I cut my two days in Varkala short by one to jump on the houseboat with the boys, and I'm certainly glad I did.
There are some places I've been that are "made four tourists": Dahab in Egypt, Yangshuo in China, and now Varkala in India. While I honestly do enjoy the little strips of great restaurants and shops, it's certainly far from an authentic experience.
Varkala is one of Kerala's handful of beaches, set below a cliff which is lined with the aforementioned shops and restaurants. It's clearly low season here, and probably 75% of the places I walked past were closed.
This is the annoying thing about Varkala. Westerners somehow feel it's acceptable to go to the beaches in their bathing suits. What follows are young Indian boys, literally just there to gawk and the near naked women. Even clothed in a long skirt and what was for me a daring decision to wear a tank top, my walk down the beach was interrupted many times by these kids wanting to chit chat. It was pretty off putting,so much so that I left the beach for a cafe up on the cliff.
I suppose if one had months in India this would be a nice place to relax for a few days. But if I had my week to do over, I'd take half of it in the backwaters and venture into the Hills which I hear are also gorgeous.
There are some places I've been that are "made four tourists": Dahab in Egypt, Yangshuo in China, and now Varkala in India. While I honestly do enjoy the little strips of great restaurants and shops, it's certainly far from an authentic experience.
Varkala is one of Kerala's handful of beaches, set below a cliff which is lined with the aforementioned shops and restaurants. It's clearly low season here, and probably 75% of the places I walked past were closed.
This is the annoying thing about Varkala. Westerners somehow feel it's acceptable to go to the beaches in their bathing suits. What follows are young Indian boys, literally just there to gawk and the near naked women. Even clothed in a long skirt and what was for me a daring decision to wear a tank top, my walk down the beach was interrupted many times by these kids wanting to chit chat. It was pretty off putting,so much so that I left the beach for a cafe up on the cliff.
I suppose if one had months in India this would be a nice place to relax for a few days. But if I had my week to do over, I'd take half of it in the backwaters and venture into the Hills which I hear are also gorgeous.
Kids and Indian families playing on the beach
A little self portrait on the beach.
Classic: two Indian kids bothering a woman in a bikini.
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