“My favourite hostel in Kerala” * Thank you Carina!

Really nice place - amazing people. Lovely outdoor communal areas - really easy to meet guests and chat to staff. Delicious, cheap food served there, yoga every morning. Great location - 5 min walk to the beach. My favourite hostel in Kerala!

• Stayed February 2014, travelled with friends
• Review on Trip Advisor

“Home away from home” * Thank you Lulu!***

I visited Shiva Garden in November when I was on holiday in Varkala, when I returned in late December it was a no brainer that I was going to stay here. So for two months Shiva Garden was my home, the rooms offer everything you need, I had an en suite bathroom (cold water only, but this was no issue, as it was so hot outside) and a balcony. What makes Shiva Garden so special is the lovely people who run it and the beautiful garden, that encourages guests to socialize. It just has a very chilled and relaxed atmosphere, I made fantastic friends here and it was ridiculously hard for me to leave. Try Yoga lessons with Sonja, you won't regret it. A big special thank you to Afzal for always being happy and attentive. I can't wait to stay here again! Thank you Sonja and Jayan, until December ;-)

Stayed December 2013, travelled solo Review on Trip AdvisorReview on Trip AdvisorReview on Trip Advisor

“Found a home” * Thank you Anna!

I came to Shiva Garden in October and didn't leave until December. Coming to Shiva Garden was the best thing I could do. There I found a home an a family.

I started doing yoga with Sonia and for me it was the best introduction to yoga. Sonia respects everybody's limits and guides you through the sequences gently. Two months of yoga with Sonia inspired me, who was a complete beginner, to take a teacher training course which I will do soon.

Shiva garden is a place for meeting good people and there I found friends for life. I am happy to call Shiva Garden my second home in Varkala and will definitely come back.

• Stayed November 2013
• Trip Advisor

“Magical garden of India” * Thank you Yellie!!!

I've stayed in Shiva Garden a month ago, with my husband.
At this very moment I'm listening to some Indian song and thinking about all wonderful thing happened there. Shiva Garden is one of the best thing I've experienced. If you go to Varkala, you have to visit this place!
Accommodation is great, food is amazing, people are lovely!
Owners wife, Sonia, does amazing Reiki massage, yoga classes, numerology... I feel blessed for meeting her. Miss everybody so much :(

Afsal, the manager, was really helpful too! Thank you for everything!

Hope to see you soon guys...
Beijo para Divia!
Jeja

• Stayed January 2014, traveled as a couple

Trip Advisor

“The perfect place to relax, to calm down and to meet nice people!” * Thank you Mellanie

Shiva garden is a fantastic place to relax, read books, chat to the very nice owners and to other tourists. Very spacious cottages as well as rooms are situated in a beautiful garden. They are very clean and comfortable with nice furniture. There are several hammocks in the garden and the possibility to play volleyball. Moreover, there is kind of a meeting point in the garden, a space with pillows and low tables, where people can eat, drink, chat to each other or connect to the rest of the world (wifi connection offered). In the morning, Yoga courses are offered by Sonia, who is part of the staff, who runs Shiva garden. We highly recommend this place to everybody!!

• Stayed May 2012, traveled as a couple
• Trip Advisor

“Can't wait to come back” * THank you Louise!!!

After a long week of work I arrived at Shiva Garden on Friday night. I was actually planing to come the weekend before, but couldn't make it and it was no problem at all to just postpone my booking. I also spontaneously brought 3 friends along and that also was easy going. They even picked us up from the train station for free and when I entered Shiva Garden's door I felt like walking into paradise. Everything is so green, there heaps of hammocks, a giant swing and a big chill area to just stay and not leave ever again =) everybody was sooo nice and welcoming and I met so many cool backpackers. So it's a perfect place to get in touch. I stayed at the dorm up on the roof, with the sky as a blanket and beautiful Sonia's yoga class to wake up to. If you want something simple, but creative and with a wonderful spirit to it...Shiva Garden is your place! I will definitely have it as my treat after my working weeks =)

Stayed March 2012, travelled with friends

Trip Advisor

“My best guest house in India !” * Thank you Marie!

Undoubtedly the most friendly guest house that I made in India.
The whole team is adorable. The rooms are clean and tidy.
And the best of the best is the kitchen staff.
For me the best chefs in India.
We had to spend two days ... we stayed there five days so the atmosphere is pleasant.
They also offer trips in the backwaters and yoga classes. A superb address.

Stayed May 2012, traveled with friends

Trip Advisor

“The perfect place to relax, to calm down and to meet nice people!” * Thank you Melanie

Shiva garden is a fantastic place to relax, read books, chat to the very nice owners and to other tourists. Very spacious cottages as well as rooms are situated in a beautiful garden. They are very clean and comfortable with nice furniture. There are several hammocks in the garden and the possibility to play volleyball. Moreover, there is kind of a meeting point in the garden, a space with pillows and low tables, where people can eat, drink, chat to each other or connect to the rest of the world (wifi connection offered). In the morning, Yoga courses are offered by Sonia, who is part of the staff, who runs Shiva garden. We highly recommend this place to everybody!!

Stayed May 2012, travelled as a couple

Trip Advisor

“A very special place” * Thank you Sally!

I was recommended to stay at Shiva Garden by a friend and I was not disappointed. I had a lovely airy room, a cute balcony and thoughtful finishing touches such as candles, incense and seashells in the bathroom. It was clean, well presented and suited my needs perfectly. There is a swimming pool at the hotel next door that you can pay a small fee to use. 
It is 5 min walk to the cliff and beaches, and a torch is advisable in the evenings as the way is not always well lit. 

I enjoyed enormous bowls of fresh fruit salad in the peaceful garden and took yoga lessons with Sonya every day. I was the most relaxed I've felt on my travels so far. I changed my travel plans in order to stay longer at Shiva Garden because 3 days just wasn't enough. This place has a wonderful feel about it and I look forward to coming back.

Stayed June 2012, traveled solo

Trip Advisor

“Shiva Garden is amazing!”

The owners, Jayan and Sonia, made us feel at home and are two of the kindest people I've ever met! The food there was incredible. We ate a traditional Keralan thali almost every day, and the prices were more than reasonable. The accommodation was lovely, and after a week in one of the regular rooms, we were allowed to move into one of the apartments for our final week, with no raise in price. Sonia and Jayan were incredibly helpful during our stay and for my birthday they took us out onto the backwaters to visit Golden Island. My girlfriend was having yoga lessons every morning with Sonia up on the rooftop, despite Sonia being eight months pregnant. The location of the guest house was perfect too. Just a five minute walk from the beach and only a two minute tuk-tuk drive to get to Varkala town. Every time we wanted to go somewhere, Jayan would call for a tuk-tuk for us so we barely had to lift a finger. Subash was one of the staff at the guest house and though he didn't speak much English, he was an incredible worker and saw to all our needs. Lots of young travelers would show up to stay for a night or two and the dining table was a great place to meet other people from all over the world. If you're traveling alone, as a couple or in a group, Shiva Garden is an ideal place to stay when you're in Kerala. I highly recommend it!!

Stayed September 2012, travelled as a couple

Trip Advisor

“The best accommodation in the south”

I had the greatest pleasure of staying here for 3 days and I would recommend Shiva Garden to any traveler wanting a break fro the fast paced life of India. The owners both work have a welcoming and calming manner and treat their guests as family. There is not a request they cannot fulfill, be it from filling an empty belly to belly dancing lessons to yoga classes. This place is for the traveler who wants community and friendship and peace surrounding them. Truly the only place one should consider staying on the north cliff.

Stayed May 2013, travelled solo

Trip Advisor

“A home away from home”

I was so lucky to have been lead to Shiva Garden. I spent one week here very happily. I learned yoga from the owner on a beautiful deck in the treetops on property. She also offered one to one life coaching which was very helpful to my on my path. As I was taking flute lessons from a local artist, Venu the guests got the pleasure of hearing his divine melodies as well. The guests seam to enjoy the community atmosphere and there was often a good conversation happening in the backyard hut where one could also order good traditional Kerala food and western food as well. There was one long term resident from England who was writing a book here as well as tourists passing through. Shiva Garden was a cozy and peaceful, clean and friendly home away from home. Thank you for the memorable visit!

Stayed June 2013, travelled solo

Trip Advisor

“Good place”

Shiva garden is a good place when you are going for Ayurveda treatment and swimming in the sea or take yoga.
Our room is clean, simple no a/c but nice to stay 
People are friendly here. Food is good.

Stayed November 2013

Trip Advisor

“The best place in Varkala” * Thank you Sarah!!!

I have stayed at Shiva Garden for just over 3 months. It is easy to get stuck in Varkala but somewhere like Shiva Garden makes you want to stay forever. It is a haven of peace and the owners have created a real family atmosphere for backpackers travelling alone or in groups. I came here with a friend but decided to stay on when he returned home. The yoga classes in the morning are brilliant - I was a complete beginner, couldn't even touch my toes and now I'm almost at advanced level. The yoga yeacher also offers massages, reiki and life coaching of which I've tried all three and they were really therapeutic, I'm very glad I did them. The rooms are great and clean and the communal area is brilliant and a great place to hang out with other backpackers. Shiva Garden is my home in India and I'm already planning my next trip back.

Stayed September 2013

Trip Advisor

“just a perfect place” * Thank you Bea!!!

Shiva garden
We stayed for 5 days in one of the very confortable appartements around a very big and shady garden with a big commun table and many simple rooms is a perfect place to meet travelers and to rest in the hamacas looking at the huge coconut trees. The good ambience given by the staff, the soft music, the many guests and the host , Jayan and Sonia.
Sonia offers very good and personalised yoga classes in a nice space on the roof, in three days i could really fell my progress . She was also an excellent hollistic psicho therapist for me. Jayan was always ready to help and give us good advices. The staff was always ready play with our two sons, of 11 and 2 years old boys. Our baby had a lot of fun playing with Divian, the host´s baby who shared all her toys durind our stay. The wifi worked perfectly and there was good books to read and exchange. Food given is delicious!
best regards Sonia and Jayan 
Bea

Stayed October 2013, travelled with family

Trip Advisor

“A real paradise...” * Thank you Mar!!!

The moment I entered Shiva Garden, everything felt so peaceful and relaxed. I had planned to stay just a few days, but ended up staying almost a month. I loved the big garden, with its coconut trees, banana trees, hammocks, swings and tree huts. Every morning I started my day with yoga. I really liked Sonia's way of teaching and her guided meditations. Also an astrology / numerology session with her gave me a lot of insights. Varkala is a perfect place to find the balance between self development, relaxation and social time. Almost everybody who ends up at Shiva Garden, stays much longer than they originally intended. Therefore you really get to know each other and it's so nice to spend time together. Varkala, and especially Shiva Garden, is a place which is pretty difficult to leave...

Stayed November 2013, travelled solo

Trip Advisor

“BLISS” * Thank you Ricky!!!

Wow wow WOW!!
What can I say, I absolutely love this place..
Full to the brim of good vibes.
You come, and you never want to leave.
The traditional keralan breakfast is amazing, among the other food choices.
Set out in between a garden of coconut palms, banana trees and papaya...this place is paradise.
Jayan and Sonia have done really well to make this a beautiful family homely vibe, with little baby Divya adventurously walking around and a pet dog, among the beautiful people you meet here. It is hard to not have your heart stolen.
Also I really enjoyed Sonia's morning yoga classes. Her teaching approach is so caring and warming.

Like many, I stayed longer then intended.
Highly recommend to anybody visiting Varkala.
You join a ever growing family here.
Looking forward to returning :).

Stayed December 2013, travelled solo

Trip Advisor