The foodie's paradise - Udupi

 

We headed back to the Mangalore highway (NH 66) and continued our journey to Udupi. Watching mirages on the black tarmac in the scorching sun. Sagar Restaurant with air conditioning was a relief from the heat. Occasional stops at Highway Nest near NHAI toll plaza to refuel with coffee made it easier to reach Udupi around 5pm. The stretch at Maravanthe, with the sea on one side and the river on the other, doesn’t miss taking one’s breath away no matter how many times you ride on that path. Checked in at Leo’s AirBnB apartment near District Hospital and called it a day. FZ needed some minor repairs and found a small workshop nearby to get those done.

 

 

 

If you have only an hour to spare in Udupi, head to Priyadarshini at Brahmagiri and enjoy a cup of coffee with some snacks. But you may have to wait for a while to get a spot here. So popular with the locals, you will find many working men enjoying their ‘tiffin’ here from 7am to 7pm. The laid-back town is home to the famed Sri Krishna Mutt Temple and the Anantha Padmanabha Temple. This region is a haven for food connoisseurs.

After a lip-smacking breakfast, we made our way to Varanga Kere (lake) Basadi. Known also as Chaturmukha Basadi with four Thirthankaras facing four directions. As expected, google maps took us for a ‘ride’ through tiny village roads and startlingly, the route was worth every mile we rode. The humble Jain temple is located in the middle of a lake and accessible only by a small boat ride (Rs 20). When you start the ride, a school of fish will ride along with the boat until your destination, reminding you of ‘Finding Nemo’. This 13th Century temple is very unique in its location. Another temple built in the 12th century, opposite the lake temple across the paddy field, is the Hire Basadi, the abode of Neminatha Tirthankara.

 

 

The Malpe beach is equipped with water sports activities, a boat ride to the famous St.Mary’s Island and numerous shacks on the sands offering delectable food. Over a leisurely lunch, we met a fellow traveller friend from Auroville. Meandering through Kodi Bengare-Hoode road, with Sita River on the right and Arabian sea on the left, we reached Delta point where the sea meets the river. This place is best visited at sunset. Malpe beach is 5 kilometres from NH 66, and Delta Point is 11 kilometres from here.

Sokku iddare Yana, Rokka iddare Gokarna

A famous Kannada saying translated as: If you have a lot of money to spend go to Rona (Gokarna) , and if you are feeling over enthusiastic visit Yana.

The coastal highway NH 66 connecting Kanyakumari to Mumbai is still a work in progress at a couple of places. The sizzling hot sun on the open road drained the energy soon after crossing Karwar. A long lunch break at Ankola to escape the sun was a wise decision. Leisurely lunch at Kamat Restaurant on the highway recharged us. Due to road work, there is no board announcing the deviation towards Gokarana. It was surprising because Gokarana is very popular amongst tourists, and it is the peak season. We rode on ahead at warp speed on the open highway. It was after 10 kilometres we realised we had crossed the deviation. The geography of Gokarna is similar to that of South Goa, Agonda in particular - forests close to the beach, stones scattered around the shores, a small hike to reach some seashore. These forests keep the weather cool and reduce the heat and humidity typical to a coastal province. Evenings and early mornings are pleasant.

We stayed near the main beach at a charming Airbnb, surrounded by paddy fields and a lot of greenery within the property. Wake up to the chirping of birds and watch the sunset from the beach, which is a mere 5-minute walk away. Plenty of food joints along the seashore serves the conventional menu - seafood, continental and Indian cuisine. Surya Café offers rooms to stay besides finger-licking good food freshly made. Not in the mood for a romantic meal? Head to Hotel Vaibhav, a family-owned restaurant where they prepare made-to-order food. The main beach is pristine, but the other commercial tourist beaches like Kudle and Om beach are tarnished with litter.

 

 

 

On the butter-smooth NH roads from Gokarna to Mangalore along the Aghanashini river deviate at Mirjan onto Sirsi-Kumta road for Yana Caves. You can stop at the elegant Mirjan fort on the way as well. Take a left turn into the dense forest road at Yana Cross and ride slowly – enjoy the gurgling stream along the road, make a pit stop at the bridges, listen to the birds. There is another route to Yana caves, which will take you to Vibhoothi falls and then to the north parking lot at Yana. You can’t cross from the Yana north parking lot to the south (Kumta side) by vehicle. Park your ride at the parking lot and buy tickets for entry. Tucked in the deep forest, the caves here is something one wouldn’t expect to see in the lush green forest of Western Ghats. A short but steep hike along the stream will take you to the famed Yana rock formations, where a temple is dedicated to Shiva. Leave your footwear and circumvent the temple to explore the caves in detail. Mind the numerous beehives on the rock formations and maintain silence to avoid disturbing them. You will get a glimpse of this wonder of nature - two giant rock hillocks - way before you reach the temple.

 

 

The legend associated with these caves tells us the story of a demon named Bhasmasura, who performed penance to Lord Shiva to obtain a boon. Whomever Bhasmasura placed his hands on would be reduced to ashes. An evil Bhasmasura wanted to test the boon on Lord Shiva. It is said that to escape from the wicked intention of Bhasmasura, Lord Shiva hid in these rock formations. Lord Vishnu taking the form of a beautiful dancer Mohini comes to the rescue and challenges Bhasmasura to a dance duel. While gaily dancing, the demon places his hand on his head and is immediately reduced to ashes. Well paved roads take you to the foot of the hillocks now, whereas, in the olden days, it used to be an arduous trek of around 16km through the dense forest.

 

One State, Many Worlds - The tagline for Karnataka Tourism is true to every word.

 

 

The flat landscapes around Hubli gives way to lush forests and river Kali towards Dandeli and the Anshi National Park. Snaking through the Kali Tiger Reserve, emerge on the coast of Karwar, welcoming you with blue waters. Ride south and (southwest to) enjoy the unique beaches at Gokarana - with small forests skirting the shores. Travel another 50 kilometres towards forest and hills to be mesmerised by the wondrous Yana Caves. Satiate the appetite with some of the best vegetarian recipes at Udupi. Eventually, the fresh coffee directly from a plantation near Chikmagalur before heading home, and that's the 10-day road trip in a nutshell.

 

With our rides ready for a 2000km trip through the north and west parts of Karnataka - our beloved Duke 200 and Yamaha FZ-150 – we started on a fine Saturday morning. The ride was eventful on the monotonous PB road with kind and encouraging elderly men admiring a lady riding a motorcycle. Bharati Lodge - an old building with parking available inside the premises - situated right next to the central bus station has clean rooms and options for all budgets. The traffic on the Hubli-Dharwad Road kept us awake most of the night. Hubli comes alive on Saturday nights with a young crowd (mostly students) from the neighbouring Dharwad city are seen having a good time at fancy eateries and updating their Instagram. 

 

 

After an early breakfast from the local favourite Ayodhya Restaurant opposite the bus station, we journeyed towards Dandeli via Dharwad. The road from Hubli to Dharwad is fantastic except for the traffic signal at every 200 meters. On the other hand, the Dandeli Road is in good condition and meanders through wooded routes. Nature First Eco Village is an ideal place to stop for a day if you want to skip the hustle and bustle of a tourist place. A sumptuous breakfast was Rs.100/- including a cup of tea. Continuing, we passed through Haliyal and reached our Airbnb place in Dandeli by lunchtime.

 

 

Dandeli is part of the Western Ghats region with an elevation of 472 metres having a tropical highland climate. It is named after a local legend, a deity called Dandelappa. Located alongside the Kali river, Dandeli is famous for white water rafting and other adventure activities like Kayaking, Zorbing, Jungle safari, Canoeing, River crossing etc. Anshi National Park, which was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2007, is part of Dandeli. In the olden days, the region was known for paper mills, sawmills etc. 

Along the West Coast

 

A trip to Goa accomplished a lingering task on the bucket list. The aim was to ditch the usual tourist circuit, and venture out to discover the woodland, waterfalls and ancient temples in Goa. It is a fact that beaches personify Goa, but get off the frequently visited trail, and you are in for a lot of surprises. The eastern part of the state consists of the Western Ghat belt, which is recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world.

Kalasa was the top choice as the first pit stop. Spending a day in the dreamy, laid-back small-town brought back a great many memories. The ride from Bangalore to Kalasa is usually smooth, but the impulsive decision of going via Sakleshpur proved to be mortifying. To enjoy the 40kms of winding, blissful roads from Sakleshpur to Mudigere, it is a misery to go through the treacherous 40km of Hassan-Saklespur road. The road is a tad bad due to rain and road widening project from Mudigere. Tackling the twists and turns towards the destination, rain welcomed us as we neared the town of Kalasa.

Tourists have started arriving in this town, which acts as a base to cover many destinations around – Sringeri, Horanadu, Kudremukha National Park. Ride from Kalasa to Mangalore takes you through the serene and rustic Kudremukha National Park. The meandering roads are not in the best condition until the SK border – this is where the road deviates towards Sringeri. Here on, the road is wide, butter-smooth with alluring twists. The route we took had good tarmac with many petrol stations. Kalasa-Bajagoly-Karkala-Nitte-Padubidri-Mangalore.

Port city of Mangalore was the second and a brief stop. The cordial host at the Airbnb place made sure of a pleasant stay. Despite being in a central location, the home is in a calm residential layout, making it a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate for the next quest.

 

The tantalising coastal highway from Mangalore to Goa is part of NH66 (old NH17) is a treat for the eyes with umpteen bridges, rivers in full glory and views of the sea like a teaser for what’s ahead! The good tarmac and winding roads are a delight for the ride and rider alike. Majority of the road is four-lane, while some stretches are still work-in-progress. It is a route that traverses through a multitude of popular destinations like Udupi, Murudeshwara, Gokarana, along with some recently discovered staycation places like Kundapura, Kumta. Karwar is the last town on Karnataka border, which is also a port town with heavy navy presence.