Le Linda Homestay

When I was in Kochi, I spent 2 nights in Linda's homestay. I can only recommend the accommodation, it is in a quiet side street and all sights of Fort Kochi are within walking distance. Linda is a warm host and can also cook dinner for her guests on request. My 19-day tour of Tamil Nadu and Kerala ended here in Kochi; the tour planning was done by Frayssee India Tours and Biju drove me the 1500km route from one sight to the next in his car. I was very happy with him and can recommend him and his company as a tour operator without hesitation.

Linda is lovely. Would highly recommend staying here as a base and exploring Kerala. Room was simple and had everything you needed. Nayab the taxi driver is fabulous and looked after us, he was just splendid.

Very quiet and peaceful surroundings (by indian standards). Gorgeous home made food! The rooms are simple but very clean. Linda can arrange a tour (10 days) including massage and house boat on the backwaters. The homestay is at the moment in Mckenzie gardens area and should move out to Vely junction in about a year (into a brand new house).

we had a warm welcoming stay at Lindas homestay.Linda is a wonderful contact for travellers.She organized for us a fantastic trip to Muunar and the backwaters accompanied by the AMAZING driver and guide Nayab.

My husband surprised me by organizing my maiden trip to India with homestays. He chose Kerala as a gentle introduction to India. Months before our departure he had already identified Le Linda Homestay as our starting point of reference. We decided to spend 10 days on our Kerala adventure. We arrived at Le Linda's at 2am having been met at the airport by Nathan, a Cargill & patient driver arranged by our super host, Linda. If it's your first time to Kochi, the advantages of staying at Le Linda's are: 1) LOCATION - Linda's home is within walking distance of most of the major sites e.g. St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Indo-Portuguese Museum, Dutch Cemetery, Naval Museum, Chinese Fishing nets, Princess Street and lovely eateries on Rose Street. We enjoy walking as that's the best way of absorbing local vibes and from Linda's we easily walked to Dhobi Khana, Jain Temple, St George Orthodox Koonan Kurishu Syrian Church, ferry terminal to Ernakulam, bus terminal to the airport & Lulu Mall and Kathakali Dance Performance centre. Tuk tuks/auto rickshaws are also easily available from Linda's to visit Jew Town, Mattancherry Palace & Paradesi Synagogue. 2) LINDA'S KNOWLEDGE & WILLINGNESS TO SHARE - Linda is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to what Kerala has to offer. She arranged for our very enjoyable & fulfilling 5 day trip to Munnar (a hill station famous for its tea plantations & spice gardens), Thekkady (renowned for Periyar Wildlife Reserve where you'll be able to see animals & birds at close range) and Kumarakom (houseboat stay on Lake Vembanad). Linda has 9 years experience in managing homestays and has built up good contacts with other homestays throughout Kerala. Her bubbly & enthusiastic personality has endeared her to her houseguests who are more than willing to share their experiences with her. She in turn is very generous & helpful; when time permits she'll personally bring you to hunt for things on your To Buy List, introduce you to her 2 hour tailoring service, give you a Cooking Class on whichever Keralan dish you fancy, grind & mix her special Garam Masala on request, cook the most delicious meals for you. 3) COOKING - Linda's cooking is done with love & passion; her love of cooking and her passion to please the palettes of her guests. Her cooking skills show through the varied & wonderful tastes of her dishes; be they meats, seafood or vegetarian. Your request is her command! Linda is always eager to share her cooking skills, recipes & knowledge of Keralan cuisine with whoever is keen to learn. 4) HER HOME - Linda's homestay is simple but very clean. Most rooms are with en-suite bathrooms and have individual balcony or shared sitting areas. The room was very comfortable with a fan & aircon, thoughtful touches like hangers in the cupboard, hooked rail for clothes, mirrored dressing table with a chair and the bathroom had powerful hot water showers, long towel rail & a neat mirror with a shelf for toothbrushes & other toiletries. Thank you very much, Linda for your hospitality, warmth & enthusiasm.....it made my first trip to India a most memorable experience! Barry & I would like to wish you the very best in your new homestay which we hope to experience one day soon. Thank you too to your helpful husband, Thomas & pleasant son, Jibby for making our stay so comfortable!