Varkala Hostel
Hostel
Days 1–6
Varkala — board and bed - 7 Days (Trivandrum, North Cliff, Anjengo, Edava & Kappil)
Seven days, two sessions a day, under the cliff. The same week with boards and a guesthouse but coaching only on the first three days, for people who have surfed before.
Saltline Outfitters
Runs this trip
Surfing
Seven days, two sessions a day, under the cliff
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
North CliffSeven days learning to surf on a beach break under a laterite cliff, which is not a landscape the west coast repeats anywhere else. Papanasam beachTwo sessions a day is the schedule that actually teaches surfing. Black beachGetting past the break is harder than standing up and nobody warns beginners about this either.
Itinerary
Seven days learning to surf on a beach break under a laterite cliff, which is not a landscape the west coast repeats anywhere else.
Varkala, North CliffHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer up the coast from Trivandrum
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Cliff-top guesthouse
- Board fitting
LANDMARKS North Cliff Papanasam beach Janardanaswamy temple Start point Trivandrum, Trivandrum International Airport (TRV), Thiruvananthapuram 00:00 - 23:59Two sessions a day is the schedule that actually teaches surfing. One a day teaches you to be tired.
Varkala, North CliffHow the day runs
- 6:30 AM — theory on the sand, then two hours in the whitewater
- 4:30 PM — a second session on the evening tide
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Board and rash guard
- Two coached sessions
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Papanasam beach Beach break Getting past the break is harder than standing up and nobody warns beginners about this either.
Varkala, North CliffHow the day runs
- 6:30 AM — the paddle out, and the first unbroken wave
- 4:30 PM — evening session
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Board and rash guard
- Two coached sessions
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Papanasam beach Black beach Anjengo was the East India Company's first foothold in Kerala and the fort is still standing over the fishing beach.
Varkala, AnjengoHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — the backwater canal south
- 3:00 PM — the fort and the lighthouse at Anjengo
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Backwater boat
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Anjengo fort Kappil backwaters Lighthouse Edava is ten minutes north and usually empty, which by day five matters more than the wave being marginally better.
Varkala, Edava, KappilHow the day runs
- 1 hrs6:00 AM — north to the empty beach
- 4:30 PM — back at Papanasam for the evening
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Transport
- Board and two sessions
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Edava beach Kappil lake Backwater mouth By day six the coaching moves to the beach and you paddle out alone, which is the actual test of whether the week worked.
Varkala, North CliffHow the day runs
- 6:30 AM — coached from the beach rather than the water
- 4:30 PM — the last session, on your own
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationVarkala Hostel
Included Activities
- Board and rash guard
- Two sessions
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Papanasam beach North Cliff sunset Trivandrum is an hour south and flies to the Gulf as well as to Indian metros.
VarkalaHow the day runs
- 1 hrs11:00 AM — south to Trivandrum
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Board handback
- Airport transfer
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Cliff-top guesthouse
- Day 1Board fitting
- Day 2Board and rash guard
- Day 2Two coached sessions
- Day 2Guesthouse night
- Day 4Backwater boat
- Day 5Transport
- Day 5Board and two sessions
- Day 6Two sessions
- Day 7Board handback
- Day 1 · 6 nightsVarkala Hostel
- Day 1Varkala to VarkalaTransfer up the coast from Trivandrum
- Day 5Varkala to Edava6:00 AM — north to the empty beach
- Day 7Varkala to Varkala11:00 AM — south to Trivandrum
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts and 2 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 6
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
8 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.5/5
Based on 15 reviews
Review summary
Food4.1/5
Guide4.3/5
Itinerary4.5/5
Transport4.0/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator4.5/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Chandigarh2026-02-16 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Solid operator.
Reply from Saltline Outfitters
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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5
O
Owen Clarke – Toronto2026-02-16 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Good value for what's included.
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5
E
Elena Petrova – Dubai2026-02-16 · Verified booking
Kit was in good condition, which matters more than people realise. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Good value for what's included.
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4
N
Nina Hoffmann – Amsterdam2026-02-16 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Would send friends their way.
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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Indore2026-02-16 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Good value for what's included.
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5
M
Marc Dubois – Dubai2025-05-30 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning.
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5
J
James Whelan – Berlin2025-05-30 · Verified booking
Instruction was patient — I came in nervous and finished wanting to book the next level. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Solid operator.
Reply from Saltline Outfitters
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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4
F
Farah Qureshi – Jaipur2025-05-30 · Verified booking
Kit was in good condition, which matters more than people realise. No hesitation recommending them.
Reply from Saltline Outfitters
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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Questions people ask
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