HostelExp, Varkala - Helipad Road - Backpacker Hostel in Varkala - Thiruvananthapuram, India

If you want to feel at home in Varkala then Hostel Exp is the place for you! Sunil & Godwin take care of you like you're their friend. They are fantastic hosts that really care about their customers experience. They will give you recommendations of what to do, where to eat & even took me to a party when I arrived! The rooms are clean, there is a lot of storage space & the common areas are perfect for chilling & getting to know other guests. On the weekends you can go to parties with the hostel but the weekdays are pretty chill so it's the perfect balance :)

Rooms were pretty good and Service wise I didn't opt for any . The location is near the helipad and it's just 2 mins walk away from the beach. I had my best days at Varkala staying in Hostel Exp. I have got good hosts as well. Other than that there were other activities to do like Music, Yoga, Cricket, football, badminton, table tennis, Cards etc. I have played a hell lot of cricket during my stay over there. Also they will suggest the best restaurants around as per your preference.

I stayed there 3 nights in late August. The overall experience was good. Warm welcome from the staff, they do whatever they can to help and make you enjoy the stay. The place is nearby shops and cliff. It's a place for young people though, music can be loud sometimes and until late at night sometimes. And I had a problem with rats in the cottage the first night. The staff kindly gave me the comfy room for the rest of my stay but I was lucky it was available otherwise I would have had to find an other place to stay. Last thing is it's a bit pricy :/

I initially booked this hostel for a day and then extended my stay for another 3 days. And I am so happy that I did! This place is located at less than a 5 min walk from the beach and all the cliffside restaurants, it has a common kitchen, an outdoor common area and a rooftop space where you can work in the afternoon and chill at night. The best part about the property is definitely the host - Goodwin! He is an amazing person, always there to help, always giving you the best recommendations about places to visit and restaurants to eat at. He is doing his bit to keep the hostel culture alive in the south and boy has he done a great job! The place is so clean, there's always some or the other activity going on in the hostel and well, what else does a traveller want? Thank you Exp team for making our stay wonderful, hope to see you soon!

Overall the hostel exp is awesome... The manager is so nice... He helps you in knowing best places nearby to explore. He helps you in booking surfing, kayaking, country boats etc. The stay at hostel is very comfortable. The washrooms are very clean and so are the rooms. One of the best part is that the hostel rooms are quite at a distance from common area where everyone staying in hostel sits and hangout. This makes the hostel comfortable for people who dont like to sit together or have light sleep. There is an open kitchen accesable to all. Where anyone can go cook small meals or food provided you have bring your own grocery and wash things post usage. This makes food cheaper for mainly solo and budget travellers.

Loved my stay at hostel exp varkala. Nice hostel with many activities to bring travelers together. Goodwin is an amazing host with so much experience in travel. Would highly recommendto everyone.

When we arrived, this place was fine and we booked the queen room which is a bery cute space. In the room we heard some scurrying on the roof but didn't think much to it. The atmosphere was nice and the staff were kind. However, the room was not clean with spiders/cobwebs in the bathroom, ants, and even some cockroaches. It's a hostel, we can rough it a little but where I draw the line is rats. We were woken at 4am to the rustling of rats in the room, chewing through one of our bags. We ended up keeping the light on because they would enter when it was off and we couldn't sleep at all. Considering that this room is the same price as a private hotel room, it really was unacceptable and this needs to be resolved as soon as possible. The staff were very understanding about this and we left after one night. Judging from the other reviews and from what we saw in the main hostel, the dorms seem fine so if you do come here, stay in one of those, not the private rooms.

Best hostel in Varkala. Location is super friendly very near to the beaches and famous cliff. You will feel like staying in a new home with different vibe and the atmosphere. Atif bhayaa is very friendly and soft-spoken. Hygiene and cleanliness is very well maintained. Satisfied with the stay and looking forward to be there sometime later this year.