Leave behind Goa's clamour for peaceful Gokarna

Kudle Beach

The laidback town of Gokarna may not be on a popular list of vacation destinations. However, this out of the way coastal town in Karnataka could well be a vacationer’s dream destination. If you are disillusioned with the clamor of the more glamorous Goa, that is a mere one and a half hour train journey away, and seek the true bliss of seaside living, Gokarna is the place to be.

Once you get off at the Kumta railway station, that mind you, does not have a platform, you are greeted by red soil and coconut trees. A short walk to catch a bus to Gokarna will put you with only locals who return home after calling it a day in the larger neighboring towns. The winding road from Kumta Railway station is a scenic and interesting one and will take you to a small bus stop with barely 15 buses to accommodate. The Gokarna bus stop is a nondescript one.

Gokarna's colourful market
A short walk from the bus station to your accommodation will make you realize that you can get to just about everywhere in this place by just walking. A typical coastal town, Gokarna is all about the sand and the sea with an olfactory treat of tangy sea air and musty sea fish. If you have settled on staying at one of the many estates that offer a local accommodation, you will have awarded yourself a calm and rewarding experience. People usually rent out their accommodations for months at end and very few hotels are found here. A room in one of the hotels would cost around Rs 500. The only pub in the town is right next to the bus stand. Those seeking the thrill of alcohol might be disappointed to know that liquor in Karnataka is much more expensive than liquor in Goa. However, the endearing 130 ml tetra packs of Old Monk would probably be a novelty to vacationers from the North.

Locals selling fish at the side of the road
A 10-minute walk to the beach is one of the best parts of staying at this small place. The concrete of the town gives way to the rustic countryside where thatched roofs are still very visible and locals go about selling their wares to tourists. One will come across women haggling with their customers over the cost of the different kind of sea fish that they freshly procure from the sea in the early hours of the morning.

There are few or no Indian tourists in this town, so it will not be out of place to find out that you are the only Indian tourist there. The food should not be a problem with those who do not take well to the local cuisine.

One of the rocky beaches of Gokarna


Half Moon Beach

Paradise Beach

Once you are on an exploration spree, there is beach after beach to explore. The white sand on the beaches make this destination a favorite among the foreign tourists as they find themselves comfortable and make themselves feel at home. Some of the most beautiful and pristine beaches including Om Beach, Half Moon Beach, Paradise Beach and Nirvana Beach are submerged during high tide and are only accessible by boat.

Om Beach
A ride to these beaches will bring you in close quarters with the dolphins found in these parts of the Arabian Sea. Splendid sunsets make for picture perfect evenings as the waves rock your boat that the drivers dock in the middle of the water to watch the dolphins.

The famous temple at Gokarna is another attraction of the place and the locals and tourists alike swear by the rath yatra that is organized in this town.

While the small town has its own railway station the Gokarna Road railway station, there are only a few trains that go directly here. The more frequented railway stations of Karwar and Kumta are a half hour bus journey away from Gokarna.

Gokarna is dotted with old architectural wonders

A juggler showing off his skills on Kudle Beach

Acrobats warming up at Kudle Beach



Source: www.dailypostindia.com
Photos by Raghav Shikarpuria

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