Annapara Homestay

We- me, my wife and pet dog had been looking for a place to stay in Wayanad for a while. The pictures of Annapara homestay looked very calm, relaxing and in the midst of nature so we booked it. The cost was Rs. 7200 per night with just breakfast. When we reached there we found that the room fan was barely moving and making a loud noise. We spoke with the staff and requested them to get it fixed. That didn't happen at all. They did give us a table fan instead. The area is well made, great aesthetics and the pool is also nice, even though it is full of algae and frogs, tadpoles... it is meant to be a natural pool. My main problem with Annapara was the quality of food. When we travel to homestays we actually look forward to the food as it is mind blowing. I've had huge spreads of amazing food at most places and this was a big let down. They served us very basic or below average home food. And even the number of dishes was very limited in each meal. While Kerala cuisine is something we love, we got a very generic tasting food. So we opted to drive 20 means and get food packed from the town nearby. Plus the coffee was terrible as it is made in the same water in which they boil a herb to make it healthy. So while you're in the middle of coffee plantations, you get really bad coffee to drink. And it's not even filter coffee. For this cost, the rooms are not in great shape, the lights and fans are an issue and the food is definitely not worth it. What is nice is the location and atmosphere and the two guys running the place are sweet and helpful.

I don’t usually write reviews, but I’m moved to write about my visit because it was just lovely! I visited Annapara at the end of July. It had been raining nonstop the previous few days and continued on for the first two of my three day stay. That was a treat! I was with a good old friend that I hadn’t met for years. The rain lulled us into a peaceful, nostalgic mind space perfect for catching up on each other’s lives. We sat on the porch sipping hot water boiled with a special herb that helped keep us healthy in the monsoon wet atmosphere. It made the water pink and tasted faintly like sarsaparilla. Annapara was full of special touches like this. We stayed in the newer guest cottage designed perfectly in keeping with the concept of using local materials. Roughly hewn granite columns, red terracotta roof and floor tiles with skylights, generous verandahs, interesting layout of space in the room, an extra loft bedroom…and some of the rooms were the original homes of the tea pickers that had worked on the tea and coffee estates, renovated to very comfortable contemporary standards. The friendly and hospitable staff took good care of us, from answering questions, taking us out for walks in the rain with umbrellas (they really wanted us to see the waterfall, but we decided to stay home), showing us tea and coffee shrubs and pepper vines to providing the most wonderful, authentic and delicious Kerala cuisine.. Some delicacies were served freshly steamed in banana leaves. We were curious about the preparation and were lucky enough to get a quick demo in the rustic kitchen. The layout of Annapara was rambling. We discovered a small amphitheater, a blue tiled tranquil pool that is fed by a waterfall (it overflows into a stream), a relaxing area with hammocks, mango trees that had just been harvested a month before, a badminton court and a fire pit on the way to the dining pavilion. After a meal, we sat on the family size swings, sipping strong local filter coffee and feeling ourselves relax and unwind. No sounds but the chitter of birds, the dripping of water from leaves, and an occasional car in the distance. No smells but wet earth and lush vegetation. There was decent wifi, so we did not feel totally cut off. And no mosquitoes! This was a lovely place to spend a few quiet days reconnecting with nature, my friend and myself. I would love to go back and spend a few days again soon. I would take a friend, a book…or I would write one, at a place like this.