Yet another beach getaway for the dwarf.
The beach bums at home do not appreciate the symphony of mist & wind in the hills and hence the need to hear the raucous cacophony of crashing waves. Off we went again on yet another journey to the western coast of Karnataka near Udupi. The plan was to travel during the long weekend of may day and stay put in one place for 3N and just chill. Due to a mix up, we had to stay 1N at
Jumadi island and 2N at
The Blue Matsya. Instead of chilling, we ended up driving to
Pabbas multiple times just for the ice cream and cold water!
4 am start on saturday ensured that we missed the toll madness as well as the election check posts. We were at Meenakshi Bhavan, Shivamogga at 8 am for some hot hot masala dose and special coffee. A quick stop at Sakrebyle elephant camp and we flying across the twisties towards Agumbe. After a quick stop for Kokum juice at Mayura, we were once again off and reached
Jumadi island parking area by 2 PM.
Sunrise near Hosadurga
Jumadi is a small island nestled amidst the backwaters and delta of suvarna river. An old style home that has been converted into a homestay. If there is one word to describe this place, it would be “solitude”. The only way to get on and off the island is row boats and everything else (including food) is got to the island by the caretaker. The home is itself well equipped with almost all modern amenities and if you like to cook your own food, the kitchen is very functional and comes with all required accoutrements.
View from the kitchen window Sitting room Dining area gondolas anyone? home stretch backwater sunset beach combing
After a quiet evening amidst the backwaters and a relatively peaceful night (barring the occasional lizard, frog and other associated creatures that tend to inhabit natural environs), we set off towards Kapu after a mouth watering breakfast of masala paddus.
Land ahoy! parking lot
Blue Matsya at Kapu is a beautiful property right at the beach. Swati the owner ensures that she sets expectations upfront and you are aware of what is in store. No AC, No TV, No Wifi - all you have is a lot of books, endless supply of ocean breeze and the sound of waves.
Room with a view Picture perfect parking lot Henry the crab hunter
Food can be arranged if required or you can always step out onto NH66 and grab a bite at any of the eateries. We ended up going to
Woodlands in Udupi a few times as well as Pabbas in Mangalore for their delicious ice creams. Wonder why we don't get such simple but mouth watering ice cream in Bangalore?
Over the next few days, we visited
Yard Beach @ Ulliyargoli - Kapu beach was extremely crowded over the weekend and hence we did some exploring and landed at yard beach. Just a couple of clicks from Kapu beach, this place is just the place we needed to chill and watch the sun go down
Gomateswara @ Karkala - do not miss driving on padubidri - karkala road. Folks driving hatches and sedans might not enjoy the drive thanks to the rumbler strips but those in a UV will absolutely enjoy the wide roads, sparse traffic and the meandering tarmac. The statue in itself does not hold a candle to the one at Shravanabelagola but it still a beautiful work of art. From the top of the hill, you can see Chaturmukha Basadi, which we did not visit. Do note that you will need to climb about 100 odd steps to the top of the hill to view the statue. If you are lucky, then the road to the temple is open and you can drive your steed right up to the top.
Chaturmukha Basadi 1000 pillar temple @ Moodabidri - such a waste of time. After all the hoysala works of art, this temple is not even plain vanilla. Add to that the horrendous drive from Moodabidri to Mangalore, where I almost got side swiped a couple of times by private busses.
Light House @ Kapu - Built in 1916, this still does have the original brass fittings and the only thing that has been modernised is the light source. Lanterns have been replaced by 3 x 125W bulbs. The view from the top is amazing but you will have to jostle and joust your way to find some space on top during sunset.
Goshale @ Neelavar - an orphanage/old age home for cows. The temple situated in the middle of the cow sheds is a quiet piece to spend a few minutes contemplating anything. Thanks
Thilaknex for sharing this on FB.
Sea Walk @ Malpe - if you have walked Marine drive Mumbai and some of the other better know seaside walk ways, you can give this a miss.
Beach road @ Malpe - Kapu - this stretch was highly recommended by the owner of Blue Matsya as well as some other folks on other forums but I did not like it much. There is just too much activity going on all around the drive stretch for it to be enjoyable. Maybe it was the weather as well - hot, humid and slightly cloudy, did nothing to enhance the experience.
After a quick breakfast on 1st May, we head back home via the same route: Udupi - Agumbe - Tirthahalli - Shivamogga - Tarikere - Hosadurga - Hiriyur - Bangalore.
Route and road updates here
Now planning the next getaway!