Fables say it’s a temple town, and I say its a paradise for hipsters. If you are in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore or nearby, you can’t just afford not to visit the hippy beaches of Gokarna. It is situated in the realms of Karnataka some 484 kilometers away from Bangalore.
Your mind is already like, “Why I should visit this place ?” Isn’t Goa better off. “If Goa is Hard Rock cafe then Gokarna is Nirvana performing Live at Hard Rock Cafe.”
So my very first solo trip to Gokarna started from Pune when I got fed up of work life and decided to board a bus from Pune to Gokarna. But eventually I met a bunch of guys in the bus and got the whole hippie gang for the trip. Now you can easily take an overnight journey from Pune to Gokarna by bus. But Alert ! the bus drops you at Gokarna cross which is on the highway and is another 8 km from Gokarna town. So you have to take an auto from there to Gokarna. It may cost you from INR 300 to 400 depending on your skills.
Although Gokarna is a hippie nation but there is a police check booth while entering Gokarna so, if you are carrying some stuff with you, either make sure the police don't catch or you can get the stuff on the beaches itself. They will turn your bags upside down and trust me when I say upside down cause we paid a hefty 6000 INR for it.
THINGS TO DO WHILE IN GOKARNA
The very first thing you need to do is find a place to stay. Don't look for leisure hotels, I would prefer staying in a shack with people from around the globe. Haha ! there is a catch here too, shacks will provide you with utmost a bed to sleep and washroom to clean but then isn't that the only thing you need when you are in beach town.
Staying at OM beach : Ahh! yes you have heard it right, that's what the beach is called because of its view from the sky. Don't believe me! Have a look at it yourself.
Start your day with trekking the beaches. Ohh I forgot to tell you about the trekking thing, all the beaches in Gokarna are isolated by the western ghats and hills so either you can go from one beach to another by trekking or by a ferry. I know you all will prefer the first if you are high on testosterone. So go climb a cliff but don't dive LOL. After you are done with it put you shoes on rest at Namaste Cafe and have lots of B&B (Breakfast and Beer). The third B comes later.
Lay off your clothes dive in one of the most clean waters on Indian boundaries (after Lakshwadweep and Andamans). The sea is so calm that you can swim to the horizon. We swam to the boundaries we can, but you will find people dissapearing in the endlessness of the sea and then coming back. Yes, It is intriguing and relaxing at the same time. If you look around you will find folks lost in their own world they have made in this place. Some you will find indulged in Yoga, some in meditation on the cliff, some tanning their bodies, some high and on the other side of the moon. You will never be tired of the sea but if you are just go out and lie back in the sand till your heart cries out to you to go in again.
FOOD-BEER-UNO-POKER
Don't forget to pack UNO cards, Poker chips Frisbee and Whatnot. Order some food and go by the taxi rule of 'ROLL ONE SMOKE ONE'. Play UNO till one of you accidentally drops beer on the cards and you have to dry them on the sunlight. Or otherwise take a diary out of bag and start giving words to all the lunacy inside your head. Also, you can enjoy reading if you like doing so and trust no one will disturb you. You just can't find a better place to find a meaning, to find THE BREAK you were looking for...
Spend the evening lurking around in OM beach and you can have some bonfire and music during the night. You can also witness the occasional night parties at half-moon beach if you are lucky.
For me I can live a few days at the same beach but if you are short on time, head to Kudle beach on Foot the Next day. Don't use an auto but you can rent a bike and explore the town and culture. Go to forest trails, talk with people around the world, soak in the natural beauty and you will end up in Kudle Beach. Either you can repeat the same never tiring activity in the Kudle beach or you can put up your own manifesto because you are master of your fate and captain of your soul.
After you are done with all of it. Go back to your stay, straighten your legs, clean up and grab a bite at the very fond cafes by the sea.
For a traveler never gets tired of a destination so appealing until he captures every little there is to that place in himself but since your weekend is coming to end, you can take the evening bus back to wherever you came from and take back all the rejuvenating, haunting, appealing, stoned memories of Gokarna with you.
#Places in India to visit in your 20's