Places to Visit in Karnataka

Ocean Deck Homestay Karwar : An Ecofriendly Homestay in India

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Ocean Deck Beach Homestay

Inspired by Shivya Nath’s posts on responsible travel and the importance of choosing an eco-friendly homestay, I took this pledge of opting for only homestays in the year 2020. Trust me, it was way more difficult to search for a perfectly eco-friendly homestay in India. After going through almost a hundred websites, I finally found Ocean Deck Beach Homestay for my road trip from Bangalore to Goa. This lovely home of Mr. Vinay seemed to me like a dream home that I could never own. Soothing tranquillity, enchanting music of the sea waves interrupted by the sound of the local birds and a pleasant ambience combined with natural living at Ocean Deck Homestay was an experience in itself.

Sometimes, you may go to a place to tick off the list of must-see attraction but the homes like this make you want to practice the art of doing nothing. Or let us name it as an ‘art of soaking in nature’. Read more

Chennakesava Temple Somanathapura – A Handy Photo Guide

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Chennakesava temple Somanathapura

The Chennakesava Temple of Somanathapura, built during the rule of the Hoysala Dynasty of Karnataka, illustrates the prolific skills of the sculptors of that era. It is a sheer exhibition of Hindu scriptures moulded in lifelike sculptures. For an artist, it is a temple where the creators left behind an art gallery for the generations to come. Even for a layman, it would have been a school to grasp the unwritten mythology through an easy pictorial representation. Historians claim it to be an artwork that led Hoysalas to the zenith of their architectural glory. This ornately chiselled ancient temple of India is located near Mysore and is also accessible from Bangalore by road.

Being a non-functional temple, it opens only at 8:30 am and closes down before the sun sets by 5:30 pm. On any weekend it would be a sea of humans in the temple complex. However, weekdays are quiet and only a handful of tourists come for a visit here. We went on Thursday noon and we were around 10 people on the premise at any given time. We took about two and a half hours to completely understand the stories depicted in each sculpture. Read more

Madhukeshwara Temple of Banavasi, Your Detailed Handy Guide

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Madhukeshwara Temple

“Oh dear Lord, let me be born again in Banavasi, if not as a human then maybe as a honeybee. Let me over the flowery fields surrounding this beautiful land.” – Adikavi Pampa.

The Banavasi village is still a less explored place, the beauty of which has inspired the works of many ancient poets. A belief also persists that Mahakavi Kalidasa was inspired to create ‘Meghdoot’ by the beauty of Banavasi. Dramatically set around the Historic Madhukeshwara Temple, Banavasi looks like a movie set in the land where Varada River flows on both its sides.

The quiet and often misty lanes of Banavasi are flanked by old-styled and yet aesthetically neat houses. The ancient walled fort dating back to the 5th Century now lies in ruins veiled by bushes and trees. The town of Banavasi also finds its traces in the work of Claudius Ptolemy. (the one who created the first world map) Read more

12 Things to Do in Gokarna; A Detailed Guide

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Things to do in Gokarna

Famously known as South Goa’s neglected cousin, Gokarna is also loved for the very same reason. Sprawling beaches, the bliss of nature, the tranquility of countryside areas and the mélange of cultures attract travelers and hippies from around the world to Gokarna. We visited Gokarna for around 3 days on a road trip from Bangalore. Though beach hopping would be the main thing to do in Gokarna, you would be startled at the list of the other interesting things that you can do in this religious town of Karnataka in India.

This page contains the list of things do in Gokarna and places to visit along with a detailed guide on cost for the same or how to reach a particular spot. Keep reading to enlist the places and activities for your exploratory trip to Gokarna.

If you have no clue about ‘what, where and why’ of Gokarna, then read this detailed guide to plan your trip to Gokarna

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10 Things to do in Udupi for an Interesting Experience

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List of things to do in Udupi

The moment we hear the name ‘Udupi’ , a spiritual town image pops up in the display screen of our mind. And at the same time, our foody mind scrolls through all the possible images of Udupi sambhar, vada, idli, and dosa. But this little town has one more image of it to show you.  With a number of amazing beaches, you can prepare an unending list of places to visit and things to do in Udupi.

A few of the beaches in Udupi are as beautiful as the beaches in the islands of Andaman. In fact. the St. Mary’s Island in Udupi can definitely give you a feel of being in Andaman. Unlike the beaches of Goa and other famous tourist towns, the beaches in Udupi are clean and well maintained. In fact, while in Goa, I totally avoided the crowded beaches and instead opted for the exploration of Museums, spice plantation, Portuguese colonies and the temples of Goa.

But Udupi was altogether a  different experience. Read more

5 Must-do Road Trips from Bangalore – Self Drive Adventures

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Road Trips from Bangalore

 

Bangalore lies at the center of a fascinating region – where green mountains blend into the arid Deccan plateau – a land of lush forests and dramatic coastlines. There are many not-so-popular destinations, known locally but seldom mentioned in the traditional itinerary. With the easy availability of self-drive cars, one can plan a weekend road trip to these unique destinations very quickly. Here are some top recommendations for the road trips from Bangalore.

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Unravel the Real Story of the Mighty Bahubali

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Bahubali Shravanbelagola

It is one of the divine destinations of Karnataka. There are total five monoliths of Gomteshwara – the son of the first Jain tirthankar(Rishabhnath Swami) in the state, the tallest one(58 ft) of which is located in Shravanbelagola making it a tourist hot-spot. It is also considered to be the tallest monolith in the world. Chandragupta Maurya is said to have died here after he assumed the life of an ascetic. Fascinated by these facts and the craze for the fictional character of Bahubali, I planned a day trip from Mysore to this divine place that led to the creation of a blockbuster movie.  Read more

Detailed Guide on Safari at Bandipur National Park

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Detailed Guide on Safari at Bandipur National Park

A great getaway from Mysore or Bangalore to acquaint yourself and the kids with the important creatures who keeps the food cycle intact and helps human survive and grow peacefully. Among hundreds of sanctuaries in India, Bandipur National Park proudly stands among those which have been successful in saving the jewel of India, our national animal, TIGER.

A visit to Bandipur from Bangalore or Mysore becomes more memorable with the ease of booking safaris and stay in Jungle Lodges, unlike other sanctuaries. It is quite cheaper too. Read more

The Precious Heritage City : What to See in Mysore

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The Precious Heritage City : What to See in Mysore

This Royal City of south is not all about its marvelous palace but it also bewilders its visitors with its variety of natural and cultural marvels.  The city had once been the capital of the Wodeyar  and now  is a paradise for the explorers and architecture lovers. The city is also surrounded by some interesting places like Shravanbelagola, Gopalaswami Betta and even a famous tiger sanctuary of Bandipur is located just at a distance of a few kilometres.  The best time to visit is in winter (September –February) that includes the extravagant state festival of Dussera.

Follow this guide and explore the astonishing wonders of this city: Read more