While looking for a beach holiday close to Bangalore and any place other than Goa, but feels like Goa, Gokarna was chosen as our holiday destination! What a paradise it is! We went purely by internet reviews and it indeed worked out very well for us!
Took Karwar express(16523) to Gokarna road. Train left Bangalore city station at 8:00 PM and reached gokarna road at 1:30PM the next day. The train is almost empty after Mangalore station(Morning 9 AM). Nice neat train. Very scenic route as well. We chose train over bus as many people recommended ghat section bus route is very tiring. Anyway like always train journeys are awesome! This one too!
Once we got out of train we were caught hold off auto guys. There were only 2-3 autos during season we went(December 1st week). It's just start of season at Gokarna. We had our booking at Kudle beach at Bougain Villa at Kudle beach. The mail said it's near Hotel Gokarna international Kudle beach. Auto driver initially told 300 and then while getting down took 350rs. I think 300 rs is a good deal as roads are bad and kudle is about 25KMs from railway station. We later got a auto driver's number whom we could call and get into.
Note 1: Kudle beach can be reached thru a good 15min downhill trek from the point auto drops you. Pack light, you would be happy. No vehicle can go thru this route.
Kudle is breath taking awesome beach. It's a picture perfect destination.
Bougainvillea is part of arya ayurvedic center. Awesome location right at beach. The owner Vera maintains the place well and we got a neat spacious room facing beach! What more can one ask for! We paid rs.1750 per night thru booking.com.
The bougainvillea doesn't have a board of its own. Check for Arya ayurvedic center with a dancing lord Ganesha logo.
Non disturbing host and extremely courteous team of staff, excellent vegetarian restaurant. Inform them to use normal oil(default is coconut oil) you would get extremely tasty dish. As far as we have explored this is the best place to stay in Kudle .Kudle is the best beach in Gokarna.
We had nice food and rested for a while at hotel, then got into water watching sunset. Again had dinner at their restaurant Try their Aloo paratha(no/very less oil) freshly prepared. Pineapple juice, Gobi Manchurian(tell normal oil). Most dishes taste home style and great! It's open kitchen and they are all trained well.
The next day after good rest we woke and got into water. then we had some bread toast and went to OM beach. Its a good 15min uphill climb and 15 mins walk to reach. Om beach is awesome! We played in water for a while then had lunch at a restaurant there. There are many places put danger whirlpool, skip those places and play near water in a place where board is not there!!
We then took a boat ride back to Kudle seeing coupling of dolphins and amazing other beaches: Paradise beach and half moon. Both are stunning picture perfect beaches. A boat drop costs like 200 - 300 per person, based on crowd they have. More the crowd lesser priced it is.
All the beaches are so full of foreigners. But beaches are all safe in terms of waves and sand flatness. It is a nice experience to play safely.
Things to do at Kudle:
1. Watch sunset
2. Saturdays and Sundays you get speed boat, water scooter, banana boat etc...
3. Play in water - Safest beach to play in water, calm sea, flat sea bed. Just float...
There is pizza place next to Arya center, they make awesome wood fire pizza. Try their cheese olive pizza. Simply exceptional!!
Om beach:
- Dolphin view restaurant makes awesome toasts and milk shakes. Enjoy with the Om view....
- There are changing rooms near Government cafe. Make use.
- Even all the shacks allow you to change....
Day 3:
We walked about 20mins and then another 15min climb to the other side of kudle beach, took an auto visited Gokarna town. There are two temples 10mins each we spent. Then walked around the street and had awesome lunch and Prema, the best vegetarian place in entire Gokarna. What awesome pasta, noodles, lassi, Basundhi! So cheap and clean also!! Do have a meal here. Be very clear on what you want also!!
After that took an auto to Kudle and reached room rested and watched the enchanting sunset!! Sunset is very beautiful near cliff!!
Once sun is off you see all the shacks turning on lights, there is loads of breeze also!!
On day 4 we walked to Om beach hired a boat to take us to half moon and paradise, allowing us to spend time in these beaches then drop to Gokarna. It costed 1200rs and it's well worth. Boat person gave good 45mins at half moon to play in water. It was awesome!! Again clean water, sand and calm beach!!
We spent 10mins at Paradise it's a true paradise with coconut trees and wave pools!! Enchanting place!
Return thrill:
We had booked Airasia to fly back from Goa to Bangalore, to our surprise the previous night we got a call saying the flight is rescheduled from 5PM to 2:30PM, gates close by 1:45PM. We had a passenger train booking from Gokarna station at 10:10 AM which would reach 12:30PM Madgao station. From Madgao to airport is good 45min taxi ride to Dabolim (goa airport). We were hoping to catch flight till we heard once we reached Gokarna station that the passenger is 2 hrs late.
A smart station master/railway employee came for our rescue. We don't know his name but he is the God of that day! He quickly went and checked and told there is Gandhinagar express running late on that day, it would come to Kumta(station 30 kms from Gokarna) in about 30 mins. Take an auto rush and if you catch it you would reach Madgao on time. He gave a disclaimer also saying it may or may not work. But we have no better plans we follow his advise. He quickly arranged the auto and charge for this Kumta trip is rs.350!
We left Gokarna station at 9:25AM and the auto did make it by 10 AM to Kumta(30KMS). We took ticket rushed to platform, train arrived in 5 mins got into it.
The train made up for lost time, reached Madgao at 12:10AM, with so many tunnels, backwaters, lakes, this again is a very memorable trip!! We then hopped to a taxi to reach Dabolim by 1PM! Well before flight schedule!! What a relief! What a fun ride!
We are always thankful to the Gokarna railway employee and the auto driver!
Throughout gokarna we found exceptionally friendly guys! You speak in Kannada they love you so much!!
For a non partying closer to nature beach holiday!! This is the best place!! Enjoy the food and nature, holiday!!
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