Varkala was a backpacker haven. After the long trip from Chennai, it was nice to finally settle down for a few days to relax and enjoy the beach. Considering it was winter in Canada, I truly appreciated the hot weather. Also, being away from the crowds like it was in Delhi and Kolkata, it was nice to find some time wind down. The hostel was in a beautiful building with some very helpful staff. I was also able to meet some nice travelers in my hostel who I was able to get along with. Varkala has very much a hippie feel to the place. Worth the trip.