After four months of swollen rivers, shuttered jungles and coastlines lashed by erratic tides, October brings a sweet seasonal reset across India. National parks across the country are throwing open their gates, up in the hill stations, the air turns crisp without being biting, and Goa becomes generous once again, with its beach days. Add to that two long weekends—2 October at the start of the month and Diwali later on—and suddenly there’s ample time, and not enough excuses, to put off the trip you’ve been plotting and planning all monsoon long. From a wildlife homestay on the edge of tiger country, to a restored bungalow in Goa’s paddies, these picks allow guests an intimate and immersive lens into the local culture of their regions. Not to mention, they make the most of the weather working in your favour. Here are five homestays in India to visit in October.
Verve Estate, Goa
View across the estate, Verve Estate, Goa, IndiaCrookes & Jackson
Where the rest of North Goa pulses with new cafés, designer boutiques, and weekend pop-ups, Guirim remains unhurried. Tucked within this landscape of vast paddy fields and jackfruit trees, is The Verve Estate—a century-old Indo-Portuguese bungalow that’s been restored with meticulously obsessive detail by Rubeena Singh, her husband, Vivek Soni, and their daughter, Valeska. Once part of the palatial estate of renowned surgeon Dr. Aquilino Almeida, his home stood as a tangible symbol of his stature. Originally built in 1925, the estate was a textbook example of Portuguese-Goan architecture, complete with a sloping tiled roof, arched doorways and a grand balcão. The family enlisted Goa-based architect Paul Rodrigues, known for his sensitive restoration of heritage structures, to bring it back to life. The result: a home where hand-laid hexagonal mosaic floors meet vintage chandeliers, where restored colonial-style beds and furniture rest in six majestic suites, and every corner hums with stories of the past—woven seamlessly with creature comforts of the present. Beyond the suites, the home opens into wide and airy common spaces. At the heart of the bungalow is the grand hall—divided into three sections by sweeping arches—comprising a lounge filled with natural light, a colonial club-style library bar, and a 14-seater dining table surrounded by walls adorned with vintage plates. While antique mirrors catch the sunlight streaming through the grilled windows, a series of framed botanical prints echo the garden in full bloom outside. Designed to be wheelchair-friendly, The Verve Estate is one of the few luxury villas in Goa that caters thoughtfully to senior citizens and guests with mobility concerns. The property features gentle slopes at each entrance, a pool with an easy ingress and steps for seating, and spacious suites with accessible layouts. Entire villa for Rs2,00,000. To book, send a DM on Instagram. — Ela Das
Birdsong Homestay, Darjeeling, West Bengal
Birdsong HomeBirdsong Home, Mirik
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