Efkay's Home Stay

Having just returned home from our wonderful 3 week adventure in Southern India it is time to give out the bouquets!! Our first stop was this charming homestay in Mysore, never again will we look for posh hotels when you can be welcomed into someone's home in the way we were at Efkays. We arrived for breakfast after an eye opening 3 hour journey from Bengalaru airport to a beautiful room, excellent food and a peaceful haven away from the noise and hustle of the city. However Efkays central position meant it was easy for us to explore fascinating Mysore over the 3 days we stayed. Thank you Jo, love to your family and staff.

We arrived at Efkay's Home Stay early in the morning in time for breakfast, having arrived at Bangalore airport at 3 am with passport control and visas to get through before meeting with our driver. Jo, the owner of Efkay's gave us a very warm welcome and showed us our rooms which were so amazingly spacious with a huge dressing room and huge bathroom. The house is set in beautiful gardens with some interesting birdlife and a lovely swimming pool. We were offered breakfast which we declined as we needed to get some sleep but asked if we may have a light meal around midday which was perfect. There are 3 guest rooms and by all accounts all very spacious. We and all the guests took our meals in a very pleasant dining room that incorporated a fish pond with plants around it and a lounge area too. Also, there was a bar where we could assemble for pre dinner drinks. The meals were superb and the flavours were exquisite. All our dietary needs were catered for. We went for dinner in Mysore one evening which was disappointing and nothing like as good as Efkay's ! The staff were wonderful, very helpful and friendly. It was a perfect place to stay as it is very close to Mysore. You can even walk there if you choose to. Mysore is a very interesting city to visit. We visited the Mysore Palace, the Ranganatha Temple and the Daria Daulat (The Palace of Tipu Sultan), and the very pleasant Ranganathitoo bird sanctuary with over 170 bird species, otters and crocodiles, where we were paddled around the lake in a boat. A must visit is the Devaraja Market , so vibrant and colourful with magnificent fruit and veg stalls, incense, conical piles of Kumkum ( powder used for bhindis), flowers and garlands galore etc. Whilst staying at Efkay's we enjoyed our meals in the company of the other guests who were all very friendly and interesting. Thank you Jo and all your staff for making us feel so welcome, we absolutely loved it.

My wife and I spent 3 fantastic nights here at the start of our tour of southern India and I cannot rate Efkay's highly enough. We have never stayed in a homestay before and we nearly opted for a hotel. Thank goodness we didn't, Do NOT stay in a hotel, book Efkay's , you will not be disappointed. Book the Fergie Suite, it's huge! Don't eat out, eat in, the homecooked food was delicious and their chef has the biggest smile you've ever seen, especially when the plates are empty, which they always were. Jo organises everything , including my 121 yoga class, the teacher was incredible. The aperitive with Raian, fantastic bar, whilst discussing the highlights of our day and talking about golf were great fun. The location is perfect to see Mysore, the gardens are beautiful and you will not be disappointed if you stay here. Thanks Jo and Raian for looking after us.

Owners were away but we had a fantastic stay as the only guests in this quaint homestay. Staff were great and food delicious - we were raving about the carrot halwa which we had never had before. Accommodation is spacious if eclectic and beware of mosquitos. Nice little bar area and terrace to sit in in the evening - bring your own spirits. We were there for three nights upon arrival in Mysuru and a lovely introduction to this part of India. Enjoyed petting the friendly resident pooch.

Lovely quiet place with amazing food. This was our first stop after landing in India and we really valued the peace and quiet. Large cool room, very nice for three of us (extra bed very comfy). Great situation, near the town but off the main roads. Big gardens with nice pool, again very valued for relaxing. Food really great, home cooked and explained by the cook and the owner, gave us a feeling for the local cuisine. Nice little bar and relaxing sitting areas. Also must say that the owner was specially pleasant to our driver (which is not always the case with hotels and homestays who often have very bad facilities for drivers) and provided good lodging and food - which is a factor we found excellent and very reassuring and safe. Highly recommended and we'd certainly stay again.

Efkay's is an oasis away from city life. It sits on a lovely, peaceful property. Jyotsna and Raian made us feel very welcoming as did their staff. Jyotsna recommended places to shop and my husband enjoyed talking golf with Raian. The accommodations are very clean, quiet and comfortable. The home cooked meals were some of the best we had on our trip through India! We highly recommend Efkay's Home Stay.