My Most Recommended Homestays in Mangalore, The Coastal Karnataka
Mangalore, a coastal city in Karnataka, drew me in completely. I was there for two weeks and, in those two weeks, lived a lifetime. Mangalore is that kind of a place.
Perpetually rainy, filled with mangoes, coconuts, and bananas, and cradled by the Indian Ocean. Every street and room is fragrant of coconut oil, which is used for cooking. The fishmonger comes early in the morning, and fish is part of at least one meal daily. Fries and curries are made in a delicious spice paste. Probably you will eat your hand. I was about to.
We stayed on the first floor of an old couple’s independent house. It was monsoon. Their mango tree didn’t bear fruit, but birds chirped on it all day. The tree overshadowed some part of the terrace outside our rooms. The terrace was a green carpet of moss and algae. Mangalore is friends with the monsoon, which comes every year and flows unabashedly, proudly.
Our hosts had asked us to walk carefully. They said the terrace was slippery. Some of it was covered in a plastic sheet, but there was bare surface too. I stepped firmly as I paced the roof with a cup of steamy ginger tea, sometimes holding a blue-white Maruti umbrella (lent to us by the hosts).
Families bleached their roofs and courtyards from fear of falling. Every inch of cement breathed in Mangalore. Yet it poured down, every morning and evening, for hours.
I was amazed by Mangalore, its people, and food. Everyone was decent, lovely, and helpful. Food was so varied, rich, and new that it surprised me. The sea was full of fish, which were sold at the beach every day all year. But don’t make the mistake of undermining their vegetarian fair. Mangaloreans know how to cook colocasia leaves, they steam their idlis in jackfruit leaves, and ripe jackfruit is mixed with rice and steamed in banana leaves. They use everything from fruits to roots. Wrestlers’ statues decorate squares, and neighbors go to yoga classes together.
Oh Mangalore!
This article is about the best homestays in Mangalore. For travel stories, you can read these newsletters: a weekend near Mangalore’s Pilikula National Park, at a home stay in the rainy Mangalore, and a day at a Mangalorean beach.
For now, I am recommending the accommodation in Mangalore that was roof above my head for two weeks. I am also adding links to home stays in Mangalore that I liked online. All of them have great reviews, the location is good, and they seem to serve well for a short or long vacation. You can decide as per your budget.
Enjoy Mangalore and don’t forget to visit Udupi. If you go to just one place in Mangalore, go to Shetty Lunch Home. If you are a vegetarian, have their neer dosas with a vegetarian curry.
Some Lovely Places to Stay in Mangalore
Shreyas Homestay in Mangalore was our home. We had booked it for three nights and then extended it a few times.
Positives: The house is run by a friendly old couple who care for their guests. You get a two-bedroom floor with two bathrooms, a hall, and a balcony, along with a mango-tree-shaded terrace. There is a fridge, a kitchen with a gas stove, and a rickety washing machine. The host provided cleaning during the stay. The house is on a narrow street in a residential neighborhood, is quiet, and the main road, from where you can get auto rickshaws, is a few minutes’ walk away.
Uber or Rapido cabs and bike taxis can be booked from the homestay. About a ten-minute walk away is the bigger highway from which local buses are available. The nearest beach is about five kilometers away, which we visited by bus. A cab is a perfectly affordable option as well. The beds were comfortable. The windows overlooked the streets, gardens, and backyards. Everything was beautiful and lush green. As we ate at home many times, the hosts brought us home-cooked idlis, rice, and fish curries. Mangalorean food, as I said above, is delicious, and it was special to have it from the host’s house.
Things to consider: Indian homestays always come with a catch. Shreyas homestay has old equipment, worn-out kitchen utensils, and grime and dust in places. The washing machine ran like a tornado on the Spin cycle, making us run to hold it in place lest we wanted the whole street spinning. The refrigerator had mold on the door. Kitchen cabinets had a questionable amount of dust, grime, cobwebs, and old things lying in old bottles. The bedsheets, blankets, mats, and towels were overused and needed to be retired. The toilets weren’t the freshest or most inviting.
I could go on. I still recommend Shreyas because the host couple was friendly, warm, and sweet. After years of experience with homestays in India, I always take them with a pinch of salt. If not Shreyas, we would have had to go to a hotel in Mangalore. Or maybe another homestay with its own caveats and a higher tariff. No place comes without any compromises. In Shreyas, we had to adjust to things my partner and I could adapt to. And eventually, while choosing a homestay in India, my main priority is the host family. As long as they are supportive, respectful, and friendly, you can ask for help regarding the issues you face in the house. We could.
The host cleaned the house when we requested, especially the kitchen. There were small cockroaches, which disgusted us, but we kept our things securely packed. Running the washing machine had become fun for us. We never opened the cabinets that we had learned were dirty. We only used the better of the two bathrooms. Instead of sleeping in the room, we pulled out a bed in the hall. The hall was ventilated, cool, and we liked it better.
You know!
The house is exactly as shown in the pictures; of course, with the smaller details I mentioned above. It is a budget accommodation. In general, Mangalore Home Stays are expensive because of a tourism boom due to Bangalore.
Browse through Shreyas Homestay pictures here and book as you like. They do offer a weekly discount.
What I can promise about Shreyas Homestay in Mangalore: The hosts will always be nice, and you can ask them anything. The house will be quiet and cool.
Here are some pictures that I took during our stay.
I’m adding some homestays and hotels in Mangalore that I personally liked on Booking and other platforms. I put rigorous filters for rating and price, read through the reviews, and looked at the pictures and facilities. Everything considered, I’d recommend the Mangalore accommodations below.
2. Rahul Residency: This centrally-located homestay in Mangalore is not budget-friendly per se, unless you book a double room and use the shared kitchen. The reviews speak highly of the owner and the caretaker at the property. I would definitely consider this guesthouse in Mangalore on my next stay.
Look at Rahul’s Residency rooms and apartments here.
3. Sea facing 2BHK, Kutira: Close to Mangalore’s pristine Surathkal beach, but far from the central train station and temples, Kutira is a highly-reviewed sea view apartment. The fully-equipped house is praised as clean and comfortable and the hosts are praised. This is a well-priced accommodation for its scenery and facilities. The descriptions and host’s replies to reviews tell me, they are polite, caring, and friendly. I recommend.
Book Kutira here, or see the reviews and decide.
4. Belen – Service Apartment: More expensive than Shreyas, this home stay in Mangalore looks clean, fully-equipped, and managed by great hosts. The location may not be central but the hosts help with everything.
Reserve Belen Service Apartment here.
5. Shangri-La Boutique Farmhouse Mangalore Airport: Another one of Mangalore’s exceptionally-reviewed if a little more expensive homestay that I recommend. The guesthouse is run by a mother and daughter and is located close to the airport. Ideal for international travelers or those who plan to fly to the city. If you love nature, comfortable stays, and want to experience local cuisine and culture, Shangri-La could work out well. They have rooms with balconies and patios, however, there is no kitchen. The family serves homemade meals, along with fruits and vegetables from the garden. Enjoy!
Have a look at Shangri-La Boutique Farmhouse here.
6. Casa pinto Valencia and The Second Storey- no lift facility: Located near the Mangalore Railway Station, the homestay offers double rooms and apartments. The stays look clean, well-designed, and fully equipped. Casa Pinto Valencia is budget friendly, and the hosts seem nice.
Check out the homestay here and make a booking.
7. The Little Prince – Mangalore Beach Homestay: The Little Prince is situated at the Thanirubavi beach, but away from the center or railway stations. The reviews are good, you get a garden around the property, and the food looks delicious. They might have a swimming pool, too. Have fun.
Reserve The Little Prince.
8. Aikya: Though a bit far from the center, Aikya offers fully-equipped two-bedroom apartments. The guesthouse is reviewed well for cleanliness, and the host and the staff are praised, too. To me, Aikya looks like a nice accommodation in Mangalore. I recommend.
Browse Aikya’s pictures here and book.
9. Tauro Estate Stay: Choose this well-reviewed homestay in Mangalore that offers double rooms and a big swimming pool in a green home especially if you are looking to learn surfing.
Have a look at Tauro Estate Stay here.
And Some of My Best Hotels in Mangalore (India)
1. Goldfinch Hotel Mangalore: Close to beaches and rail and bus transport, this centrally-located hotel is highly-reviewed. Goldfinch is for medium budget travelers. The rooms come with attached bathrooms, work desks, and a hot kettle for tea and coffee. A good hotel in Mangalore for no-fuss and weekend tourists.
Look at the rooms of Goldfinch here and reserve.
2. Hotel Laxmi Cityside: A well-reviewed hotel near the railway station with double rooms and suites. All rooms have attached bathrooms and a kettle. For those who are looking for a no-fuss stay in Mangalore near the city centre.
Find Hotel Laxmi on Booking here.
A place I do not recommend:
Urban Retreat Homestay near Pilikula Biological Park: I guess we were unlucky with our timing. The owner wasn’t there, and the caretakers were not nice. I don’t want to go into the details but thought to mention the name here so you may avoid a bad experience. The location is near Pilikula Biological Park, which is a great area for those who want to experience a green Mangalore countryside. Maybe choose another homestay nearby?
Which of these home stays in Mangalore would you choose?
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