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I was googling something when came to know about this...
LONLEY PLANET ON KERALA: No longer trusting the Guidebook writers (some of whom were apparently smoking too much hash when they did their research;-), I half expected Varkala to evoke memories of Anjuna, but we were delightfully surprised: Varkala has a great vibe, the locals and vendors are friendly and decidedly NOT aggressive (they even have welcome signs which promise not to harass you), and the view strolling along the cliffs is enduringly beautiful. There is LOTS of great fresh fish, at reasonable and negotiable prices/portions (the Sea Queen restaurant offered the best value), and the rooms in general are nice but a little pricey. The management (Mahdu) and staff at the Hill Palace Beach Resort are top-notch, and we had a nice second-floor ocean-view room for 700R, followed by an equally nice first floor room for 500R. (Mahdu was most generous to allow me to keep that room for several days after my partner left, at 400R per night; the day I moved to cheaper quarters he rented out the same room for twice the price to a Japanese traveler.)
Amantha’s Family Restaurant served great Chai and lunches at reasonable prices, but the ocean-view accoms behind it (200-300R) were being ’managed’ by a Morrocan drug addict so service and cleanliness were sketchy, to say the least. All of the hotel prices listed in the LP guide were short by at least a third - with some people asking ridiculous prices for average rooms even further north at Odiom Beach. (Besides the fact that EVERYTHING in India is negotiable, and vendors often throw out the first price which comes to mind - to see if you’ll bite - the availability and pricing of accommodation might be largely influenced by a dramatic increase in Indian Tourists, as said Indian Tourists are going for shoulder-season prices but essentially extending the "high season" in the process.)
I spent 13 days in Varkala so I must have liked it;-), but there were some noise problems, particularly with the new owners of the "Rock N’ Roll" Bar (who wouldn’t recognize Rock music if it bit them in the ass), and who apparently paid big bashkeesh to blast their music until 4 am while all the other bars were turning down the decibels way before midnight. (Important NOTE: some of the best drinking water in S. India - far better than the bottled water - can be had near two of the staircases which descend to the beach. Filtered over many years through the shale stone, the water tastes delicious and I drank it for 10 days without the least problem. All the locals drink it & many restaurants make their ice from it:-), so instead of being one of the haughty tourists who scorn this natural wealth of good drinking water, save money, minimize garbage, and drink to your heart’s content!:-)
LP on Mysore: LP listed restaurants were as advertised and quite good, and the lighting of the Temple on Sunday night was pretty but not necessarily worth going out of your way for.staying near the Namdrolling Tibetan Monastery/refugee camp, which a young British traveler had enjoyed a few weeks earlier without an India Government Permit, as *corroborated* by the LP guide. However, the monks I met were of no help as to any accommodations besides the (one and only) Guest House in the near-bye shopping center, and there I was informed that as an American I would need said permit even to spend a night...
LP on Goa: You can basically chuck the guidebook as regards Anjuna, although we did spend two nights at the LP listed, peaceful and "reasonably" clean Palmasol Beach "Resort", for 250 R a night. We were in Anjuna primarily for the Wednesday Market, (which is filled with aggressive vendors and something of an assault upon the senses but worth seeing), and largely mirrors the reality of Anjuna’s "streets", where I was CONSTANTLY approached by people who either wanted to clean my ears or sell me drugs. (I *understand* that some very fine black hash was available, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the syndicate and the constabulary