This story is as much about Coastal Karnataka, as about the exciting road trip that we had a couple of winters back. Coastal Karnataka is serene, tranquil and gorgeous, and largely unexplored by travellers outside of Karnataka. A road trip to Coastal Karnataka is an invigorating experience. A Coastal Karnataka tour from Bangalore by road makes you experience gorgeous beaches, rivers, backwaters, temples, and heritage spots. Keeping all the above in mind, we chalked out a detailed itinerary of our trip to the western coast of Karnataka from the hustle bustle of the Bangalore city, covering some famous and serene places on the way!
We started off the first leg of the journey from Bangalore by heading towards Mangalore – known for its beautiful beaches, diverse culture and rich history. Early morning escapades, foggy windscreens, piping hot tea from roadside stalls and plenty of greenery around – that’s what a December brings you in western Karnataka. Having said that, the roadways in Karnataka are excellent. 8 lane roads, cars zipping by & a supercharged Maruti Swift is all we needed for this epic adventure. Pro tip: Do recharge your Fastag by atleast INR 2500 such that the entire trip is covered.
Here’s how our trip looked for fellow travellers: (A tad less than 1300 Km’s for the entire trip)
Day 1 – Bangalore to Mangalore & explore Mangalore (Night stay)
Day 2 & 3 – Mangalore to Udupi & explore Udupi (Night stay)
Day 4 – Udupi to Murudeshwar & Jog Falls to Davanagere (Night stay)
Day 5 & 6 – Davanagere to Hampi & explore Hampi (Night stay)
Day 7 – Back to Bangalore exploring Chitradurga on the way
Day 1:
The first day of coastal Karnataka road trip started with a Bangalore to Mangalore road trip. Although, one can do this whole trip in the reverse order as well. There are several routes to take from Bangalore to Mangalore. All of the routes from Bangalore to Mangalore require you to go through a section of ghat road on the western ghats. The route we took is:
Bangalore -> Hassan -> Sakleshpur -> Shiradi Ghat -> Mangalore
Stashed on the coast, Mangalore is an important port city responsible for business and commerce in the state of Karnataka. Best known for its Malnad charm with quaint houses in coconut plantations, temples and churches in a beautiful countryside atmosphere, Mangalore is certainly worth a visit! Routes leading to Mangalore have scenic drenched vistas for good part of the year and major spiritual destinations short drives off the highway.
Road Condition: The road condition is patchy between Hassan and Sakleshpur as road widening is in progress. Shiradi Ghat also has some bad patches but careful driving makes it doable.
We departed Bangalore around 5.30 AM. Had breakfast on the way. One can choose from a variety of places but a famous one is the Swathi Delicacy before Yediyur. Don’t miss their Masala Dosa and Filter coffee!
After Sakleshpur, we enjoyed a lovely drive through the Malnad region till we reached Mangalore.
After checking in to our hotel, we stepped out for a quick lunch. Post the same, the evening at Mangalore is all yours to explore. Below are some of the places of interest that can be visited:
A drive to Bekal fort to visit the lovely fort built by the sea by Tipu Sultan
Sunset at the Panambur beach or Tannirbhavi beach
Churches of Mangalore – St Aloysius Chapel, Roserio Cathedral, Milagres Church
Sultan Bathery – A watch tower constructed by Tipu Sultan from where you can get excellent views of the city
The evening was spent gorging on local delicacies available in Mangalore - namely the Mangalore Bun and Goli Bajji. While any coastal region does have delicious fish preparations, we didn't quite indulge in the same yet - maybe keeping in mind the rest of the trip ahead.
Dinner was in the restaurant attached with the hotel we had chosen and we settled in for some plain old daal chawal to call it a night. The Christmas Eve had the entire place decked up in twinkling fairy lights - giving the restaurant a vibrant feel.
Day 2: Mangalore to Udupi is preferably the shortest drive of our trip. Located at a distance of merely 75 KMs from Mangalore, the drive to Udupi can be completed in less than 90 minutes. The road conditions are excellent barring a few speed breakers in intervals, mostly at the junctions. While Udupi is a place of tremendous religious significance due to the Sri Krishna Temple, it is also famous for a levy of beautiful beaches. Below are some of the major attractions of Udupi to cover:
Marvanthe beach - As you drive towards Marvanthe beach you drive on a highway which has the Arabian Sea on one side and the backwaters of the Sharavati River on the other side! Awesome! So picturesque! Marvanthe beach is also starkly different from other beaches with black stones which you can walk across to view the sea.
Kaup Beach & Kapu Lighthouse - Lying between Mangalore & Udupi, the Kaup beach is one of the most picturesque and maintained white sand beaches in the coastal region. It is also famous for the Kapu Lighthouse – built-in 1901, which stands testimony to guidance & warnings provided to innumerable brave sailors.
St. Mary's Island & Malpe Beach - A set of 4 small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe is famous for its distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava. St. Mary’s Islands is also one of the 32 National Geological Monuments of India, as declared by the Geological Survey of India & an important site for Geo-Tourism and a must visit during the trip to Udupi. Dotted alongside is the Malpe Beach - another hotspot in Udupi. It is associated with settlements of the Mogaveera fishermen community, Malpe also serves as an important port major fishing harbor on the Karnataka coast. Street vendors line the beach with varieties of food on offer. A range of water activities like the Banana ride, Jetski & Parasailing is there for the enthusiasts to try their hands at.
Hoode Beach - Hoode Beach is a secluded beach located in Kodi Bengare village in Udupi. One can enjoy the calm ambience and gentle waves of the shore with coconut trees forming the perfect backdrop. Clear waters and pristine white sand allow for one to laze around the sand and catch the setting sun and its brilliant hues at dusk.
For a more detailed itinerary of Udupi, look no further as we've got your covered.
Next Up: Up, up and away towards Murudeshwar and Jog falls and its untouched treasures. Stay tuned!
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