We were able to accomplish the little necessary work we had and this most definitely did not diminish our enjoyment of the stay. It actually helped us to stay away from the mobiles a bit more and let the magnificent nature penetrate!

Without doubt one of the favourite homestays, we stayed during our time in Nileshwaram,Kerala . What a great find. Overlooking the river and Arabian sea . We stayed in a beautiful Kerala style cottage. The room was very clean,, beds were comfortable and bathroom facilities were very good. The food was excellent, cooked freshly to order by the staff Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by the staff and the Property owner Vinod. The staff was extremely friendly & Vinod deserves a special thanks in getting our lost Laptop back in just 2 hrs using his social network . We truly enjoyed walking through the village and chatting with the fishermen & local folks . The scenery was beautiful and it was a relieve to walk in such a quiet and peaceful environment. We had two great evenings here, which obviously also added up to the experience. Vinod is such a warm personality and highly motivated guide All respect for the Property ***ager Vinod who does a great job here; a true sample of excellent hospitality

Kerala gives the best of scenic places and unmatched hospitality which we have experienced in ***y of our trips here. So we knew what we will be getting here when the stay is close to the estuary with both back water and beach in walking distance. But we were in for surprise. This place was superlative to all our previous good experiences in Kerala. Better views, hospitality, food and more tranquil. The staff and owner are always there to improve your stay experience even more. We loved every bit of this stay. The evening beach walk is a must. And if you are a foodie, you are in for a treat but do give your preference beforehand. Highly recommend.