Om Beach

At the end of the half-moon beach, a small beach trail leads to Paradise beach, also known as Full-moon beach. Its around 20 minutes walk from Half-moon beach.Half-moon and Paradise beaches can be reached by walk or boat.Gokarna is popular with pilgrims, while Kudle and Om are popular with tourists. You can also try your hand in surfing or can join a yoga class which takes place in Kudle beach itself. To experience Gokarna in a different light, locals say that visiting during Shiva Ratri is a tremendous sight where thousands of pilgrims descend to this town.If you feel you are a child of the 70s and your soul has still not awaken to this futuristic era , and seem willing to give up on your hectic life, then this is your abode. This is your home.Best Places to stay:Gokarna International, Kudle Beach Rs 1500/ for a double bed room with attached bath and air-conditioner.Namaste Cafe, Om Beach, Gokarna, Run by Namaste Atithya, a group that owns and runs Namaste Cafe on Om Beach, Namaste Sanjeevini. Charges vary from Rs 1000-4000

Om Beach is along the coast from Kudle, and is named for its shape as it is split by a rocky island, giving it a shape of OM. It can be reached by auto. The second half of the beach is packed with restaurants offering cheap accommodation in the form of bamboo or concrete beach huts. This beach is reasonably clean all year round.

Paradise is the farthest from the town and most unspoilt of the beaches. Though there were no shacks or cottages on this beach there were more people staying on this beach compared to Half Moon Beach, in the tents they had carried along-with them. Enjoyed a local meal with the villagers coming from the nearby villages and making meals on the open fire for the foreigners staying on the beach. Totally in a state of peaceful happiness I head back to the OM Beach in the last ferry from Paradise Beach at around 6 PM. (Rs. 200/- for the boat ride of 10 mins).

After a brief gaze I restarted my trek to the next beach, Om Beach the most popular one in Gokarna. Named after the serene "OM" symbol which is created by this beach. The trek is around 3km from Kudle Beach and is of moderate difficulty level. The pathway is clearly visible so there are lesser chances of getting lost in the jungles and most of the time you would find someone walking towards Om Beach or returning from the Om Beach. The moment you descend down the hill to the Om Beach, you would see the popular Namaste Cafe, known for a good view and a delicious variety of sea food dishes. I decided to first take a walk across the beach and then head to the Cafe. Few meters from the cafe and it started pouring, literally like the rains during the monsoons in Mumbai, thanks to the Cyclone Vardah which was retreating back through the northern Karnataka. With lesser shacks on Om Beach, few tourists who were present on the beach at this rainy afternoon rushed to the Namaste Cafe for shelter. Unfortunately the upper deck of the cafe was shut as there were lesser guests due to the rain forecast for the entire day. I settled for a table which gave an unobstructed view of the ocean and the rains and ordered for a beer and butter garlic prawns. Across Gokarna the only alcohol one can get is Beer with limited options of KF Premium, Strong & Budweiser Magnum. Hardly sometime gazing into the ocean I was into absolute amazement with the generous quantity of prawns I was served with. True to the popularity of the cafe the prawns were fresh & nicely cooked, and the place is a must visit for all the foodies out there. With the rains taking a break, sun about to set & clouds still around waiting to start pouring again, I decide to retreat back to the Kudle Beach before it gets dark. Trekking through the forest between Kudle & OM Beach is absolutely safe however do ensure to have a flash light handy as the trail has no lights. With the drizzling still going on, the supposedly vibrant Kudle Beach at sunset was quiet and most of the shacks were empty. Uncertain, about the weather I too headed back to Zostel and spent the rest of the evening interacting with the fellow travellers staying there.

Five days went by, and it was time to move on. Our next stop was to be Murudeshwar, where I was to try my hand at diving at the Netrani island. However, the Navy was conducting some exercise there, and we were told to head to Kaup (Kapu) instead.

The next morning we took a ferry ride to Half Moon beach, our home for the next 5 days. It's a small quiet cove living up to its name. Our next step was finding "Ganesh" with whom we have made our stay arrangements. There are a handful of shacks around, and we found ours almost immediately.

Om beach , the place was quite famous for the nice beach , it's around 6kms from the main bus stand. Autos also ply to om beach , just before om beach there is also a route to kudle beach . We reached Om beach and the view was awesome, there is Namaste cafe along the beach. The food was not so good and was pricey. The beach is also not so good to play , oil spills everywhere , some beautiful rocks to take some pictures. There is also a boat service which takes you to paradise and half moon beach from om beach. The view of OM beach from the starting point is awesome.

5. Accomodation ON THE BEACH is cheaper than a hotel which claims to walkable from the beach in Goa.Beautiful shacks and cottages. Remember where Julia Roberts lived in Bali, the bamboo cottage in "Eat-Pray-Love" ? Yes, you heard me right, you can get similar experiences by not shedding out much off your pocket.

3.Gypsy Island! Doesn't make Gokarna cooler yet?What if I tell you, there is a secluded island which is accessible only through waterway and hippie travelers camp there for several days. Reminded me scenes from "Return to the blue Lagoon" and Leonardo Di'Caprio's " The Beach".

We spent some time there and reluctantly we continued our trek to Paradise beach. Path is clear but it's little steep this time. You can opt the route on beach line where you have to cross the rocks which is little risky. This trek took around 40 minutes and this beach is so isolated that there were hardly 10 people other than us. Water is so clear and the view was stunning and felt like I was in some isolated island of Maldives.

At 2AM we finally slept and woke up at 5.30AM. We packed our tents and freshen up in Shacks and had yummy bread omelet and hot coffee. Till 9AM we were just chilling out in OM beach. Clouds saved us from Sun and the gushing sound of ocean waves is so soothing to ears.

Temple was so peaceful and the environment felt like heaven. We spent some time in the temple and started to Gokarna at 6.30PM. It takes two hours journey from Murudeswar to Gokarna.

Paradise beach- This beach is a little ahead of half moon beach. it was once the most preferred beach of the hippies due to its raw exceptional beauty and also a real paradise. The beach has a very high waves and usually not preferable to take dip unless you are professional. Again there is no much options for accommodation here. The place is isolated and if you are looking for a peace and silence from everything that is happening in the world. This is the ideal place to spend time.

Om Beach- This is one of the most favorite beach for most of the travelers, most of the people prefer staying here as it is between the rest of the beaches. one who stays here must try to trek from Om Beach to half moon beach to witness the OM sign in Sanskrit from above. The beach is approximately 5km from the town and you can take a rickshaw to get here if you are travelling by public transport. you may bump it to lot of foreign backpackers singing songs with there guitar or playing with hoola hoops . There are also lot of sports activities if you visit during the season and a must try.

Gokarna Beach- This beach is not mostly proffered by the travelers as the last rituals and customs are performed here in the sea and is closest to the pilgrim. Also this part of the sea is a bit messy. but one must visit the Mahabaleshwar temple for its history.

Gokarna is heaven for sea food lovers! A YouTuber I follow (Shout out to Wondering Llyod – follow him!) recommended we go to a locals house that servers fish meals for lunch and dinner near the Gokarna beach. Its a house and not a restaurant but we payed just Rs1000 for 9 people for absolutely delicious food! The place was near Gokarna beach in a lane right opposite a popular restaurant called Prerma. But make sure you go between the standard lunch / dinner timings!

3 of us set of from Mumbai in an overnight bus to meet the gang at Namaste cafe which is situated at the Om beach. Namaste cafe was a brilliant choice of stay as it was right by the beach and you would wake up to the beautiful and mesmerizing sound of the waves.

Continuing on our trek, it felt majestic to walk along the mountain trail where you can see the sea-waves crashing on the rocks nearby, prompting us all to jump to those. Paradise beach looked just like a private beach with only one shack there.

Gokarna to Honnavar, a 50-km coastal stretch, is popular for its breezy routes and pristine beaches, and one can spot many backpackers here getting sun-kissed and taking over the rocky cliffs on the shores of white sand beaches. Of late, the coastline has become extremely popular with trekkers, and there are many groups that organize treks here.

4. Gokarna Beach trekGokarna is a small town in Karnataka, which lies at the confluence of the Sahyadri hills and the Arabian sea. It is believed that Lord Shiva appeared out of a cow's ear here (hence the name Gokarna). Located just 150 km from Goa, it is a popular weekend destination among backpackers and the trek along the coastline is one of the most coveted travel experiences here.

After my lunch I headed to the Gokarna Beach settled down for a while. The Gokarna Beach is too mainstream like the rest of the beaches with alot of crowd. They also have options of a few water rides at Gokarna Beach. You can spend some time here and then you can gradually proceed for Half Moon Beach or Paradise Beach. I had to charge my phone as I hadnt for 2 good days. Just walking along the roads I came across Koti Tirtha, A man made tank, Koti Tirtha is considered to be extremely sacred and is used for ritual bathing and immersing idols. The tank is surrounded by temples on all sides.Once done you are through with the destination and then you may proceed for Gokarna Bus Stand. And then from there a straight bus to Madanreri the Gokarna Road Railway Station. To break down the costs. Vasai Road station to Gokarna Road station fare ₹206, general. Gokarna Road Railway station to Gokarna Bus Stand. ₹10, state buses. Gokarna Bus stand to Om Beach ₹100, auto rickshaw. Gokarna Bus Stand to Gokarna Road railway Station, ₹10 bus. Gokarna Road to Thane station, ₹206 general ticket fare. The rest depending upon the food cost incurred. Quick facts :Local languages are Kannada, Tullu, Konkani however due to the tourist movements people are still willing to speak in Hindi with you and they happily accept you. Best time to visit is during the winter months of October to February. The cool climate is great for sightseeing and you can explore all the beaches and temples and take your time with it.Clothing: Pack some cotton clothes if you plan to visit during summer. In winter, light woollen clothes are a must to keep warm as the weather can get quite chilly. Moving around: Walking is the best way to explore this small town. Taxis, rickshaws and buses are spotted quite regularly and you can get a taxi/rickshaw to take you from one place to another in 100-150 rupees after a bit of bargaining.For any queries please drop in a message in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Keep Travelling !!Follow me on Instagram : theglobetrottersnuminous

I personally found the Om Beach much exciting there are a few shacks around where in you can lay and enjoy your beer. There is Namaste Cafe as soon as you get down the stairs. I found this cafe quite satisfying the food here is pretty delicious and the seafood is a must try. A pint of beer costs between 150-200. The cafe has its own guest house so the rest of the people are made to wait in the queue as first preference is given to their own guesthouse members. After a few 100 metres there is another Dolphin Cafe I loved their coffee which was for about ₹25. Apparently the day I arrived Gokarna it was already 19:00 hours and it was absolutely dark. Fortunately all the guesthouses were sold out. I was left with the only option to rest at the beach, not sure about you guys but that was more then exciting to me. So there are few benches which are placed by the shore. Trust me it’s perfectly fine to sleep on the benches too not even a single person bothered to ask. Incase you are carrying your tents ⛺️ you can even set it up wherever you like. The weather thankfully cooperated with me and I was perfectly alright.

Waking up at 05.30 am was an amazing view and by 06.30 it had already started raining I had a shelter by then. It rained for about 3 hours straight which made the weather a bit cold. I started walking towards the next Kudle Beach. So you have to climb the stairs again and then you have to trek upon the concrete roads. Hitchhike is the perfect option. Since Kudle Beach is about 1.5 kms from Gokarna.

The next day after a sumptuous breakfast at Zostel, we packed our backpacks with water, sunscreen, glares and started off to paradise beach. We took a boat ride from Om beach to Paradise beach, where we spent some time moseying around,talking and observing fellow travellers. At the end, we decided to trek to Om beach on our way back.

1700 reached Paradise Beach. It was jus a wow moment. I only c 20 forenginers wid 6 to 8 babes in hottie bikini's playin volley ball, hula hoopa. It was like real paradise i say..Then we Pitched oua tents n relaxed in da water for an hour n everything become calm n silence in da beach, we only listen water sound n cool breezes.. then forenginers left da beach n v 27ppl on da beach. . .2030 had a camfire n sum r singing songs n talkings n wid dinner.Nov 13th 20160430 wakeup call and backpacked in 30min.