Tourist Places to Visit in Uttara Kannada

Beautiful, pristine beaches on one side and lush green hills on the other, Om Beach Resort lies sandwiched between two forms of nature, infusing you with a freshness that rejuvenates your spirit, perfectly complimenting the spiritually historic town of Gokarna.

This serene beach stretching up to many kilometers is situated at the edge of the town. You will not find many tourists all the way out here. It is more popular with the pilgrims. Since Gokarna offers the luxury beach holiday with five tranquil beaches, the crowd gets well divided, leaving enough breathing and lazing space for each one on every beach. So you can be sure of enjoying a quiet time all by yourself on the sandy beach with a pleasant breeze.

Start your next morning watching the sunrise as you sit on the coast of Om beach and see the sun mature from tangerine to amber to giant yellow bulb overhead insisting that you get up and head for some breakfast. Om Beach is the most popular one among the tourists and so this place offers many boarding and lodging options. Just 6 km away from Kudle beach, Om beach offers some fun activities by the water. Though not like Goa, but you can still indulge in some water-sports here. Surfing, water-skiing, parasailing and banana boat rides are some of the options. It will be a great way to add some variety and activities in the otherwise rather laid-back itinerary. Enjoy a massage when here. This trip is pure nirvana, ain't it?

Reaching our final destination at the Om beach, it was the first time that I had experienced bliss in the solitude amidst the roar of the seas, the crash of the rains and the giggling of the tourists.

Om beach is what we called home for the four nights that we were in Gokarna. It is shaped like an Om (hence the name) and the two halves of this Om are surprisingly different in nature. The first half of Om, where Namaste Cafe is built is generally where we found Indian families enjoying the sea. Namaste Cafe, situated on one end of Om beach is accessible by road. It is the only 'proper' hotel on Om beach, all the others being shacks situated on the other end. It is clean, and the restaurant is situated by the sea. Namaste Cafe is the only place that remains open throughout the year, and does bookings unlike most of the other shacks on the beach. A double room with attached bathroom costs around Rs.800 during early November and a single room with common bathrooms costs Rs.300. The other half of the beach is dotted with shacks, most of which don't have a working contact number and don't do bookings. You have to turn up, and they'll provide you with accommodation if available. In off-season, especially early November, this wasn't as issue at all. Simple straw shacks with common bathrooms cost around Rs.250 a night while double rooms with attached bathrooms cost between Rs. 500-600 a night in more or less all places. These prices increase as we move closer to December ofcourse ! This half of Om becomes a buzz of activity in the morning and evening. People come out to play, sunbathe, swim in the sea or simply read a book. The sea here is obviously great fun to swim in but can get a little rough at times, so caution is necessary. Though there are many shacks on Om beach, Sangam Cafe deserves a special mention. The rooms are comfortable and the staff is extremely friendly ! The owner always has a smile for you, and advice if needed. It is quite simply a lovely place to call home away when you're at Gokarna.

Trek between Kudle and Om beach is worth it. View is good at Om beach, highlight being the 'Om' shape which gives the beach it's name. Relatively more crowd.

A fairly crowded beach, Om Beach, named after its peculiar shape, is the one of the most frequented beaches in this small quiet town of Gokarna. Pristine beaches lined with beach shacks and cheap accommodation, Gokarna is a beach-goer's delight. If you want your dose of adrenaline rush, Om Beach, popular for water sports like para sailing, banana boat rides, surfing and water-skiing, is just the place to be. Meeting new people, striking conversations over a few drinks and sharing stories, this beach offers it all, in addition to the scenic view unfurling right before your eyes.

Shacks here are predominantly thronged by Europeans, and cafes here provide excellent European cuisine.

The way to the beach is through dense forests and Preete and I decided to explore this beach. Even though we were warned by the locals not to go alone. After a long walk you might realize that you aren't going anywhere and somewhat lost. My advice is to stay calm and follow the voice of the sea. That will guide you to the beach which is actually a paradise. I could take this write up off from here if you tell me that you did not like it (if only you are peace lover)

This is the main beach of Gokarna town and hoards of people frequent here... The locals and tourists from surrounding towns ensure that the beach is always dirty... It is quite popular with pilgrims and Indian groups but less with foreign tourists. Just the wind and the waves are cleaning this place. This beautiful site has suffered from the local building ambitions: coconut trees have been cut and the beautiful rice paddies have totally disappeared.

A lovely place to be, for sure.

Most touristy beach in Gokarna

Much hyped ..! Not as good as Kudle

The most popular and the longest beach in Gokarna. Good for water activities and a long stroll along the beach. Try to avoid during 1-3 PM as the scorching sun sets in then. Namaste cafe is located at the start of this beach. A nice place to hangout with friends and good food. This beach is a good spot for taking a panorama as you will get a view of the "Om" outline of the beach.

Muddy beach but nice weather conditions to chill

Amazing view and the nature crafted 'Om' sign!

With another few Kms of walk we unlucky fellows reached the Dolphin Spot and all the Dolphin's were having Lunch Break so we dint spot one, other than the spectacular view of Arabian Sea with different color of water at some spots . From the hill top of the Dolphin Spot we could see the OM Symbol (ॐ) Shaped beach, that's how it got it's name. Climbing down the hill for 2 Kms was our next Pit Spot Namaste Cafe for lunch and evening coffee. After having chilled coffee ;) started our journey back to Gokarana, passing through Kudle beach we were on top of hill from where you can just see the white waves touching the sea shore of Gokarana beach, and after feeling the evening cool breeze we started down to reach Gokarana Beach where our chariot was waiting for us to take us back to our Den on trees.

We hired ferry to cross the river to start the trek to Paradise Beach - Half Moon Beach - OM Beach - Dolphin Spot - Kudle Beach - Gokarana Beach. While crossing village on the way of our trek villagers were amazed on knowing that we were trekking all the way to Gokarana, but we were determined to finish it. Once we were out of the Village Premises along with GPS there was dog who was guiding us the way out of forest to the shores of Arabian Sea. The rain Gods were on to their job to shower rains on to us but that did not stop us from moving ahead towards our destination. Finally after all the drama we reached Paradise Beach and it was such a delight to sight a beach with none other than us. Now a days all the tourist destination are so crowded you won't get the actual peace for which we travel all the way from our home. This beach has such a scenic beauty and mark my words you can definitely get a new Profile Picture or a Display Pic for sure. After few of us tried their photographic skills with DSLR only to come to know that either images were never captured, or few which were captured were like aiming at sky and ending up clicking the ground. After paradise it was turn to see Half Moon Beach, named after it's shape is one more delightful spot to visit.

Smell the sea,feel the sky,and let your soul fly.

Sun, sand and sea,Sounds like a summer to me.

The tans will fade but the memories will last forever.

Life's just right with the beach in sight!

The popular beach of Gokarna, has its name because of its shape 'om'. The Namaste Cafe is a must visit where you can relax and enjoy the view, however, it closes at 4pm so try to reach early.

The beach is accessible only through a boat or by a trek.

For day 2, we decided to see the sunrise here as it was closely located to our guest house.

After a quick nap, we headed towards our first destination and the most popular – Om beach! The beach owes its name to the sacred symbol it looks like. As the beach is popular, I thought it’ll be extremely crowded but I was in for a pleasant surprise with only a few tourists enjoying the afternoon sun.Quiet and peaceful, the beach offers a mesmerizing view of the jagged peaks. Brimming with numerous cafes, the beach is perfect if you are hungry and are looking for a nice, relaxed time. The usual water sports including banana boat ride and surfing take place at the beach (and shouldn't be missed!)This was all that we had planned on this day since we were tired and quite honestly too lazy to explore the other beaches.Day 2

Our next stop was Paradise beach. Mostly because I love the name and also because I was starving! Also known as the Full Moon beach, this one is even quieter than Om beach with fewer tourists. To reach this beach, you either need to take a ferry (not expensive) or trek through the forest. We chose the former. We were hungry, remember?This beach has no water activities but is ideal for swimming! Dotted with myriad cafes and extremely happy hosts who promise you a taste of the best fish ever! They are not lying since the food here is exceptionally awesome. Time here passes swiftly and before you know it’s almost dark. Though the beach is very safe, you may want to ask when the last ferry leaves since we were on the verge of missing it!If you are in the mood to spend the night here, you can ask one of the shacks to play host! Bonfires are allowed on the beach as long as there is easily available wood and the police don’t have a problem with you staying the night. It’s best to first ask the locals before planning a long-ish stay on the beach.We headed back to our lodge with happy faces and happier tummies!Day 3The morning of day 3 began with a sinking feeling – this was almost my last day here and it sucked! So for those of you who have planned less than 5 days in Gokarna, do think again. Though there really is nothing to do here, it’s beautiful and peaceful.For the adventurous lot, there is also a school in Gokarna that helps you learn surfing. With various options, you can choose a course that is for as less as 7 days. For others who like things a little laid back and slow paced – you can try the many massage parlours and spas! Traditional oil massages and therapies aside, some of these also teach yoga and/or conduct short yoga sessions. Trust me, spending an afternoon meditating in one of their beautiful gardens is bliss!

So first, we started from Kudle beach, and then went to Om Beach and the Half Moon Beach. The last one was the smallest of all and least crowded. I don’t know if it’s true, but apparently, there’s a story behind it. Some crew member of the boat let it slip that a few years ago, some tourist was raped and murdered on this beach and after that, no one really visits here a lot. As a result, all I could see was a few tourists having fun without worrying about the glaring of the Indians at all. And admit it or not, in India there are a few places where, if a girl wears a bikini then people won’t stare. And undoubtedly, this is one of those. After the round trip, we returned to Om Beach and wanted to visit the very famous Namaste Café. But it was getting late and we were very hungry and then dive-into-the-sea part was left as well. And we discovered that the best of all was our own little beach right across the hotel. We first finished our lunch and the dove into the sea, head first and then fun into the sea. We spent hours, doing nothing, worrying about nothing and not giving a damn about rest of the world. It’s nice when men don’t stare at you lustily and girls don’t give you judgemental looks. And it was really nice interacting with them. You get to know so much, about the people, the places, their adventures and experiences. Many tourists are here for months and you feel like they’re more native to the place than the locals, because they’ve seen both the parts of the parts of the world, the eastern and western hemisphere and when asked, they can tell you so many things about the world. We met this British couple who have been travelling the world a few years after their marriage because they discovered their true calling. I really wish, I could be like that. Anyway, in the evening we visited the Namaste Café because of two reasons. First of all, the café has a very nice reputation of being the best place to hang out and chill in the evening. And the next one was we wanted to have good seafood. And in both ways I felt that place was way overrated. Now, I don’t know whether it was just a wrong evening but the place looked quite ordinary to me. I mean you can have as much fun as in any other café. We quickly finished our dinner and went back to our hotel where chilled beer was waiting for us. We changed back into casuals, sat by the sea and had the best time in a very long time. It was so relaxing. One of the hotel staff brought out the guitar and asked us if anyone of us could play then we would play the bongo along. We had a great time thereafter. We played many songs, sang and danced along the tunes of various songs. I was definitely getting the feeling of being not in India. Next day, after finishing our breakfast (and did I mention that we got all kinds of cuisine in our small little restaurant), we went shopping. The shops were a blend of western casuals and ethnic wear and the part that I loved the most, was that, amidst the clothes and jewelries and palazzos and bandanas, they had a wonderful collection of books from all over the world. Not just English, but a rare collection of French, German, Dutch books were to be found on the shelves and were sold for 50 bucks or so. Just seeing it brought a huge smile on my face. So, needless to mention, we brought a lot of stuffs. You just need to be good at bargaining and that’s your key to a successful shopping spree. After emptying our pockets we went back to our hotel to have our lunch. It was time for us to return now. I will always remember Gokarna as an oddly wonderful blend of all cultures. The town reminded me of Goa and Malgudi days at the same time. It’s a spectacular weekend getaway and I would request all to visit this place at least once. I mean, if you are planning on visiting goa at least once in your lifetime then give this a try, I’m sure if you are not the unluckiest person on earth, you will have a gala time there.

 A ferry ride through the beautiful waters surrounded by rocks and small hills brought us to Gokarna Beach! Compared to what we had left behind, this beach didn't do much to impress me with its crowd and litter. Walking through the town, we came across temples and local markets, so full of colors and merriment that it was definitely a joy walking through those streets. We finally halted at a small hotel to book a room just so we could freshen up properly and grab lunch before boarding the train back to Udupi! Travelling in the general compartment, pushing our way through the crowd and struggling to catch a seat, we finally managed to reach Udupi and then a cab brought us back to where it had all began. New friendships, new experiences and a treasure trove of memories is what I brought back with me.I would like to add a few tips for travelers here. Carry first aid because you never know you might scratch yourself while trekking or sprain an ankle. Carry beach towels and do not forget an extra set of clothes and towels and a quilt if you are staying the night because the beach huts here are just too basic. Carry insect repellent creams and a portable charger or a spare phone. And do not forget your camera to capture the beauty of this place and store it in your memories and in photographs.With the aroma of savory food floating in the air, mingled with the saltiness of the sea and the alluring view of the beach with its vast expanse of yellow sand and sparkling waters, you will love to dine at this shack. With delicious burgers and mouthwatering pancakes, it is one of the most popular beach shacks drawing the maximum crowd. Not too harsh on the pocket, this is just the place to catch up with your friends over a few drinks and quick bites.

An hour-long trek over the headland from Om Beach takes you to this secluded beach, in the shape of a crescent. Solitary yet beautiful, this beach has quite a number of foreigners residing here for months on end. The Dolphin View Restaurant located right on the beach is the lone restaurant here. Very basic, yet decent for food and accommodation. The lack of electricity and proper washrooms was troublesome but pretty manageable and definitely an experience of a lifetime. Deserted, secluded, in the midst of nothingness, surrounded by the beautiful sea and golden sands and hills, with the cool breeze mingling with the calm in the atmosphere, this is just the place you would love to be in when you are looking for a relaxed weekend, away from the maddening crowd. Enjoy a dinner right on the beach, take a walk along the shore as the cool breeze rustles and whispers lightly in your ears and sleep in mud houses or igloos or huts or under the sky and light a bonfire and bond over stories and laughter.

You get autos and taxis easily; I had booked my place at Om beach. The way to the beach is around 30 minutes and very scenic. On reaching my guest house, I settled in my room and then headed to the beach, it was peaceful morning with people doing yoga and running by the shore, along with the fishermen getting ready for their days job.

Kudle to OmIf you are starting from Kudle, go to the far end towards Om Beach side (a li'l bit of asking around would do) and climb up the rocky trail on to the next trail and it will lead you to a proper road tat leads your next destination. Here, this route wouldn't go side by side the sea, so don't get confused like me. Take the 'only wide route you see and follow. I wasted almost 10-15 minutes there being a bit confused, as to whether or not I should take that trail, as you won't get a sign board directing you at this point! :D

Half Moon to ParadiseI still regret it; not going to the Paradise beach. Just push yourself a bit more through humidity (which I couldn't, under a scorching March Sun) and you would be there.

Now Gokarna is known for its religious attractions (which we decided to put for the later part of the trip) and its multitude of beaches. The most famous one of course is the Om Beach, which is well as the name suggests shaped like an Om! Being the most famous, it also is the most crowded of them all. Especially if you end up going on a weekend (which most people do) the beach is thronged by families and kids running all over and ladies washing their scarves, sarees et all in the waters.

It's a calm and peaceful place to spend time with no crowd. If planning to stay over, good option would be the half moon beach which has a couple of shacks where people sunbathe and chill with no many tourists around compared to OM beach or Kudle beach. Returning from the paradise beach we choose the boat as we were almost exhausted by now and need to quickly find some place to have some food and crash. It is difficult to find place for Indians in the shacks along OM beach. Got some shelter in the pretty decent Namasthe café, a quite popular place with the Russians tourists. That evening we spent some time loafing around the beautiful beaches and enjoying some delicious food at namasthe café. The walk from OM beach to Kudle beach is an other trek if you wish to, but we kept it aside for our next visit.

It’s a calm and peaceful place to spend time with no crowd. If planning to stay over, good option would be the half moon beach which has a couple of shacks where people sunbathe and chill with no many tourists around compared to OM beach or Kudle beach. Returning from the paradise beach we choose the boat as we were almost exhausted by now and need to quickly find some place to have some food and crash. It is difficult to find place for Indians in the shacks along OM beach. Got some shelter in the pretty decent Namasthe café, a quite popular place with the Russians tourists. That evening we spent some time loafing around the beautiful beaches and enjoying some delicious food at namasthe café. The walk from OM beach to Kudle beach is an other trek if you wish to, but we kept it aside for our next visit.

To encounter a more isolated and solitary experience, walk along to the further corners of the beach because the central part is generally covered with the bigger section of visitors. You might be able to find a peaceful corner for yourself to lie down, read or just have your own little picnic. Do not enter the zones marked by flags because then you might be charged with some amount of fee. There is also a longer route to reach this beach, by road but the ferry will take you there more swiftly. The best feature of this beach is that it is quite clean and thus you don’t have to feel disgusted while walking around. So do not miss this opportunity of sinking in nature’s eternal beauty, go skin dipping in the backwaters and rejuvenate yourself.

I miss you Gokarna and I'll definitely come back :) 

One of the best beaches I have ever visited. You can either reach by a boat or can trek. You won't be disappointed.

We already had made a booking for accommodation in "Namaste Cafe" (one of the best spots )at Om Beach for next two days. There are some other small shacks offering lodging facility & I'll try them if I visit Gokarna again. My first experience after stepping on the beach was mesmerizing , it was serene , I felt like , we have got our own private beach , the view was spectacular , the waves were high & it was perfect day to spent some time with this amazing subset of Arabian Sea . The good part was because it was an off season , there was not much of local crowd. If I didn't know where I am, anyone could have stated me that I am in some European country & I would have agreed to that. Everywhere I can see these tourists having fun & taking Sunbath "Basking”. This was a great feeling!! . We scrolled along the beach & tried to cover the whole stretch, trust me nothing can beat this feeling of solitude. I tried to communicate with some of these people & understand their experience about India. I would like to mention about Meow (Poland) . We got to know of him over a mug of beer. He is an entrepreneur, running a website, where international travelers can communicate with each other, if someone has seen this movie "The Holiday" starring Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz, they would understand how these websites work .He is in India from last six months & covered almost all regions. Isn't it amazing ? people like him know more about our country than us & is passionate to travel & see this world, he also offered us a bit of grass, which made rest of our day as well. After some basking, a lot of swimming & ample pints of beer, we came back to our shack.

Om Beach is even calmer than Kudle Beach, and hence it's a great place to end your day. There are plenty of rock pools here to sit at and enjoy. And many boats for hire that can help you explore the sea for as cheap as 100 bucks an hour during off-season. This place is a favourite with Israelis and Russians, who have made this a permanent retreat away from the hustle and bustle of Goa. The beach is named after its actual shape – the word 'Om'.Dinner

If you wish to immerse yourself in the true hippie culture, then Paradise Beach is just the place for you. Since this beach is only accessible via either a trek or a boat ride, the population here comprises of people seeking solace from the crowd. Before you jump at the thought of going to this beach, I must tell you that only a few basic amenities are available here – this means there is no electricity and only a handful of shacks selling bags of chips and pakodas. If you are not bothered by such inconveniences, this white sand beach is totally worth your time.

Heart Says:Sometimes when you travel in ​the ​direction of your fears, you get to know where you're heading in life!I marched ahead and after ​a ​few hundred steps, I saw the most beautiful beach ever of my life. Right down a 100 ft cliff, a neat and clean beach with golden sand, tremendous waves coming in their fullest might and a stormy sky! They call it ​the ​Shiva's own beach. And by principle he is the God of Destruction. The deadly sights and experiences this beach gave me, I truly felt like having found ​the ​abode of Shiva! I would recommend camping overnight here, the clear skies will give you ​the ​starry experience of ​ a ​lifetime.

After crossing the river, We started walking again. Landscape started changing from Villages to city. Gokarna has become alternate for Goa these days. It was around 4 in the evening when we reached Paradise beach. Didnt get proper place here for camping since there were already so many people. We decide to carry on . Finally we found a proper place near Half Moon beach.Prepared Maggi for dinner. As it was full moon night, Night was lit up from Shining moon and sea was roaring.Just sat on the cliff hearing that sound till mid night. Peace..!

‘Gokarna wale utron’ yelled the bus supervisor at 6.40 AM in the morning. I was already up as soon as the sun rose. My friends still sleeping as if they’ve had the most comforting sleep of their lives. A hit on their shoulders was their wake up call for the day. We boarded a local bus from the bus depot and post that you either walk it up to OM beach or hire an auto. As enervated as we were, my friend who was not a Gokarna virgin managed to convince us that the 6km long walk with heavy bag packs was worth it. After a long yet interesting walk comprising few encounters with langoors (wild monkeys) and a very interesting pole dance by the boys on a random pole. The view of the magnificent sea with blue water glittering under the 10 AM sun and the smell of sand and I knew I was home. Throwing in a few facts here – The beach gets its name from the ‘Om’ symbol that is formed by the shore.

Well, if they say, leave the best thing for the end, we wholeheartedly complied with it. Huge rocks and uneven patches is what the path to Paradise is made of. You know what they say, to experience paradise, one does have to cross the difficult path. Couldn’t be truer. We stopped a couple of times as we were in awe of the view and of course we could not shut the camera on the phone. (We needed this for our Instagram)Once you get here, you will take a while to believe that you’re not dreaming. You can almost count the people on the tip of your fingers here. A hipster’s haven, you could call this one! We spend a good 2 hours on this beach playing beach games before heading back.So, this is when I realized I made a terrible mistake with the choice of my footwear. On our way back, I happened to trip really bad and fall off a rock. My friends did come to my rescue but there was very little that could’ve been done as damage control. I realized that if I let the pain settle, I wouldn’t be able to walk. Walking slowly, rather limping I made my way back. Somehow the beautiful view more than made up for the pain that was to follow.

We headed to our first destination the most famous beach. Its name comes from the symbol Om which the beach looks like. The crowd here in mostly foreigners and their are a number of cafes to eat. you can even for a Banana ride and jet-ski ride for around 300 per head. You can even go to half-moon beach which is a small trek from Om beach you will find it even more peaceful as everyone dont go for a trek and rather prefer staying on Om beach Itself

We literally woke up to the sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks. After a carb-filled breakfast, we walked down the hill to Om Beach. Breakfast tip : It's good to have a light breakfast with just enough carbs to get you through the day. Vegetarians can try the hash browns while eggetarians can explore omelets. P.S. Don't stuff yourself too much, you might not be able to walk downhill to the beach. There are lot of local boat vendors at Om beach who show you around all the beaches (Halfmoon beach, Paradise beach, Lighthouse and dolphin point) for INR 300 per person. So we just hopped on for some beach tripping. Around 12.30 PM, we were off to Gokarna town. After a sumptuous lunch at Prema restaurant (you can find the link here https://g.co/kgs/QvSnDX) we roamed around the streets of Gokarna town to find small time vendors selling all kinds of stuff. #shopaholicWe came back to our cottage, got enough rest for couple of hours and then headed to Kudle beach to watch the amazing sunset. Tip: You could either follow the trail via the Gokarna cliff or take the road (15 minutes walk from Om beach). That's all you need to do relaxxx and enjoy the view. ( and of course click pictures for instaspam )

Gokarna Beach: This was one beach where I could see people actually enjoying themselves. We sat on the beach and enjoyed the waves. The only drawback was the availability of a restaurant. The highly talked about ‘Premas’, does not allow people inside if they are in wet clothes.

I have never been to Goa, but Gokarna is known to be less commercialized Goa and untouched beach beauty. We made a sudden plan and decided to head towards Gokarna over a long weekend.We reached to Gokarna early morning by overnight bus from Bangalore. This time we planned not to book any hotels in advance and see how it goes for us.After coming out of the bus stand, we found that there are a couple of bikes renting shows at a 100mtrs distance and we got an Activa for Rs.700 for two days. Then we headed towards the Gokarna beach and also inquired for a couple of places to stay which were run by locals. We booked a place for Rs. 500 a day which was not so great but it didn't matter as we just wanted a place to spend the night.Now we had an Activa so we were free to roam around anywhere, we headed to Om Beach and came back to Gokarna Beach and had lunch at Prema Restaurant. Now we headed to go to Paradise beach which is known to be secluded and famous untouched beauty. We met a couple of folks who came back empty handed from the search of the Paradise beach. As it was drizzling a little bit, we decided not to trek down and spend the time near the trek point itself. There was hardly 5-6 people out there the hence perfect spot to enjoy the beach and photographic place.Now we again headed for Om Beach and spend the time till Sunset and had dinner at Pizzeria at Kudle Beach.

Post breakfast we decided to go back to Gokarna. My third time in the town but there's just something about the place that never ceases to amaze me. A peaceful morning ride, a break by the beaches of Karwar and by afternoon we were at my favourite place- Namaste Cafe, Om Beach. The tranquility and views of that place is unmatched. Not to forget the absolutely yum food. Golden fried prawns, lasagna and sizzlers; day=made. We decided to stay in the cottages of Namaste Cafe on the hill top. After lazing around for a while we decided to give Paradise Beach a visit. We made it just around sunset and the beach is about a 40min trek which turned out to be a night trek for us. What a trek that was! Pitch dark, no path as such and just wilderness everywhere. Not to forget, no sign of humanity anywhere in the vicinity. After what felt like eternity we realised we weren't lost! We made it. The view of the beach under the moonlight was just beautiful. After a while of debating whether the place was haunted or not we decided to trek back down towards the bikes. A long, late dinner with some alcohol and chatting to end our night in Gokarna.

Post lunch and a stroll on the beach, we went for some water sports and sat around to watch another mesmerising sunset before we headed back to Bangalore.In the days that I was here, I had encounters that were innumerably good and some not as much.Goa has just so much to offer and it is definitely beyond just alcohol and parties (if that's what you think). It depends on what you're looking for and will draw you in every single time you go.It's not just a place but an experience!

The serenity of this place was indeed different and special. One can either reach this beach by trekking or by taking a ferry ride from the Om beach. You can stay overnight on this beach, only by pitching your own tents. No other accommodation facility is available there. The beach is extremely clean and a bunch of local vendors can be found selling tea, fruits and snacks.

This beach is usually the most crowded beach in Gokarna since its the Main beach and is the closest from the Mahabaleshwar Temple. The Mahabaleshwar temple is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the holy town and enshrines the Atma Lingam of Lord Shiva.This place can be perfect for street shopping, and having local street food. You can try out Prema Restaurant to enjoy delicious and cheap vegetarian food.

A heaven for sunset, seafood and sea lovers, this beach is one of the most popular beaches in Gokarna. The Om Beach traces the shape of the Hindu Symbol of Om. One can go here in the evening to enjoy the sunset by the beach followed by a delicious sea food dinner.

The beach nearest to Zostel but the last to visit was Gokarna beach. This was where we spend the most of our time. Had snacks in the local chats stalls and just enjoyed the sun-set.

For trekking we had to again go to Om Beach, without spending much time on the beach we directly headed to the small hill which was the only way to Half-moon beach for us. There was no particular path alongside the sea, we just followed our instincts also three dogs. They were with us all along the way and we felt as they came just to show us the way and drop us back safely to the place from where we started the ascend to hill.

Quest - A long or arduous search for something".So my trip to GOKARNA wasn't just a leisure trip, it was a quest for self-discovery. My life was more like Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) from the movie, Eat Pray love. I was literally a wander lust aimlessly moving from one city to another until I reached to this beautiful small town laying on the bedside of Konkan Ghats. This place usually attracts those crowd looking for a low-key chilled out holiday beaches. Not to forget, it is also a pilgrimage destination for HindusThree months back after witnessing a terribly incident I was at a crossroads. I had to step out of my comfort zone and had to go on a self-discovery journey and what better place to discover the true glee of nourishment.GOKARNA means "Gow" meaning cow and "Karna" means Ears. If you see the geographical outline of GOKARNA, it resembles a cow's ear. Hard to believe? Well then it's time to visit this place and find it out for yourself.After taking a night bus from Majestic bus from Bangalore, we reached GOKARNA town in the morning around 9am.It took us about 12 hours to reach via bus. So we rented an auto from the bus stand and went through the small narrow roads of the town eye witnessing some of the beautiful ancient temples.Instead of making a beeline straight to the beaches, we decided to visit these sacred temples and offer our prayers to the lord Shiva. After a spiritual experience, we headed straight to kudle beach where we had booked our rooms at GOKARNA International Resorts. This beach has some good rooms and Shacks to chill around. With restaurant opens till late night one can enjoy night roar of the beach with their preferred drinks along.After a long night, next day we engaged an auto to visit Om beach. Om beach is lined with shacks on the sides offering cheap accommodation and restaurants with exotic menus. Namaste Cafe is one of the sought - after restaurants here. There is a bevy of fun water sports activities available on the beach, including speed boats, surfing etc.After an exotic dinner at Namaste café we went back to our rooms.Next day we checked out early from the resort and kept our bags at this beautiful café called CAFE 1987 this place had a great vibe and a closeness to the breath-taking view. We spent our entire day in this café. The food, the artwork, the music and the crew were all best. One can easily spend hours in this café admiring the amazing artwork on the café walls. Make a note this place offers only vegetarian food.In short café 1987 - "GOOD FOOD, GOOD MOOD".In conclusion this is what I can say about this beautiful place called GOKARNA (more in a poetic language)Bewildered in time, adrift I feelDescrying myself in piecesScattered all over this placeStowed a pin on a mapFound myself here, lost againInside this beautiful abyssBroken in subtle way, my decayed soul is here for meFor it is now, now as muchThe past, present and future

1330 started from Gokarna Beach to Om Beach.1400 reached Om Beach.Started trek from Om Beach to Paradise Beach trails. Which is an 11km trek approx. Duration of 3hours, covering Half Moon Beach, Hell Cliff and Small Hell Beach. The trails r easy to explore n afta 3hrs we reached Paradise Beach.

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.

One of the most exquisite waterfalls, the Dudhsagar waterfalls is located in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary at Collem in South Goa in the Western Ghats. The site is very popular for trekking and hiking, the fall overlooks a steep, crescent-shaped edge of a valley covered with beautiful tropical forest.

Dudhsagar waterfalls- 10/10 on the adventure and the effort to get to this waterfall. We rode about 60km from south to Dudhsagar and once you reach the parking lot, there is still another one hour to reach the waterfall, and for your info, they do not let you take your bike/car, there are guys who are hired to take people on pillions in their bikes towards the waterfall, since there are no roads constructed for vehicles, its almost tarmac/crazy sandy area by the side of the railway track and through the forest. After an hour of riding through the forests, there is another 15 minutes of trekking towards the waterfall. Throughout this journey I was only hoping that the waterfalls better be ‘worth’ all this effort in caps lock. But let me break the ice and tell you that when you finally reach Dudhsagar, you are /walking through/standing on a railway track wherein one side you can see the falls and the other you can see with 100s of locals from Karnataka and Goa. The falls it ain’t that pretty a scene, although from an helicopter shot, the view might be splendid ( If you want to see for yourself, watch the Indian movie ‘Chennai Express’ shot here). If Goa gets too dry for you with only beaches and beaches, this place is a must-go atleast for its adventure. P.S: Make sure you have spaced out an entire day for this waterfall .Drink enough water, cos after you reach the parking lot, you will find refreshments only once you reach the waterfall arena and also you do not want to wait till you reach there to have lunch cos you really don’t want to eat from there. Period!

Dudhsagar falls is situated in Collem National Park i.e.. 24 kms away from Ponda. After reaching Collem, we hired bikes along with the riders that take you to the Dudhsagar Falls. Yes, the same location where the film Chennai Express was shot. The road towards Dudhsagar was rocky, muddy, narrow and slippery but my rider and Yamaha FZ made it safe for me. Also, my past off-road experience helped me a lot. It was a thorough adrenaline rush. The cold breeze brushing past our cheeks; the sky frowning with the dark clouds; the drizzle made the ride more adventurous. The lush green paddy fields, the river bulging with water flowing under the bridge, the wet long winding roads, the beautiful birds, wild insects, frogs and crickets making sounds, seems they were singing a welcome song for the rains. The clouds emerging like a smoke from the mountains seemed so romantic. After seeing the breath-taking view of Dudhsagar Falls, I felt accomplished. The riders were locals who stayed in Collem village. My rider was Jayesh aka Prince Knight (his facebook name). They were innocent, honest people and took utmost care about our safety. They guided us properly through the rough terrain of the sanctuary.

It was huge, the water had great velocity and it was a really beautiful sight. We decided to spend around 30 minutes, soak in the beauty and head back.

There was a buzz of activity. I made it to the Dudhsagar falls in good time. 15kms in 4 hours! There was a flood of people who had alighted at the Dudhsagar railway station which is just about a kilometer from the falls. It’s usually, preferred by people who want to view the monstrous falls with their families, friends and kids without having to endure the walk from Castle Rock. [ But I do have a general request to the folks visiting the place. It's all great that you go and visit the place but please refrain from polluting the place. Please do understand that it's not a garbage yard that you can throw empty plastic bottles and containers and wrappers there as you go for a nice little picnic. mist sprayed into the atmosphere. The milky white waterfall roared and gushed down the rocky face. The green carpet encompassed the entire falls. And there I stood on the railway tracks made just a few feet away from the lavishing falls. It was majestic. It mighty. It was humongous. It just reminded me of the nature’s beauty and her sheer power. I am out of words at this juncture describing the awe that I experienced as I stood so tiny so powerless in front of the might and glory of the falls. Usually, hikers camp by the falls overnight, before they set out the next day on their return walk. Families walk back to the Dudhsagar Railway station to catch a return train. Hitch-hikers hop onto goods locomotives to carry them to the next closest major railway station. I had chalked out a different set of plans. I stayed put by the falls for an hour before I picked up my soaking boots and bags as I started walking towards the Goan side. A little ahead about half a kilometer into the walk is the view that people talk about when they hear Dudhsagar. Its an incredible view of the fizzing falls taking the plunge at an incredible force into unfathomable depths. If you are lucky you could witness a locomotive dredge slowly along the track with the falls in the background. It was pouring again and I had to cover another 11kms. This part of the trail is a lot quieter, through lesser number of tunnels and lesser number of enterprising walking stretches but the wind blew and the rains poured as I slowly made my way to Sonaulim Railway station. The walk- on the tracks, in the rains had started taking its toll on my calf muscles. Dredging along I made it to Kullem just as the dusk was creeping in. And so I there I was sitting on the bench, waiting for my train to carry me back to Bangalore with thoughts running wild in my head.

The Dudhsagar Waterfalls, located high up on the Mandovi River’s watershed, remain quiet for most part of the year and spring to life during the rainy season. Beholding the gushing water leap from the edge of towering cliffs and cascade down the slippery worn out slope is a sobering experience. If one is lucky one can witness a train crawl on the viaduct framed against the rising spray of water emanating from the waterfall. A camping site sits a few yards from the viaduct; at night the pitter patter of rain and the thudding of the trains are a lullaby to the tired trekkers.

Apart from being a useful mode of transportation the Ghat section of the railway line also harks back to olden times. Buildings in varied states of disrepair are all that remains of the government apparatus that once stood here on the border of British India and Portuguese Goa. Moss and lichen have taken over lonely dilapidated structures along the railway track. The ruins at Castle Rock reminisce the days when weary travelers crossing the border lined up in the offices for immigration checks.

Night stay at the resort after an exhausting trek. The resort has options to stay in tents and rooms. We selected tents. That was a mistake. The tents had very dim lights. No doors to the toilet. The toilet was separated by a curtain from rest of the room. Please for the rooms if you chose to stay here. Food not so great.

Most Amazing Waterfall Of INDIA

A must visit for everyone. The spectacular part of this waterfalls is that we you have a look at the train over bridge and as the water falls from the mountain and also the walk along the train track and tunnel view is simple awesome

We left our bikes at Kadumane and took a jeep to Castlerock railway station and then took a train till Dudhsagar railway station. We trekked to reach the falls which was at its full might. I will recommend you go here only during the monsoon season. We had packed lunch on the sidelines of the railway track with rains giving us company through out.

Witnessed that Goa is not all about beaches

The multi-tiered Dudhsagar falls are a sight to see and the encompassing forests have this mystical air about them. The 600 metre long waterfall looks more a cascading stream of milk and like a dozen other geographical beauties in India, there are several intriguing legends associated with it. Monsoons are the best time to visit. Swim for as long as you can and make merry!

All trains stop at this now-defunct railway station for a few minutes to prepare for the uphill climb forward. We took this opportunity to get off here along with many other people. There is no platform at this station so we had to jump off from the train. From here we started walking on the railway track. The Doodhsagar waterfall is a 1 km walk from here.

The waterfall is so massive that one cannot get the whole thing in one frame from this bridge. We had to walk another 1 km towards Kulem to get the view of the entire waterfall. We took loads of pictures here and then continued walking on the railway track.

We continued our 12 km trek on the railway track. At some places we wandered off to the adjecent forest and found mini streams, waterfalls and river. We took snack breaks and ate the packed food that we had. Near Caranzol we also found a shop where we had tea and chips and asked for boiled water to have our Cuppa Noodles.

Heaven on Earth! The most beautiful place to camp and stare at the waterfalls and the open expanse of the valley. Your ego's look really small from here :-)

Just sink into the feeling of water and greenery around you and if you are too tired, hitch a ride on a goods train back to civilisation

A nice point on the trek to watch the train wade through the waterfall in the monsoons. WOW Moment place!

ust sink into the feeling of water and greenery around you

Soon, the morning sun rays moved the fog gently away to give us a clearer view of the falls. Photographs of the waterfalls, do not do justice to the experience of standing in front of Dudhsagar Falls. The spray from the falls drenched me instantly. We were standing on the railway bridge in front of the falls, where the iconic photo of Dudhsagar waterfalls is taken. I could not take my eyes off the falls even for a moment. Monsoon is the best time to visit the falls. The milky white water gushes down the rocks with a terrifying force. The mist that rises up from the falls, creates a rainbow in the shining sun.

Sometimes, life gives us sudden surprises. It depends on how we react to those situations and how calmly we try to handle something which has gone wide of the mark. We can either make the most of it or waste time cribbing and throwing tantrums. Something similar happened when we started for the most awaited trek of the year, “The Dudhsagar Waterfall and Jungle Trek”.

We headed to visit Dudhsagar falls some 54 kms from Benaulim, a place known for a majestic waterfall and a railway route that passes dissecting it, somewhat an abode for the photographers and the insta doers.Word of advice - Looking for breakfast before you head there, advisable have it in your hotel or near your place of stay since not many good joints would fall on the way.The route is equally scenic, wouldn’t disappoint at any moment. You would need to leave your car behind when you are 10kms from the waterfall since then onwards there are other cars and special drivers who take you forward amidst dense forest.Dudhsagar falls, provides you with an avenue where you can take a dip in the water just at the foot of the falls, hence in case interested please do not forget to carry a set of extra clothes.Post our visit there, one of many famous restaurants of Goa i.e. The Martin’s Corner was our next stop. The restaurant is located at Belbatim, Goa (South Goa) and the same boasts of amazing food, live music and some good alcohol.

We trekked to Dudhsagar camp and awaited for the next morning to head towards the spectacular Dudhsagar waterfall. Dudhsagar camp had a stream nearby where all of us went for a refreshing bath and played to our heart's content. Water so fresh and clean that we didn't feel the need for any lotions to soothe our skin.

If you still are travel thirsty and decide to stay back for a day more, a visit to Doodhsagar water falls can be considered. Situated at 60 KM from Panjim, 70 from Palolem. Start early morning. 

However, we could see the majestic Dushsagar waterfall in the moonlit night from the train. It was absolutely mesmerizing. It is just not called Dudhsagar (Ocean of Milk). There is a reason behind that. The waterfall really appeared milky white against the backdrop of the full moon light. And it took our breaths away. :)We had our tickets till Kulem so rest of us got down at Kulem station.Now, with Plan A not been able to make the grade, we waited for the unexpected. Shilpa, Sandesh and Sanket were continuously co-ordinating with Manoj and trying to figure out what could be done next. There was not much time left to go backwards because of the distance (14 x 2 kms to and fro). There were many first timers and hence, we could not have completed the trek within the calculated time if started from Kulem.After having tea and coffee, we came up with Plan B. An unexplored Jungle trek to Tamdi Surla Waterfall.That’s it. The best unplanned surprise of life awaited us at a distance of 22 kms from Kulem. (Early morning JUGAADS helped)Vehicles arranged. Engines came to life. We started off to explore the unknown. With monsoon at it’s peak, it was happy green everywhere. We reached Tamdi Surla in 30 mins.The gates of the Mahadev temple were closed. It was supposed to open for public after 8:00. We decided to head towards the waterfall instead.The trek is entirely through a dense forest. Several water streams on the way. Some small and some with strong water current. We could hear the roar of the water from far. The trail was simply breathtaking. We located many colourful mormons and millipedes.Crossing streams, Walking through the dark under the green tunnels, walking on the bamboo bunches spread across. Experiencing the sting of thorny leaves and branches. The thorns penetrating deep into the skin. Blood oozing in attempt of removing the thorns which were too small to locate.

The rail trek is full of stones from the start till the end, So my suggestion would be to wear a good trekking shoe if you are going for this trek. We reached Dudhsagar Waterfalls at around 4:00 PM. It's about 14 KM from Castle Rock to Dudhsagar, but you will never feel tired if the weather is good and It was good for us. After reaching to the waterfall you have to trek around a kilometre to reach the view-point.We continued our trek even after the view-point instead of returning to Dudhsagar. We trekked till the Sonaulim Station and then boarded another train and reached Kulem. That's another interesting story how we boarded the train in Sonaulim. We had booking in Dudhsagar Spa Resort which is around 6 KM from Kulem. Then, we booked a cab from Kulem Station and reached there.It's a nice place to stay. We stayed in tents. Tents were good & well maintained. Food was good, they had a dancing floor as well along with the bar/restaurant. Overall our stay was good at the resort. They had Spa and other activities as well but, with extra charges. We didn't had much time to check them out.

I was not done though. The cherry on the cake was the huge expanse of Dudhsagar waterfalls that I saw from my train to Pune. And a train bogie that had been over turned and slipped from the rail routes decades ago all rusted, where the vines and shrubs had accommodated themselves in the compartments. Adaptability is the key to survival and this was a living example of it. This tour had taught me a lot. I started seeing the urge to live right from the Signature Spider to the Gray Pansy that had just been caught in its web. I started respecting life. As the train speeded through taking me back to the urban life, I was lost in the memories of the past week; silently making a promise to myself. The promise of coming back to this paradise soon! - SUSHRUT KARMARKAR The author is a Mechanical Engg student; An amateur photographer and a nerd in love with nature and wildlife. He is associated with MidEarth as a wildlife expert. All the pictures in this article are clicked by Sushrut Karmarkar.

Trip to Dudhsagar Goa It is said that destiny has its own way of fulfilling our wishes;at the outset we may not findpattern in events but after some time we get to know that there is a plan.Reason to remember this quote because friends have their own way of doing and planning things which we cannot comprehend.same is true for this exciting trip to Dudhsagar Waterfall.We planned this trip with help extensive research done by my friend Mahesh Thombare.We had no idea of what this trek[not actually trek but walk] was,but we agreed to this adventure. So First things first lets get to know about Dudhsagar Waterfall it is located at

Dudhsagar waterfall is one of the highest waterfall in India. It has a total height of 306 meters and a width of 30 meters. The waterfall lies in the southern part of Goa at Mollem, towards the border with Karnataka state. It forms a part of Mandovi river, Goa. Dudhsagar means 'Sea of milk' in konkani(regional language of Goa). It gets this name because when you look at it, it like an overflowing sea of milk.There is an interesting legend attached behind to this name. Here it goes- Once upon a time there was a Princess, daughter of a wealthy and powerful king of western ghats, who used to enjoy bathing at a lake nearby. After bath, it was her habit to drink to drink jugful of sweetened milk. The jug made up of pure gold. One day while enjoying her jug of milk she found herself being watched by a Prince. Embarrassed by her inadequate attire she poured the sweetened milk to from an improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of her maids rushed to cover her with a dress. The sweetened milk cascades down the mountain slope to this day as tribute to the virtue and modesty of the Princess.

Goa’s iconic Dudhsagar falls is in its full glory during the rains which is one of the most amazing monsoon activities in Goa. Its powerful gush becomes almost dizzying! Stand close too close to it could get you completely drenched. You can reach the falls either by train or by road through Panaji or Madgaon. And if your young bones are screaming out for more you could also trek up the falls.Make sure to get a rented scooter to ride in the rains at just 175/-Goa is the first state in India were in one can register car, bike or other vehicle on line from the dealers directly which started in June'06 and one needs not go to R.T.O. for registration.Goa is the only place where one can hire a two wheeler taxi called “pilots”.

• The Dudhsagar Fall :- The Dudhsagar Falls, located in the Mollem National Park is a must-visit during the monsoon when the waters are in full flow• Spice Plantations :- Not something one immediately associates with Goa, but the spice plantations at Savoi-Verem are a popular attraction in the state. The main spices grown here are Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Ginger and Pepper. Recommended highly by the locals, the Savoi Plantations come alive beautifully during the monsoon and this is one of the best times to visit them

In monsoon the must visit place in Goa is Dudhsagar Falls. It is Located in Goa - Karnataka Border. If you love to trek this place is a must visit. In monsoon Dudhsagar has the full flow of water which is a magnificent view.

“No one will be allowed to go to the falls or alight at the Doodhsagar station. The train will stop only at Kulem (the first station after the waterfall) once it starts from here.“, said the RPF Jawan through the PAS.Access to the Doodhsagar falls has been banned, I learn after some asking around. Even though this meant that my entire trek was now in jeopardy, I was not surprised by this to be honest. With the kind of reckless activities that have been going on in and around the falls since some time now, leading to multiple deaths due to drowning, a ban here was just a matter of time. Sadly.The quaint station of Castlerock hardly sees a handful of people at a time so with hundreds of people at once, the place looked very much out of capacity. Staying there was not something me and my travel-mates wanted to do. Neither did we want to go back, not that there was any option anyway. So we decided to take our chances and began our walk without any further ado.Minutes after we had started it was calm all around. Most of the crowd seemingly did not like the idea of walking for hours and stayed behind, much to our joy. You see, fewer people means you can take-in the beauty around you without the shrieks and shouting of the over-excited ‘tourists’. Very soon walking along the tracks which snaked away into the greenery started calling for more attention. The trails on both sides of the track became narrower as we moved ahead and coupled with the slippery surface, we were just one slip away from falling in the jungle below most of the time.As we trudged along mostly balancing ourselves on the tracks and rarely off it, the rains kept playing hide & seek with us. No sooner had we put-on our rain coats to save us from the unexpected heavy showers, the bright sun would come right up. Then, as soon as the perspired us were done with the painful process of unloading the back-pack, taking-off the rain-wear and putting it back in the bag, the rain gods once again used to smile mischievously. This kept on repeating until we finally decided to walk with our rain coats on, whether it rained or not.Walking through the lush greenery on both sides, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the beauty of the these deep forests. The monsoon clouds kept us company as we walked past numerous milky white streams flowing below the tracks at random intervals.Except for the occasional trains which showed up from one side of the deep forests and got lost in the other in no time, the only things that broke the monotony of our walk were the age-old tunnels and bridges. They always made us excited. Their rustic nature and rickety look was like a glimpse of the olden time and we always spent sometime to take-in their beauty at such places.Crossing the dark tunnels were fun and scary at the same time as well. Even more so, when a train came along while you are just half way through a 200 meter long tunnel. This is what happened to me.I was almost 100 meters or so inside one of the tunnels when I heard the loud blare of a train entering as it entered the tunnel. Not sure about what to do and being sure about the fact that trying to race the train was not a great idea, I decided to turn around facing the wall and stick to it. Standing on whatever narrow space that existed between the wall and the track I waited until the train passed.We were not allowed to walk beyond the nondescript station of Caranzol, a station where hardly any trains stopped. As we re-traced our steps back to Castlerock, I couldn’t help but notice how different the same forests which we crossed just few hours back looked under different colored clouds and even more over-cast sky. A darker shade of green with hovering gray clouds above.This trip was originally published in Rajiv Verma's Travel and Lifestyle Blog on October 29, 2015.

Dudh sagar trek is one of the most thrilling trek, it doesn't come under karnataka but still I think it should be mentioned here. The trek to the falls has been banned from 2016, I had been there in 2015.9. Nishani motte

Witness the forces of nature at The Dudhsagar Falls. An interesting fact about India is that some of the most underrated spots here make the best site for exploration. The Dudhsagar Falls attain their greatest might during the monsoon season and it makes for a sight that is sure to amaze you with its beauty.

Dudhsagar Falls:Dudhsagar Falls is a four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the border of the Indian state of Goa and Karnataka.And If you are going from Chennai or Bangalore via train then you will witness some stunning views of the waterfalls from the train itself.If you are attracted to stories then this is a place.There is an old legend that centers around the name of the falls. The tale goes that there was once a princess who was the daughter of the King of the Ghats. This young lady was as modest as she was beautiful and believed in the purity of heart, mind and body. The legend goes on that she used to bathe in the lake near her father's castle every day. After her bath, she and her handmaidens would congregate on the shores of the lake whilst the princess consumed a jug of milk. The jug, it is said was wrought of pure gold and inlaid with sparkling diamonds. One day, as the princess was drinking her milk, a young and handsome prince was making his way through the nearby woods. On hearing the laughter and chatter of the ladies, he stopped to have a look. The princess was much abashed by her scanty bathing attire and her handmaidens poured the milk in a cascade in front of her, thus creating a curtain behind which she could don her clothes. This cascade of milk, which preserved the modesty of the princess, is the namesake of the Dudhsagar falls. You can reach this falls by taking a train from Vasco or Madagon to Dudhsagar station and take a 1km trek to the base of the falls or you can Hire a cab.

Remember that gorgeous waterfall from the film Chennai Express!? Of course you do! It's name is Dudh sagar Waterfall and it is located in the goa state of India.Dudh Sagar Waterfall is one of the highest water falls in India, and among the hundred highest waterfalls in the world. It lies in the southern part of Goa at Mollem, towards the border with Karnataka state. Dudh Sagar, literally means a Sea of Milk in the local Konkanni language, and gets its name as it appears like an overflowing sea of milk. It has a total height of 306 meters and a width of 30 meters. The water fall is at its peak flow during the monsoon months from June to September and wanes out towards the summers from March to june.

The real trek however doesn’t start until you reach Dudhsagar Falls. The waterfall that is usually a thick plunging stream during the tourist season becomes a raging monster and comes true to its name. The waterfall crosses all the boundaries and floods the entire region. It is as scary as hell to complete the final 15 minutes of the trek. They asked me to grab a thin but sturdy steel rope and cross over towards the fall. I was scared to death and almost refused. Imagine if I had refused and wouldn’t have come across this beautiful view.

Can we really make it to the Doodhsagar Waterfall? Even after reading a lot of negative comments on the Internet, me and my cousin Saurabh Mehra (Little Child we call him ;-)) decided to discover this magnificent place (also featured in the popular film Chennai Express) come what may. We took a chance, did some basic research by gathering online information and headed straight to Pune on 24-June-2017, our first pit stop. BOOM!!After reaching Pune at around 10:30 PM, we rushed to buy tickets to Kulem, Goa. Our train was scheduled at 4:30 PM and we decided to utilize our time by wandering in the vicinity of the city. The Beer Lover inside me whispered that Pune has a well-known craft brewery named “Independence Brewery”. Why not utilize the time to drink some fresh craft beer and kickstart our second phase with a colder belly? I had 2-3 varieties, the taste of beer was one of the best I’ve ever had (this type of quality beer I haven’t even come across in Mumbai so far), the ambience was good and after the mild drinking program, some gyaan from the master brewer about brewing, we headed back to the station for the train journey.The train took around 13-14 hrs and reached Kulem at about 6 AM. After enquiring the locals about the route towards the waterfall, they gave us a cold shoulder saying that “Waterfall ka raasta bandh hai, ghar jao”. But, we were determined to go there and some other people in groups also joined us as our destination and route was the same. Then, the walk towards the waterfall for 14 Kms on railway track was started after some hot tea and we enjoyed nature’s beauty, clicked some photographs, witnessed mild rainfall and passed scary tunnels en route, and finally reached a point from where we could clearly see the Doodhsagar Falls in full swing. It was a 3-4-hrs journey.Our first words were: B, yeh dekh. Aaisa lag rahahai k doodh aasmaan se gir raha hai (It seems that milk is flowing straight from the sky).” Our eyes were stunned after our first look and we wanted to see it from close. After walking a few steps, we were stopped by the GRP guards and they forced us to return back and repeatedly kept saying that “Doodhsagar dekhne ka season October se May tak ka hai, tum andar gaye toh 1 person k upar 2,000 ka fine lagega”.We all then started pleading them saying that,Itne door se aaye hain aur itna pass aakar aaplog wapas bhej rahe ho? After some heated argument and promising that we will make both of them happy with a return gift, they allowed us for 15-20 minutes over there, and our risky step got converted into closely seeing the 4th largest waterfalls in India and the 100th largest in the world. We took a lot of pictures out of excitement, thanked the guards and started our journey back to Kulem.…Abhi picture baaki haiWe started to walk back to Kulem station after spending about 15-20 minutes at the falls and to our surprise a goods train stopped to give us lift (this was what we thought). The inspectors inside the train grilled both of us that “Tum fall pe gaye the? Kahaan se aaye ho tum?” We were yelled at by them for waking on the railway track, which is prohibited, and they angrily told us to get down from the train at Sanaulim station. We got down from the left side of the train and as the goods train was too long, we didn’t want to wait for the whole train to pass and we leaned down from one bogie and came to the right side of it. The train started and to our surprise we were called by the same GRP guards stationed at the falls (as they were returning from their duty) and they told us to board the train. We thanked them for allowing us to get in and ran towards the bridge of Kulem station (as soon as it reached) out of fear that the police personnel who yelled at us, was watching us closely and might take some action on us.Then we took a bus to Madgaon (which tested our patience for about an hour) and reached by about 4:15 PM to Madgaon Station. We were surprised to know that reservation counters are closed on Sundays everywhere! So we had to make do with general tickets. We also got shocked that the information regarding Kokan-Kanya train by M-Indicator (mobile app for trains) was incorrect and the train was scheduled to leave Madgaon by 4:45 PM instead of 6 PM (as reported by M-Indicator). We boarded the general compartment and found a seat where we could barely fit in. We reached Thane station by about 5 AM the next day.But ultimately, our trip, with all its inconveniences and hurdles, turned out to be more exciting than we had expected, full of fun and surprises. It was a really beautiful experience and I surely want to visit this majestic waterfall again.Thank you everyone for reading patiently about my experience on this trip. I’ll try to keep posting about my journeys like this one and hope to be of some help to those who are looking to make such trips.Wanderer, Pratik.

1. Dudhsagar WaterfallThis waterfall definitely needs no introduction. One of the highest waterfalls in India (310 m), located in Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary at Goa-Karnataka border literally looks like ‘ocean of milk’ in monsoon.

After spending some time at the hotel, go down to the Kudle beach. This is roughly 20 min away from Gokarna beach. It has expensive accommodation in cheap huts to various eating options. I would suggest you don't visit in monsoon since the beach gets dirty for those months. It's a place you go to when you want to have no connectivity and enjoy a peaceful three days. Spend the evening around some bonfires by the beach, singing to the tunes of guitar and drums.

You can dream big while you step towards Kuddle beach because you can self- assist yourself too almost every beach amusement there. You can question your fear factor and experience any water sport of your choice. We went for the vintage speed boat races and went for a hike on the hills which flawlessly sandwich the beach. There are also multiple number of restaurants which would serve you with your desired delicacy. Every food stall at Gokarna breaks the south Indian stereotype of serving idli-dosa day in and day out. Kuddle Beach would take good care of your taste buds.

Kudle beach can be reached by a short 20 minute trek from Om beach. The walk itself is not strenuous, but is lacks much shade and the heat tires you more than anything. So try to do it in the morning and work up a good breakfast appetite ! The beach is clean with lots of shacks lined up all along. In early November it is easy to find accommodation here. The sea at Kudle is much calmer than that at Om or Paradise beach and the tourists who stay here are mostly non-Indians.

Calm and clear waters, relatively less crowd as compared to Om beach. Great place to stay.

My beach trek starting point

one of the popular beaches in Gokarna

Kudle beach is not directly accessible by road so you will have to either walk from Gokarna or from Om beach. Kudle is again long stretch of thin sand with fewer rocks on the shore. Still better and less dangerous place to swim plus less crowded.

This one became my favorite and we spent almost all the time on this one.

Amazing view of the sunset.This place has more of the younger crowd and foreigners. A good place to try out Frisbee as the winds are quite strong. Lie down on this beach after sunset and get an enchanting view of the stars.Can be reached from Zostel by walk. Will take 15 mins to reach from zostel.

My most favorite beach in Gokarna.

The last destination where you can enjoy the sunset, swim, walk and have food at the shacks.

Anyway, coming back to the trip, we stayed there for a night only which was enough time to cover up most of the places. We travelled the town in autos because neither of us was skilled (at all) to ride on scootys. Book a scooty guys…there are several places from you can hire on a day basis. Ask the hotel staff, they’ll be able to guide you. On the first day, we decided to visit all the beaches. Now I still have no idea what our private beach is known as. The place is known as Kariyappa. And there is just one resort there, so no one bothered to name it. We first went to Kudle Beach and from there visited all other beaches in the boat. So forget about the autos and take a catamaran ride. It’ll be refreshing and you’ll get to see all the beaches. 

After having my breakfast, taking advantage of the weather I headed to the Kudle beach. From Om to Kudle, you have to do a short trek through the jungle and believe me its fun walking through the human foot trail to the beach. The beach had many visitors considering it was a long weekend and the place has many shacks and guesthouses to accommodate travelers and tourist. After absorbing the place for some time, I came back to Om Beach (where I was staying) and headed for a dip in the sea.The beach gets its name from its shape. At the end of the beach there are a couple of shacks and my favorite was Ganesh Café where are went for lunch for all the days of my stay.Ganesh café is open to people from all walks – travelers, tourist, solo travelers, and families. They have a rule; they don’t block rooms in advance, its first come basis.I had lovely time sitting by the railing listening to the waves and if I was lucky I heard people playing musical interments (ektara, was what I heard one of the evening).Life on the beach is different, you need to entertain yourself – I saw people playing beach volley ball, hula-hoop, Frisbee, practice yoga or if the waves are lucky one can also go kayaking. I soon became the part of that routine.There were few travelers going for a trek to half-moon beach and paradise beach and I got to accompany them. It is a 30 minute trek in a little dense forest with a quirky trail, the view from the top is breath taking, do venture once at least, and you can thank me later. :)Om beach is frequented by a lot of Israelis and people from the neighboring states, I had few interactions with them, and it was a pleasure to be part of it.Morning run – dip in the sea – playing Frisbee with fellow travelers – chilled lemonades – soft music – life is good!

So for a quite stay the best bet would be to go to Kudle beach. It is a little more deserted and quiet and mostly has foreign tourists who don’t want to give a damn about the world! You can wake up early in the morning, chill on the beach and do some yoga with cows and dogs for company, get some delicious omelettes and pancakes at one of the few shacks for breakfast and repeat this for as many days as you can!The shame is however, that not many people go to any of the other beaches beyond Om and Kudle. Om is the most accessible and as we move further to Kudle, Half Moon and the Paradise beaches, the ease of accessibility reduces tremendously.

Reaching Kudle beach to enjoy the gentle evening breeze over some beer, the calmness surrounding the place was astounding… Although there were various shacks dotting the place serving some amazingly fresh sea-food and playing lovely music, the place had some kind of peacefulness attached to it.. We were instantly drawn towards the guitar which we were carrying along and here began our first tryst with jamming by the sea, paying homage in our style to the legends John Lennon, Kurt Kobain, Eagles & our very own Kishore Kumar…. okay...I am not bragging, just a light jamming session with few travellers even joining us...:)Except one of us who played decent guitar, our relationship with music was very much like any other music lover around...we loved various forms of music, new, old, rock, blues, country, EDM, live, acoustic and in a way tried our hands in learning a few instruments... But somehow the aura around motivated us to get deeper in our music. Four of us sitting on a rock and sipping on chilled beer and jamming on the beach without any care for the world around seemed some kind of euphoria we were in.. Day 2: Waking up to nice home-made filter coffee amongst chirping birds is always heavenly for we city-dwellers… Having spent my early years in a tea-estate in North-eastern India it immediately reminded me of my child-hood days. Chit-chatting with Mr. Hegde, while relishing on home-made mangalore bun with chutney, we spoke about his love for rustic life and how he decided to quit fast paced life and live life in this tiny village. He also showed us his home-made gun which he uses to scare-away monkeys from his farm.

At around 10 in the morning we decided to start our long-awaited beach trek just few hundred metres before Kudle beach. Our last night musical experience motivated us to carry our guitar along, as with any given opportunity we planned to continue our jam sessions.Within few mins into trek, the view seemed to blow our minds away… The sight of the blue sea while peeping through the green bushes is indescribable and as we reached the edge of the first hilllock we trekked, the view of Kudle beach from a distance was mesmerizing… Trekking ahead our next destination was the famous Om Beach (named due to its shape as Om)…Trek seemed relatively easy here among the green forest cover for a seasoned trekker. Although advisable to start early during the day as it might turn out to be hotter during mid-mornings and noon, we were totally swooned by the greenery around. By the time we stepped down on Om Beach we were quite hungry & thirsty. Rushing immediately to Namaste Café, the famous one on the beach, we hunted for place on the terrace level. It offered an uninterrupted view of the ocean, with nice breeze blowing at you and heavenly sea-food to dig on… While in Namaste Café, no one should miss the Mint-lime juice there… It seemed to cool down years of tiredness and works as instant energy-booster…

Reaching Gokarna and Stargazing: We reached the destination of paradise beach showing on the maps but it was a dead end with back waters and then some cliffs. It was already 1:00 AM. Not having any options to stay there for the night we set the nest destination which is OM beach. It is only both of us riding in those lanes, not a single soul to be seen. People sleep so early in Gokarna? Where is the night life? Stopped a passing car who said a place is open and he just dropped some guests, but no one opens the gate by the time we reached there. Sitting on the road with a view of the next Kudle beach, thinking what to do now? Maybe some adventure calling and we decided spend that night on OM beach itself. It was 2:00 AM already and if we can pass few more hours, by sunrise we should be able to find some shack to stay. Carried all our riding gear, saddle bags into the beach, found a bench on which Tudu slept with all our stuff and I tried sleeping on a Tyre which was hanging from a tree next to the bench????????. After a while, suddenly Tudu wakes me up, Dude 'wake up' 3:00 am is the time and I almost shat in the pants, did the water came close? Or any dogs or cattle or what?They were a small group of foreigners who crossed us and slept on the beach at some distance. We though to check with them if they know any places which are open. I walked to them to see they are a group of travelers already asleep. See me walk towards them two girls said Hi, I told them our plight and heard from them that they from different countries and are coming from Hampi. As they too couldn't find any place, they came to the beach and told us also to join them. We opened our tent and realized that we forgot to pack the poles to hold the tent. So we just spread it on the beach and it was star gazing in Gokarna that night along with the new company.

Reaching Gokarna and Stargazing: We reached the destination of paradise beach showing on the maps but it was a dead end with back waters and then some cliffs. It was already 1:00 AM. Not having any options to stay there for the night we set the nest destination which is OM beach. It is only both of us riding in those lanes, not a single soul to be seen. People sleep so early in Gokarna? Where is the night life? Stopped a passing car who said a place is open and he just dropped some guests, but no one opens the gate by the time we reached there. Sitting on the road with a view of the next Kudle beach, thinking what to do now? Maybe some adventure calling and we decided spend that night on OM beach itself. It was 2:00 AM already and if we can pass few more hours, by sunrise we should be able to find some shack to stay. Carried all our riding gear, saddle bags into the beach, found a bench on which Tudu slept with all our stuff and I tried sleeping on a Tyre which was hanging from a tree next to the bench????????. After a while, suddenly Tudu wakes me up, Dude ‘wake up’ 3:00 am is the time and I almost shat in the pants, did the water came close? Or any dogs or cattle or what?They were a small group of foreigners who crossed us and slept on the beach at some distance. We though to check with them if they know any places which are open. I walked to them to see they are a group of travelers already asleep. See me walk towards them two girls said Hi, I told them our plight and heard from them that they from different countries and are coming from Hampi. As they too couldn’t find any place, they came to the beach and told us also to join them. We opened our tent and realized that we forgot to pack the poles to hold the tent. So we just spread it on the beach and it was star gazing in Gokarna that night along with the new company.

The sun was in its full glory, after some rest, our next destination was Kudle Beach. I can bet that "Kudle Beach" would be one of the best beaches in India, its crystal clear water, well defined clear shore & topping in its beauty was the white sand. We spent almost four hours just trying to imbibe its beauty in our eyes, the dawn was making the view more scenic however it was time to go back to our base. After reaching back to our cottage, I took shower, trust me you would need one after a day like this, we tried sea food in the dinner though we didn't have an appetite. Next morning I woke up early & strolled at OM Beach & I captured some great shots, it was a great experience, try it if you go there. You can also see fishermen trying to net fishes. Key Points ===========- Beautiful & clam OM Beach- Sunset at Kudle beach- Taxi ride from Gokarna to Karwar

After getting fresh and a quick lunch I start off with my Beach trekking. One has to really trek & not walk, to the beaches in Gokarna. Gokarna is situated amongst the hills and the beaches are on the other side of the hills. Gokarna has 5 major beaches- Gokarna Beach, Kudle Beach, Om Beach, Half Moon Beach & Paradise Beach. The Gokarna Beach is in the main town and is frequented by the locals & the pilgrims, the beach is not preferred by tourists. So I start off with the Kudle Beach, one of the main tourist beaches. The Beach has a lot of shacks and small inns and were mostly owned and managed by the locals staying at the same place. Almost all shacks had cottages for stay attached with prices ranging from Rs. 500- Rs. 2500/- per night depending on the amenities and luxuries. Kudle Ocean Front is one of the recommended ones based on the reviews from few Europeans I met on the beach. All the shacks on Kudle beach are equally good in terms of food as they all have a very similar menu, its only a matter of personal preference and a good view of the sunset & beach at different times of the day that can influence choosing a particular shack. Locals in the shacks are very friendly and they don't mind you occupying a table without ordering anything. I decided to perch on the little rocks along the beach and stare out at the sea.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 3 KMs 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 head back to Zostel and spend the rest of the evening interacting with the fellow travelers staying there.

Melange of CulturesWith a good sunny day Kudle Beach was highly vibrant with many foreigners flocking around the beach and enjoying the sun. I played Frisbee with a group from Sweden, Beach Volleyball with backpackers from Europe and a Beach Tennis with a couple from London. I noted the recipe of the Turkish Cardamon coffee & the Chocolate balls with peanut butter sold by the foreigners in the flea market they set up to earn some money. As the sun kissed the ocean waters, I found myself sitting around a bonfire at with fellow travelers, trying to make sense of the different cultures around the world. The evening was soaked with the sound of waves and a group at few meters playing guitars and other musical instruments.

Once we reached Kudle beach, we dropped our bags, soaked in the beautiful view while we were still hoping to get some sleep. But hey, who's here to rest, right? We stepped in the water to check the temperature. But as we earlier saw the pictures of people drowning to their death on Kudle beach we were wary of taking a dip/swim.

Kudle Beach is one of the happening tourist’s spots. The beach here is covered with hill rocks and when the waves splash through this and hit your feet; that feeling is so soothing. Spending time in Kudle beach is always pleasurable. This beach has some amazing food joints and shacks to chill at. I loved staring at the beach and be lost in the beauty of nature. This indeed was the most peaceful thing to do here.

Gokarna is one town that serves you multi cuisine food. Kudle beach has in numerous shacks that serve you from Italian to Korean and some authentic Konkan food. I loved the Nutella pancakes that were served at Sunshine Café. This café is located in the middle of Kudle beach and gives you an amazing view of the sunset. As I took a Shack here to live I ended up eating here all three days and loved every bit of food I ate. The prawn sukka, Israeli salad, French toast, Sizzlers and English breakfast were the food I tried and trust me, everything I tried at Sunshine Café was just MOUTHWATERING and AMAZING! As you eat your food you get an amazing view of the sun set.

Close to evening I made my way to Om Beach which was, again, less than a 15 minute walk from Paradise Holiday. To my amazement, it was even more breathtaking than the Kudle Beach!

After freshening up for a bit, I made my way to Kudle Beach. The beach was only a 10 minute walk from Paradise Holiday and the walk was incredibly gratifying to say the least. Before I knew it, the view of the vast ocean was upon me & all my inhibitions about this ‘solo trip’ faded away.

Kudle beach is also a beach near Om beach you will get less of water sports here but more of Cafes and shacks. The cafes on Kudle are better than Om beach, you can just get a beer and relax on the beach.Apart from the beaches you can go for local shopping and temples of gokarna are really famous. If you want you can visit the temples also. We rather skipped that and spent more time on the beaches itselfTook return bus to Bangalore the next evening and reached Bangalore early Morning 

Kudle beach: With extremely low maintenance, this beach is a littered place. The beach is beautiful but the garbage spoils the fun. The waves were strong and yet again it was not advisable to go deeper into the sea. Nothing much was there on this beach and we spent time walking along the length, enjoying the view and relaxing our minds.

We planned to have a laid back day 3 which comprised of walking tour from Gokarna beach to Kudle beach from the back road. There is one snake temple on the way, which is an absolute bliss to visit, an orthodox than any other temples out there.Walking on the Kudle beach has made us run through lots of jellyfishes.

Woke up to the beautiful views of Chitradurga windmills and around 7:30am we were back on the highway. After about an hour we found this little hut where they served hot idlis, puris and tea. Post breakfast we were back on the road cruising past small towns. Many hours and breaks later a board that made me instantly happy, Gokarna- 15kms! Soon, we were riding through the town, heading towards my favourite stay- Gokarna International Beach Resort, Kudle. After that long ride, the view of Kudle from the hilltop was an absolute treat to sore eyes but what we saw next was the worst. People! Tonnes and tonnes of people all over. How could i forget, the long weekend has struck everyone. We sat by the beach for a long, relaxing lunch as we decided what to do next. Our last minute plans obviously meant we had no stay in this overcrowded place. After a lot of searching and whining, I came up with an idea because I am an absolute genius; Let's hit Goa! Duh! And to my surprise, the others gladly agreed. Didn't want to face any further disappointments so I decided to find out the happenings in Goa before we left. Obviously, North Goa was very happening over this weekend and I honestly was looking for some peace so I booked a little cottage in South Goa, something I'm glad I did.The ride from Gokarna to Goa was absolutely beautiful! So scenic and it was almost like it was only the our bikes on the road. As we rode thorough the Ghats, we stopped at a beautiful view point; valleys covered in fog and the sunlight finding its way through somewhere. Splendid weather as we rode through the lush green roads as we reached the absolutely lovely coastal city of Karwar. This road is an absolute beauty! You ride through the town with the coast right by your side. We were just in time to see the setting sun as we rode through the city. A long while later, that board that brings SO much joy and triumph- Welcome to Goa! Woohooo! As we rode through the Goan greenery, around 7pm we made it! Home for the next 2 nights- Dom Pedros Haven, Utorda. After dumping our luggage and freshening up, we headed to their restaurant for a long relaxing dinner. But then again, when in Goa do shots! Many shots and very little dinner later, we headed to bed.

One can easily hike from the Om beach or the Gokarna beach to reach here. This beach is absolutely the best place to play volleyball, frisbee, football or do slack lining. You can find alot of vendors selling gem stone jewelry or a few foreigners selling chocolate balls and coffee on the beach.

Gokarna is scenic with rocky mountains and Western Ghats on one side and Arabian Sea on the other. It is well known for a number of beaches. So the journey to visit all the beaches around began and Kudle beach topped the list.

The beach was very neat and clean with crystal clear water, the one will love to sit for hours just to watch this beauty and we get a better sunset view,unlucky coz of clouds i couldn't capture. this is the right place for the night stay, beach is having many shacks and cafe's offering the stay in hut's and that too on a very affordable price, though the hut's don't have Ac and all, but yes you will get basic amenities, living on the beach is way to different then staying in a resort, you get all the time to see for what u have traveled for.

When Jog falls comes roaring down the hills in Western Ghats in monsoon, you can not see the sky. The area will be mist filled and you will see an array of beautiful rainbows. You can see the glory of the falls when the mist clears. This is only during the monsoon months of July and August. On other months, it is trickle down the huge rocky precipice. With blue sky in the background it is still beautiful as water tumble down. Jog Falls is second highest water fall in Asia after Nokhakali falls in Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya, India. Within 50-miles there are medieval period temples dedicated to Lord Shiva with great architecture and history. If not anything the drive through the lush forests, green paddy fields, watching the fog emanating from the valleys up to the hills, drizzling rain, cool breeze make your trip worthwhile :)

We needed to end the trip, with exams ready to knock our doors after a couple of weeks. So to vitalize our minds and to shrug off every grain of sand we took a jeep for Jog falls. People we clinging to the fence as they clicked pictures of mother nature. But we kept walking as we found the calmest spot with every possible bite of nature we demanded for. The breeze cooled our veins, the grass met the sandstruck foot, our eyes met sun rising and the dawn said," It's monday! Back to school".

It was genuinely huge and beautiful, I wanted to go down and play in the water, but that would be very dangerous at this time of the year.

It is situated on the borders of Shimoga and is created by Shavarathi River. The best time to visit Jog Falls is during winter when the sky is clear of the mist and during monsoon, one can view rainbows in the sky.

The former Nayaka stronghold of Keladi and Ikkeri, apart from being archaeologically and historically important, is endowed with exceptional natural beauty especially during the monsoon months. The Jog Falls on the Sharavathi River, around 36km from Sagara, deserve a special mention. They are the second highest plunge waterfall in India where the Sharavathi leaps in four distinct falls – Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani. The falls have very little water in the dry season, due to the Linganmakki Dam upstream, but are a treat to behold during the rainy season. One can descend to the bottom of the falls by climbing down around 1400 steps which can be demanding but is totally worth the trouble.

Lovely view of the fall when water level is good !

It’s created by the Sharavathi River falling from a height of 253 m which is around 830 feet!! Huge isn't it? It’s the second highest waterfall in India. The water falls down the rocky bed in four distinct falls and the volume of water is most in the monsoons and the beauty of the falls is also best experienced during the rains. On your way to Jog falls you would feel like stopping now and then at every turn. The view is so nice but make sure you don’t miss the sun rise because of this. Try and reach before that. It’s less crowded and you could see the transition of a starry night into bright day light. 1500 steps take you to the base of the water fall and if walking isn't an issue walk down and experience the nature all around you.

Beautiful view of the four falls that make up Jog Falls!

This beautiful waterfall which is created by the Sharavati River, is the second highest plunge waterfall in India. We stayed here for one night at the KSTDC hotel. This hotel is located at the best possible spot and we got stunning views of the fall from our room. In the early morning the falls were engulfed with fog and it was an absolutely spectacular sight to witness.

India's highest plunge type waterfall, the Jog Falls, North Karnataka...

Jog Falls, created by the River Sharavathi, falling from a height of 253 metres (829 feet), is the highest waterfall in India. It is also called Gersoppa Falls or Jogada Gundi.The falls are located on the Uttara Kannada and Sagara border.

Goa Vs Gokarna: Compared to Goa which is the party destination especially North Goa, Gokarna is peaceful and serene. You have your privacy and quite popular for couples who wish to spend some calm time in the beaches. While Goa never sleeps, life in Gokarna is almost over by 10 PM, excluding one or two places where the music still plays into the night. The cops are more active in Gokara and a strict no to drink and drive especially when you come into the city. Gokarna is however a bit similar to Arambol and sweet water lake areas where you find travelers and not many tourists.

10. Jog falls

Jog Falls and Ride Back: The next day on our return back to Bangalore, we thought to ride via Jog Falls which is 120 km from Gokarna. Though it was not a great time to visit the falls as there would be no much water flow, but still we want to cover that as we have covered almost every type of landscape and only a water fall was missing on this ride.

I had heard about a very famous home stay – Gundimane, near Jog falls and I was determined to spend a night there. So we asked for directions and somehow managed to reach the place. If I have to give you an advise, I’ll say that you better ask locals for direction and not trust Google maps as there are so many offshoots from the main road that there are chances you might pick up the wrong route.Again, the drive is scenic and it’s a single lane tarred road winding through dense jungles. All through the route you’ll suddenly come across a small hamlet with a queer name and you’ll get to see neatly dressed school children proceeding to school. It’ll make you wonder as to how would these people manage such things at a village which is located practically in the middle of nowhere! And then you’ll finally reach Gundimane when you’ll get to see a board that declares ‘Gundimane, 0.2 km to the right’.The vast estate lies beyond an old creaky iron gate held together by an iron hook. When you enter the place, you’ll come across acres of rubber plantation which’ll take you back to the pre-independence era when Burma used to smuggle Indian labourers to make them work as plantation labourers. Of course, you’ll know this straight away if you would have read ‘The Glass Palace’ by Amitav Ghosh. The sprawling estate is so huge that it seems that it ends at the horizon. And if you are lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of spotted deer or Indian Bison on the opposite slope clad with green grass.Gundimane is a home stay located in the middle of this estate, managed by an old couple and their helpers. The ground floor is the abode of the couple and the first floor has rooms for the guests, the special attraction being the balcony that provides a panoramic view of the green surroundings. It is generally full on weekends and if you want to go there, it is advisable to make prior booking which we had done as well. It was close to sunset when we reached there. So, we kept our luggage in the rooms and rushed to a nearby hill to witness the sunset. It’s a small distance from the estate, say 15 minutes walk. And from there a 5 minute trek would take you to the top of a small hillock from where you could see the entire landscape. On one side, there is Tunga dam and on the other side are vast stretches of forests. The place is very breezy and a perfect place to have early morning tea witnessing the sunrise (of course, if you have got tea in a Thermos flask!)After we were done, we went back to the home-stay and Chandrakala aunty had cooked awesome dinner for us, all authentic Karnataka dinner served on banana leaves. As the day neared an end, I stayed on at the balcony for long listening to the sounds of night and finally dozed off.Day 4: Trasi Beach (Song of the day – Born to be wild: Steppenwolf)We woke up early the next day and pushed off to our next destination – about which none of us knew! As we left Gundimane, the lush green forests gave way to small villages and towns. The city life was back and we were on the highway to Mangalore. Concrete houses, cars and motorcycles replaced bullock carts. The innocent smiles gave way to frowns and hence we entered the reality. The temperatures soared and the humidity increased substantially and that was when the wonder happened.It was close to afternoon when we witnessed something we had been longing for long, yes the sea! As the highway paced slowly by the sea on one side, the fresh scent of salt water jolted our happiness back. The best part about this highway is that at one point you’ll find yourself surrounded by water, on to your right would be the vast sea and on to your left would be a river!

Jog Falls: On the way to Murudeshwar, there is a junction, the left side of which leads to Jog Falls (61 km from the junction). The road is nice and the traffic is also less. But during the month of June, the water was scarce in the waterfall.

Jog Falls Viewing gallery 1View from 1st Gallery

Listed as India’s highest plunge waterfall, Jog Fall is a calm cascade during summers and late winters. It becomes a mighty roaring waterfall creating a spectacular sight. During monsoon, the entire area is foggy and misty that covers the waterfall. The clouds play hide and seek, revealing the waterfall after a frequent time gap. The constant showers make the sight even spectacular.