This is a trip log from our 18-day road-trip around Coastal and Western
Karnataka (with a few days in Goa). Details of our daily itinerary have been
mentioned, alongwith some tips and distance travelled during the day. This
should help you plan the time required in each place, as well as things that
can be covered in a day.
Travelled in:
Jan-Feb 2013
Itinerary:
Bangalore-Sravanabelagola-Sakleshpur-Belur/Halebidu-Venoor-Moodabidri-Mangalore-Udupi-Goa-Gokarna-Murudeshwar-Hulgol-Bhadra-Bangalore
Day 1 - 15th
Jan, Sravanabelagola & Sakleshpur
Left Bangalore at 7:15 am. Had breakfast at Café coffee day in Yadiyur.
Reached Sravanabelagola at 10:15 am. Climbed 700-odd steps uphill, on the
hot stone steps; heeding local advice, wore socks, which saved our feet from
burning, as footwear is not allowed. Spent 2 hours looking at the Bahubali
statue and other smaller shrines. Though Sravanabelagola in the heat had worn
us down a bit, decided to brave 200 odd steps to Chandragiri, the hill
opposite. The beautiful Parswanath statue was absolutely worth the climb! Spent
an hour at Chandragiri, before leaving for Sakleshpur. After lunch at
Channarayapatna, reached Sakleshpur at 4pm and drove on beyond to
Mugilu, our home-stay. Spent the evening walking around meadows and went out to
see stars after dinner, in the crystal-clear sky.
Kms covered:
266
Day 2 - 16th
Jan, Sakleshpur
Woke at 6am - too cold! Woke again by 6:30, had coffee and left for
a trek. Walked through the meadows, up another hill and down to a stream.
Back after 2 hours, for breakfast and a nap, to get rid of fatigue
from yesterday. After lunch, left for Belur, to see the Chennakesava
temple. Tip - the temple faces east so mornings will be best time to visit. The
craftsmanship of the temples defies descriptions! Left the temple after
spending 3 hours there; much more than we’d expected. So, had to abandon plans
of visiting Halebidu. Returned to Mugilu at 8 pm, in pitch darkness.
Kms covered:
102
Total distance
so far: 368
Day 3 - 17th
Jan, Moodabidri and drive to Mangalore
Went for a walk in the meadows, in the morning. Left after breakfast, and
drove via the highly scenic and winding Shiradi Ghat, alongside a beautiful
river. Saw a quirky church and a wedding hall along the way. Quick lunch break
at Uppinangadi, at hotel Aditya, on the highway. Good service and food. Drove
towards Moodabidri - people directed us to a route via Bantwal, on BC road,
but, decided to take the route via Belthangady. Gravel, single lane road for
3-4 kms, as work is going on. After Belthangady, reached Padangady and had a
quick stop at a Jain temple there. Next, at Venoor, saw a temple accessed via
high steps, but it was closed. But, saw a Gomateshwara statue and temple. Left Venoor
at 4 pm and reached Moodabidri at 4:45 pm.
Went to Moodabidri’s famous 1000-pillar temple; the architecture was
unique. Left after an hour and went hunting for the ‘guide-book recommended’
Guru basadi (Jain temple) on temple street. Got lost and saw a scenic old pond
and Jain tombs instead. In fast-fading evening light, took the road behind the
pond, got more lost, and met a priest sweeping the street. Saw his Hira basadi,
with beautiful mud tirthankaras and goddesses Padmini and Lakshmi. The joys of
getting lost! Finally, the priest directed us to Guru basadi, and we saw the
evening aarti. Left Moodabidri at 6:45 pm, almost 2 hours behind our
preferred schedule, to avoid night driving. Reached our hotel in Mangalore (35
kms away) at 8 pm.
Kms covered:
192
Total distance so far: 560
Total distance so far: 560
Day 4 - 18th
Jan, Udupi & St. Mary’s
Awoke late and left only at 10 am, to Malpe dock and pier for the St.
Mary’s ferry. From Mon-Fri, fixed departures are only at 10 am and 3 pm. But,
if they have a minimum of 30 people, they depart even at other times. It takes
30 min to reach the island and the ferry will wait for 1 hour, to bring you
back. Speedboats are supposed to be available from Malpe beach, which takes
only 15 min. Tip - choppy waters, so take medicine; and, speedboats may be a
bad idea for the same reason. We had very few people waiting so decided to not
waste time and went to Udupi instead (20 min away).
Reached Udupi’s Car Street (pedestrians only) and had lunch of masala
dosa and bun, Udupi style, at the famous ‘Mitra Samaj’. Went to
Chandramoulishwara, Anantheshwar and Krishna temples. No photography is allowed
at the Krishna temple. Had a jostled darshan; it was ‘Lakshmi alankaram’ for
the idol as it was a Friday. Left Udupi and reached St.Mary’s ferry point for
the 3 pm departure. St. Mary’s island is so beautiful but heavily littered,
with broken alcohol bottles everywhere. It made me want to cry; we take no
pride in whatever beauty our country has, and spoil it by littering. Reached the
dock and drove back to Udupi by 5 pm, expecting to see the 'evening bustle',
but there was none. The chariot was only going to be lit by 7 pm.
Finally, at 6:30 pm, left Udupi and reached Mangalore for dinner. Went to
iconic ‘Ideal’ and had local specialities - ghee roast and gadbad.
Kms covered:
140
Total distance
so far: 700
Day 5 - 19th
Jan, Mangalore and Kambala
After breakfast, went to Mangala Devi temple, Rozario cathedral and St.Aloysius
chapel. Rozario has beautiful epitaphs. Aloysius has amazing paintings,
frescoes and canvases; it took a little over 2 years to be painted by an Italian
artist. There isn’t any other such painted chapel in the world, other than Sistine.
Photography isn’t allowed. Went to ‘Ideal’ again, for lunch….hooked on to the
local food. Left after lunch, to go to the Kambala (a ritual/sport of
bullock racing) near Kinnigoli. Saw the Durga Parmeshwari temple at Kateel,
en-route. It was originally very small, but has been expanded. No photography
allowed inside. The idol is very different – a featureless black stone. We reached
the Kambala venue by 4 pm, just as the main races were beginning. It was
quite an experience to be a part of village festivities and to see the sheer
muscle-power on display. Reluctantly left at 8:30 pm, as we had an hour’s
drive back to Mangalore.
Kms covered: 82
Total distance
so far: 782
Day 6 - 20th
Jan, drive from Mangalore to Goa
Left Mangalore after a late breakfast and drove to Goa via NH-17. Stopped
for quick breaks at Kaup beach (to see the lighthouse), Marvanthe (to enjoy the
stretch of road with the sea on one side and the river on the other) and to see
a view from the bridge at Bhatkal (a lovely panorama of the surroundings). Drove
past Karwar but it was post-sunset, so didn’t stop. Reached Varca, our
destination in Goa, at 8:30 pm.
Kms covered:
358
Total distance
so far: 1140
Day 7 - 21st
Jan, Goa
Bummed at Varca beach the whole day, from breakfast to sunset. The beach
is much quieter than most popular beaches, and has a few good shacks and a good
stretch of sea. Didn’t move from the beach, except for a quick drive to the
nearest ATM.
Kms covered: 6
Total distance
so far: 1146
Day 8 - 22nd
Jan, Goa
After breakfast, left to explore beaches in South Goa. It is a beautiful drive
through ghats. Reached Palolem at 11:30 am - pretty beach with islands,
but, crowded (has shops lining the approach road, like Baga / Calangute). Left
after an hour to go to Patnem; reached in time for lunch, and settled in a
shack. Patnem is also pretty, with palms along the coast. But, non-crowded, and
mostly filled with foreigners. At the beach till 6 pm. Reached Varca after
a 1-hour drive.
Kms covered: 81
Total distance
so far: 1227
Day 9 - 23rd
Jan, Goa
Had breakfast and left for Panaji. Drove till Madgaon before we felt
sleepy and lethargic. Returned to Varca, napped, went to Varca beach and
settled down in the shack till sunset. Saw a lot of Starfish in the sand today.
Kms covered: 22
kms
Total distance
so far: 1251
Day 10 - 24th
Jan, Goa
Feeling fine today so decided to go to Panaji. Drove via Madgaon, trying
to find the recommended ‘Jilla bakery’ at Loutolim. It is 8 kms from Madgaon
circle, on the Ponda road, run by a family from their home. Bought a lot of
biscuits and cakes – polished off the divine custard éclairs, sitting in the
car outside their home, and ran back to buy more. Already 1:30, but decided to
reach Panaji (35 kms away) and have lunch. Had lunch at Tulip restaurant in
Marigold hotel, the only one we could find easily. The food was fine.
Left at 3:30 and went to ‘Our lady of Immaculate Conception’, a
beautiful white church. Then, drove to old Goa to see Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral
and Francis D'assissi. Gave a lift to a man who said he would show us the road
to old Goa, but he turned out to be heavily drunk, so had to put him in a bus, halfway
down the route. Drove via old houses in Ribander, known for its traditional
architecture, but did not see any oyster-shell windows I was looking for; since
we were late, couldn’t spend time looking at the houses. Reached old Goa
only at 4:15 pm, hired a guide, and saw the churches. They shut at
5:30 pm and we just about made it to the last one! Reached Varca and packed
to leave tomorrow.
Kms covered:
118 kms
Total distance
so far: 1369
Day 11 - 25th
Jan, Gokarna
After breakfast, checked out and left for Gokarna. Reached Gokarna in
3 hours. Had lunch at ‘Purohit’, at the town entrance, and it was bad! Reached
the guesthouse and took an afternoon nap. Left for Om beach at 4 pm. There
isn’t a good view of the 'Om', like you see in many photographs, unless you fly
over the beach. Om beach is crowded! Took a motorboat ride to see Half-moon and
Paradise beaches. Show shoals of silver fish jumping, and, the fins of 3 to 4
dolphins. Back in Gokarna town just before sunset, walked around...it is great
for people photography! Saw the Maha Ganapati temple with a very different
statue - a standing Ganesha in black stone. Went to the Shiva temple
(Mahabaleshwar temple), but, could not go in due to the maddening rush as the main
aarti was in progress. Foreigners are not allowed inside either temple. Had
dinner at ‘Pai hotel’, a small eatery serving good local food.
Kms covered: 135
kms
Total distance
so far: 1514
Day 12 - 26th
Jan, Gokarna
Left for the temples at 7:45 am; had breakfast on the way.
Restaurants open at 4 am or 6 am here! Republic day function for
school kids going on, so had huge jams. Long queue again at Mahabaleshwar
temple (might take 3 hrs, they said)! Conned by priests into taking Rs.1101
silver abhishekha so that we could go in, when we just needed to take the basic
Rs.250 one. Very upset about this. The Shiva linga has to be felt from a hole
in the ground. Finished the elaborate puja and visited the Parvati temple
behind. Decided to go dolphin-watching again. Marginally better luck than
yesterday; got dropped at Kudle beach afterwards. Lunch at ‘Shangrila’ shack - pizza,
falafel and pancakes. They have rooms too. Liked Kudle beach much better than
Om - sheltered, quieter, less littered, has shacks. Need to lie on the sand in
the open, though, unlike Goa.
The owner of our guesthouse freaked me out about the diving in
Murudeshwar...there have been a lot of deaths this week in the seas at Goa, Gokarna
and Murudeshwar! Don't want to dive now! Left for Murudeshwar at 4:30 pm
and reached under 2 hours. Massive traffic jam on the 2 kms long road leading
to Murudeshwar from the highway, due to the long weekend...dangerously narrow
streets with 2-way cars, people and stalls! Reached our hotel after an
agonizing 45 min for 2 kms! Went to Dreamz Diving to meet the team and the
participants in today’s dive...feeling a bit reassured now.
Kms covered: 81
kms
Total distance
so far: 1595
Day 13 - 27th
Jan, Murudeshwar
Reported for diving at 8:45 am, but, a group of certified
divers left first so we waited until 10:45 to board the boat.
Thirteen of us, all first timers, receive a briefing on the boat. Reach Netrani Island
at 12:30 pm. We only dock at Netrani, not alight from the boat. After some
snorkeling for practice, we take turns diving, with our instructor. Being pushed
backwards from the boat is scary. My heart pounds as I fall in, sink, and then
float up....drowning and dying must feel terrible! I dive twice, but cannot
descend beyond 5 metres. Being water-phobic, I keep swallowing water as I panic.
Others dive 12-15 metres. Despite that, I see blue and yellow striped fish, black
fish, a navy blue fish, a polka dotted and striped B&W fish, an orange fish
etc. Others describe their dive as ‘life-changing’. I’m told to return after
reducing my water-phobia. Am nauseous on the boat ride back...haven't eaten
anything since breakfast. We eat room service lunch at 5:30 pm and are knocked
out cold due to exhaustion.
Kms covered: 0
kms
Total distance
so far: 1595
Day 14 - 28th
Jan, Murudeshwar & Hulgol
Awoke later than planned, as we were tired. After breakfast, went to the
Bhoo-kailasa museum to see the Atmalinga story narrated using kitsch statues with
lifelike expressions. Saw Murudeshwar’s famous Shiva statue from the outside. Our
car had a punctured tyre, so left in a hurry without going to the beach or
inside the temple. Repaired the tyre and left by 11 am. Reached
Edagunji temple (30 min away), to see the unique, standing ‘bal-ganesha’ statue
with both tusks intact. The one in Gokarna is an ‘ekadanta’. Left for Hulgol 2
hours behind schedule! There is a steep ghat road till Jog falls, before
deviating towards Sirsi. Didn't stop to see Jog falls as the water was
apparently just a trickle.
Reached Hulgol after 3pm, for a late lunch. Left with Girish, our
guide, for a trek at 5 pm. He tells us that the Brahmins in Sirsi are originally
from Assam, invited by the ruling dynasty 800 years ago to come and settle
here. Many youngsters from this generation, however, prefer living in cities; Girish
foresees that in 10 years, the way of life in the village will end. Walking
through the region’s famed spice plantations, we reached a sunset point, to
enjoy a beautiful view, layering of trees and flocks of birds returning home. After
sunset, saw the village the blacksmith work at his home-office. He’s been
working from 5 am to 8 pm for 30 years now, using cold water, fire, hammer
and a metal file to make implements and instruments. Also went to a home
producing sugarcane and jaggery and saw the process of making jaggery. At least
50 people drop by at the house each day, to drink sugarcane juice. They refused
to take any payment for the numerous glasses we’d gulped down, saying we’re
guests; a moving gesture.
Kms covered:
165 kms
Total distance
so far: 1760
Day 15 - 29th
Jan, Hulgol
Had a sumptuous breakfast of local specialities, cooked by women from the
village. A 13kms long trek lay ahead. First, walked till a lake, spotting many
birds in the forest along the way. Went to a viewing tower by the lake, and saw
a huge flock of ducks flying around in circles. Next, trekked to a 17th
century Vishnu temple with carvings similar to Belur-Halebidu. Ate our packed
lunch and napped a while, in the shaded temple courtyard. On the way back, sprained
my knee while looking at the sky and walking, but had no choice except to
continue on foot. Stopped at some Jain monks’ tombs; Jains have been in Sirsi
since many centuries. Lastly, spent a lot of time at Sahasralinga, where Nandi
statues and Shiva-lingas float in the river Shalmali. Wading through the river
was a great way to spend time till sunset. After returning to the guesthouse, I
rested my knee while hubby went with Girish to the village ‘games club’, to
play Carrom.
Kms covered: 2
kms
Total distance
so far: 1762
Day 16 - 30th
Jan, Bhadra
We were ready to leave after breakfast, when the sight of about
20 Malabar pied hornbills on a tree distracted us. We also went to the village Ganesha
temple next door and saw the statue of Huliyappa, the guardian tiger god. We finally
left for Bhadra an hour behind schedule, via Sirsi & Shimoga. We reached
Bhadra after a 4-hour drive and ran to have lunch as it was almost 3 pm. Our
room on the island has a beautiful view! We left for the jeep safari at 4 pm -
saw a few mammals and many birds. Also, hornbills sitting on the road! Today
has been unbelievable hornbill luck!! Returning at 6:30 pm, we had
tea and snacks. A group of cricket coaches have come here for some seminar...a
bit annoying because their presentation occupies the whole dining hall, pushing
us to a dingy corner during dinner, besides being extremely noisy.
Kms covered:
189 kms
Total distance
so far: 1951
Day 17 - 31st
Jan, Bhadra
The boat safari began only at 7 am, due to mist. Saw Ospreys at very
close quarters! Back by 9 am, we breakfasted and napped. The afternoon boat
safari was only at 4:30 pm, due to heat. We again had 4 sightings of Ospreys....We'd
clicked a lifetime's supply of Osprey photos by now. Back in the evening, we debated
about Halebidu the next day; seeing it on the way the Bangalore seemed tight. Should
we stay the night at Hassan? But, rooms were expensive so we gave up. The
cricket seminar got over in the evening, but most coaches were still around.
They apologized for disturbing us yesterday.
Kms covered:
NIL
Total distance
so far: 1951
Day 18 - 1st
Feb, Bhadra & Halebidu
Left for the jeep safari at 6:30 am and returned only at 9 am. Activity
was low due to the cold weather and darkness; had a good Barking deer sighting,
though. Managed to check out only by 11 am and reached Halebidu in 2 hours. Had
lunch at the KSTDC hotel opposite the temple, and the food was bad! Halebidu’s
temple looked small in comparison to Belur and it seemed like we’d be done in
an hour. And then, we saw the ornate carvings; more so than Belur! Belur
temple’s plan has 32 star-like pointed surfaces, but Halebidu has 64, so, more
surface area! We were spellbound at the details and the Nandi statues too. We
spent time at the temple till 4pm and rushed after that. We drove to the nearby
Jain basadi to see the beautifully polished pillars. There was a road excavation
on the way to the ruined Kedareshwara temple so we decided to skip it. We left
for Bangalore at 4:30 pm, stopped for another
round of chai and reached Bangalore by 9 pm.
Kms covered:
347 kms
Total distance
so far: 2298
Road-trip
summary: 17N/18D, 7 bases for accommodation, 2300 Kms
See this link for some photographs from the road-trip:
Stories from various parts of this road-trip can be read here:
Bhadra: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.in/2013/10/bhadra-still-water-still-mind.html
Gokarna: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.in/2014/05/juggling-identities.html
Gokarna: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.in/2014/05/juggling-identities.html
Hotel details for this trip are here:
coming soon
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