Amazing Beach of Varkala

K: Breathtaking cliffs here in the beachside town of Varkala, overlooking the Arabian Sea. We are nearly at the tip of South India. As we near the end of our journey, we thought one more stop on the sea was necessary. We chose Varkala because it was billed as far less developed and touristy than other towns on the coast of southern India. It is one of those places that you find as a traveler that just projects a certain vibe. Other places such as Ubud, Tulum, Hoi An, Phuket have a similar feel. You know that it started as a backpacker spot, and it still retains that vibe today despite development of hotels and restaurants and the addition of more mainstream travelers (such as us). It is the most "western" of anywhere that we have visited in India. There are westerners of every flavor here - English, a few Americans, Russians, Scandinavians, Germans, Eastern Europeans, etc. There is a bit of a Bohemian, almost hippie-like look to the travelers, from their clothes and hair (a lot of dreadlocks) to their backpacks, etc.

The town is filled with cafes, shops, restaurants, yoga studios and ayurvedic centers that line the cliffs above the sea. Everyone seems to just be in the moment, enjoying the place, stepping back a bit from the world and whatever they have left behind. I like it!






V: The guidebooks do not adequately describe the beach scene here in Varkala. We thought we found some Westerners in Goa--we have seen almost nothing but Westerners here in Varkala. The clifftop shops and restaurants create the 'scene' here. Every menu offers the same food, but you can find very cool vibes and ambiance at certain restaurants, be it reggae dancefloors you seek or guitar-strumming, laid-back folks just 'chilling'!


What floored me, but perhaps shouldn't, is the vast number of Tibetan shops and people here. In our opinion, they have some of the best goods, jewelry, and trinkets available here, and their presence certainly focuses one upon notions of "Free Tibet", as so many t-shirts proclaim, and images of the Dalai Lama, and his famed sayings.

I sense that we may well be returning to Varkala some day, sooner than later!