West Wind Homez ( Home Stay )

West Wind Homez stay was a wonderful experience, partly due to the beauty of the backwaters and scenic setting of Kumbalangi. Partly due the serene, scenic homestay, with a direct view into the backwaters. And perhaps, much more due to the polite friendly host. The stay was indeed comfortable. The host (Mr. Jojo Paul) made everything in proper shape for our stay. The native breakfast with a dose of affection made it truly homely. And, the host made it a point to take us around the beautiful Model Village of Kumbalangi .... it's fish farming waters, it's calm beach touching the Arabian Sea, the ferrying spot between islands, the scenic Chinese nets against a setting sun and even to a spot where hot pazham pori was offered. In all, a grand day's outing and good sleep on a Kumbalangi night. The only disadvantage of the lane to the homestay being narrow (for our tempo traveller) was overcome by the host, by driving his car through the narrow lane with all our luggage. Missed the bio luminescence ... it would be seen only during summer time, when salt concentrates. There is always a next time.

Went here randomly with my family consisting of a toddler and my aged parents,seeing the reviews and I can say without any doubt this place is a hidden gem. The location facing the backwater is just breath taking.Went here in the mid of March at noon time and boyy what a cool breeze the villa had that time. Couldn't believe it's possible in peak kerala summer time. This is a homestay run by a lovely couple Mr and Mrs Jose paul.This is a typical homestay where they are living in the same house.There is 2 rooms on offer with ac,water heaters and tv available.The rooms can easily accommodate 9-10 people.A cool common verandah with traditional kerala furniture is a welcome sight,i.must say. Please note there is no kitchen access.The couple do provide lip smacking kerala breakfast as a complimentary service.I am sure they can arrange lunch and dinner as well on request if needed. The food quality is very good which is not surprising as they share the food that they cook for themselves only.The rooms and the property is generally well kept and clean.They give bath towels however there is no other toiletries provided. Mr Jojo paul owns a kayak and a bigger row boat along with life jackets for those who want to experience serenity by rowing in the calm backwaters. He also arranges custom trips to near by prawn farms or kavaru(Bioluminescence) sightings or Fort Kochi trips.He also has some badminton bats and a desi fishing rod if you are in to those. Just let him know your need and Mr Jojo paul will make sure it's done. Please note however,there is no booze/liquor policy at this homestay.Mr jojo makes no compromises in that.His family has been around since 3 generations and have good connect with the local populace. Couple of other points to keep in mind.. 1)While there is sufficient parking space at the property,the last mile 200 metres to the property is narrow.You own an hatchback,no issues to reach the property.You have a sedan,it's tough but still possible but advisable to have someone to guide you from outside the car.Mr Jojo himself owns a sedan for that matter. Anything bigger than that,please do not attempt to drive in.You will get stuck.Just park your vehicle on the road(Mosco road or Kumbalangi road)and walk.Its best you speak to Mr Jojo before you reach the spot. 2) There is lots of mosquitoes around.But that is a common thing in Cochin.The property has adequate mosquito proof protection at all entrances of the house.However the outside area is not free from mosquitoes.Hence it's advisable to keep some sort of mosquito repellent with you. 3) Please note this is a budget homestay and not a resort.Hence expect facilities that you expect to find in any common person's home in India,that is homely food and a homely experience..If you are expecting comfort and luxury and extravanganza in your room, please do not book this place. Thanks Mr and Mrs Jojo paul for the awesome experience you provided to me and my family.I will not be looking for a different place when I am kumbalangi next time.

Everyhing was perfect ! Nice Big room, kind and caring family and perfect location, quiet and not far from the centre, bus stop very near or rickshaw. The best of both worlds...

The owner, Jojo Paul was very hospitable and did everything he could to ensure our stay was good. We had two rooms both ensuite for ourselves (mature couple) and our adult daughter. While simple, they had everything we needed and there was a kettle /dining area we could use, as well as a mosi screened sitting area, and chairs in the garden overlooking the lakeside. This faced west and we saw some beautiful sunsets. It was a quiet location and a relief to escape from the bustle of the main tourist areas of Kochin (c 7km). Breakfasts were home cooked - a range of Kerala dishes and fruits. Jojo Paul and wife Gladys also made us a tasty evening meal. Great to meet their son too and hear about their family. Jojo Paul could not have been more helpful and looked after us well including offering an ayuverdic remedy and making ginger root tea for our daughter when she felt unwell. ||Something to know in advance. If you're travelling by car - ie with an Indian driver - it's quite a narrow access lane to the house - so our driver couldn't park there - though there's space for smaller cars - and it's away from the usual tourist areas of Fort Kochin so may be harder to locate, though Jojo Paul provided good telephone directions . But the advantage was a more peaceful and attractive location. Bit wet underfoot in the lane when the rain torrented down! But it dried up pretty quickly.

We stayed one night in this lovely homestay on the backwaters. We were able to relax very well and enjoy our time there. We did kayaking and also catamaran boating which was fantastic. Jojo's family then cooked a very nice breakfast the next day. The rooms were good with nice sitouts to relax. Jojo was helpful whatever we asked and was a hospitable and good at conversations. We highly recommend this place.

I am late in reviewing this homestay. For some reasons, it got postponed. But nonetheless, I feel I should provide my viewpoints of our visit to this wonderful place right on the backwaters of Kochi. ||Kumbalangi is a model village as far as I know, developed keeping nature tourism in mind. West Windz is one of the two homestays you will find there. I am glad that I selected Mr.Jojo's place for my stay there for two nights with my wife and mother-in-law. ||We booked the entire place ( having only two rooms, a verandah and a dining space) since I wanted maximum privacy and I am glad I did that. Mr. Jojo did provide some discount for me. ||The homestay is ideally situated on the banks of the backwaters of Kochi, facing west. Throughout the day you will be greeted with gentle breeze. Add to that , the shades of the many coconut trees, couple of swings , couple of bamboo relax chairs, a cup of coffee - you get what you came for. Mr. Jojo and his family are wonderful host. They will make things easy and comfortable for you. Mr.Jojo is a knowledgeable person, very easy going and will try his best to make you feel at home. Please do not be put off by negative review I saw earlier. We have spent two whole days there and we have returned back completely satisfied. As a parting gift, Mr. Jojo has given us couple of pomelos from his garden. ||He arranged for an evening boat ride across the huge backwater. He also let me row his kayak on the backwater without any hesitation. The food cooked for us was excellent by any standard. The quantity was pretty huge as per our appetite. He would provide breakfast as complementary and you can have dinner there. Mostly , he would not provide lunch, as making this arrangement is difficult for him and most of the tourists do stay out of the room during that time.||Mosquitoes are common in Kerala but the house is well screened. You just have to be inside the house after dark. Sometimes, I would just go and sit on the bamboo chairs next to the water and enjoy the silent darkness in front of me.||We have nothing to complain about this place but only have heartfelt praises for Mr. Jojo, his family and the homestay. Do visit and stay there when you can. ||Do book directly with him, he has a website and phone number to communicate.||Go there with a open mind, relax and enjoy your stay.

Beautiful view, friendly host, and a neat place for a weekend getaway. There's a kayak available for our use to cruise around the backwaters, and the water level is only upto 4 ft even at 100m from the edge, so don't worry about falling into the water. There's no kitchen though. Only 2 bedrooms, with 2 attached bathrooms, a dining area, and a main hall. The kitchen is locked by the hosts, but they do make a healthy and delicious breakfast.

The owner made us most welcome and was a good source of knowledge about Kochi. The garden with its hammocks made for a perfect afternoon away from the noise of the city too. Best of all were the tasty Keralan breakfasts lovingly prepared by the hosts! This homestay doesn't offer western style comforts but this is reflected in the good price, and the opportunity to experience life as it is lived by the locals.