Blogs from Gokarna, Karnataka, India, Asia - page 3

Alas, our time in India is drawing to a close. We think heading back to the coast and the main North/South railway will be the easiest and most cost effective way to get to Thiruvananthapuram by our deadline. Zack, Holly and Laura are heading West to Gokarna so we decide to share the road for a few days and book the same coach. Laura suggests a place called Om Beach and liking the sound of that, we follow. We arrive in the middle of the night and stumble down a rocky headland to make camp on the sand and sleep. Dawn reveals a picturesque bay of white sand and palm trees. A cordon of wild dogs that joined us in the darkness surround us while cows plod lasily through the surf. Yet the real magic of ... read more

This is where it all began............ read more

Gokarna is one of those places where the days can blow by like minutes leaving you wondering where the time has gone. At its worst its an unabashed traveler's hangout where banana pancakes and Tibetan Momos are menu staples alongside chapati and rice. Bracelet vendors roam the beach and trance music is heard just as much as Bollywood hits. However, Gokarna also has many things going for it - beautiful beaches, rugged coastline, cheap huts to stay in. and above all a close-knit community of other long term travelers. The town itself is a Hindu temple town, a holy place and small backwater along the Konkan coast. As you head south along the coast you come to 4 beaches, each one more rugged and remote than the last. The path between the beaches is rocky and ... read more

Hi everyone, I'm still in Gokarna, and to be honest I'm not too sure that I will leave here! I'm really enjoying the vibe of the place. Gokarna is an important Hindu centre in Karnataka, but its quite a small town, and really accessible and relaxed. Near to the town are four amazing beaches, Kudle, Om, Paradise and Half Moon. Its about a twenty minute hard walk to Kudle from town and further onto the others (thought there is a road to Om). I walked along Kudle beach and found a guest house with some free huts, and the guesthouse is very nice so I decided to base myself here, although I may possibly move to a different beach at some point. My hut is cool - although I share with a lot of wildlife! The ... read more

The improvised, but completely worthy halt at Tarkarli yesterday meant I had a long 300 km drive to Gokarn to finish today. I drove on the last leg of the ‘Sagari Mahamarg’ to meet the NH-17 somewhere near Sawantwadi. The road, a major part of it untraceable on maps, keeps on changing from wide smooth patches of tarmac to narrow potholed by-lanes to beautiful, shining new bridges across the creeks. Although it never really runs parallel to sea, landscapes are amazing and changing. It’s isolated and pleasure to drive on (at-least till you have a flat tyre or a break-down. I didn’t have any). Back on NH-17, the heat and traffic made the driving miserable. My lunch stop was a hotel in Madgaon, and I was glad to make it just in time before its lunch ... read more