A Divine Journey of Karnataka: Complete Itinerary

When it comes to planning a trip to South India most of the Indian's first choice is Kerala , and indeed its a one of the beautiful place , but in my short 6 days itinerary I will present you a different south India. Which is beautiful , peaceful , religious and full of cultural fragrances. So pack your bags and be ready to witness the rainbow of an Indian culture through a road trip. This itinerary starts from Karwar and ends in Bangalore. Route is as follows- Mumbai->Karwar->Gokarna->Murudeshwar->Udupi->Mangluru->Bangalore.

Reaching Here

As it's a road trip and journey starts from Karwar so best way to reach Karwar is by train. Then hire / self drive a car further and at last reach to Mangluru and then board train for Bangalore. After reaching Bangalore you can fly back or can catch a train to your destination.

Approximate travelling cost is - 10000/- ( From Mumbai to Mumbai, and may change slightly depending upon your choice of mode of transportation)

What you can expect

Beautiful beaches (most of the time you will be driving parallel to coast line), delicious food , temples, festivals and fresh air.

Itinerary: Karwar(1 night stay) Murudeshwar (1 night stay), Udupi (2 nights stay))-( Bangalore-1 Night Stay)

Day-1

Board the train from Mumbai early morning and reach karwar late evening ( It takes approximately 11-12 hours), in train do not forget to eat Banana Pakoda provided by Indian Railways. After reaching karwar check in and relax in your hotel. You can select hotel according to your budget. Some suggested hotels are Sterling Karwar and Citrus Karwar. For Dinner try Fish Food and South Indian Thali.

You can check out more stay options here.

Day-2

Mornings in any South Indian town is incomplete without a cup of filter coffee and idly so start your day with healthy breakfast and explore some virgin beaches and monuments here. List of some tourist places are- Tagore beach , warship Museum, Karwar beach etc.

Next proceed to Gokarna, a small temple town on the western coast of India and which is one of the important Hindu pilgrimage center. Go-karna is approximately 61 km from karwar and is very famous for its clean beaches and temples. Its virgin beaches, beautiful old temples and specifically the om-shape beach will give your lenses enough work. Temple known as Mahabaleshwar Temple built in 4th-century and is having very importance place in Hindu religion.

What to buy- Visit local flea market.

Then proceed to Jog Fall, one of the highest plunge waterfalls in India, which is situated approximately 122 Km from Gokarna. Twisted roads , dense forest and cool breeze will make sure that you enjoy this 3 hour journey to witness one of the highest plunge water fall in India. If you are visiting in monsoon you can witness the gushing water.

What to See - View of water fall

Where to eat- Hotel Mayura , situated at Jog Fall view point.

After Jog fall proceed to Murudeshwar, which is almost 98 Km from Jog fall and takes approximately 2 hours. Murudeshwar is famous for its second largest statue of Shiva in the world and the Shiv temple.

As you will reach here late in the evening, you can witness the evening prayers and twinkling lights surrounding huge Shiva statue. Picture perfect location , prayers at the background and cool breeze will take away all your tiredness of travel. Feel the presence of divine Shiva blessing and go through the rich mythological stories during visiting beautiful carved statues. Then check in the hotel and relax. Next day explore the temple area and take some beautiful picture of architectural marvels made by man.

Where to stay- RNS Highway Hotel

Things to do- Murudeshwar Temple, Beach.

Day-3

Next day revisit the temple and beach site to witness its beauty in day light.

Then process to Udupi, one more religious town and one of the best route in whole trip. Most of the roads are parallel to sea.

Wide coastal line and crystal clear water will give you feel of any foreign country. Get down any where to enjoy sun , sand and coconut water. After almost 2 hours journey you will reach to a very famous temple of Lord Ganesha known as Aanegudde Shree Vinayaka Temple at Kumbhashi. After taking blessing of Lord Ganesha proceed for Udupi.

Udupi is a religious town and having a significant importance in Hindu culture and the world famous temple of Sri Krishna Math is must visit dedicated to lord Krishna. If you are lucky you can also witness the religious festivals. For more details visit http://www.udipikrishnamutt.com/.

Where to Stay- You can check out more stay options here. Recommended is Hotel Shrikrishna Residency.

Where to Eat- Woodlands Restaurant

What to Eat- Pineapple Sheera ( Sweet Dish)

Day-4

Visit to any place is incomplete till you know the actual culture of that place so I decided to visit a small locality known as Manipal. University situated here is one of the most famous universities in India, so do not miss the opportunity to witness the campus of this university as well as try to take help from any local to visit a traditional house, as I have done. Lush green back yards, spices gardens and a beautiful clean house will surely mesmerize you and if possible also have lunch with locals or in any traditional hotel like Pangala Restaurant, Manipal.Then in the evening proceed to St. Mary or popular known as crystal Island. Its a beautiful Island and journey to this Island is as beautiful as this Island. You need to reach this place by a boat. The reason why this Island known as Crystal Island is because of its shining sand and natural basaltic formations. During sunset it looks amazing and you can capture some beautiful snaps here.

Then in late evening you can take stroll on any near by Udupi Beach.

Day-5

After witnessing the natural beauty next day gain get ready to soak into the divine blessings from Loard Shiva and Lord Bahubali and proceed to Dharmasthala , which is again a very famous destination having religious importance. For more details click here.

Most unique about Dharmasthala is that it is run by Jain administration and its houses of the shrine of Shiva, Manjunatha, Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas. You may have to wait little bit to take the blessings as this place is full of devotees year round. After darshan do not miss to visit the Manjusha Museum and Shri Bhagwan Bahubali monolithic statue. Then take "Prasadam" ( Lunch).

After lunch proceed to Mangaluru, which will take approximately 2 hours. Take a quick break for evening tea and try Mangaluru specialty "Mangalore Bun" with your tea/coffee.Then board your train for Bangaluru, the last stop of your journey.

Day-6

You started your journey from small town of Karnataka and will be ending in biggest city of Karnataka , Bangalore, also known as city of gardens. After reaching early in the morning check in into your hotel and explore this cosmopolitan city. Malls , Restaurants, Pubs , Metro everything will bring you back into a city life after a divine sojourn. You can visit various places listed below depending on your time and interest.

Things to see-

Venkatappa Art Gallery

Tipu Sultan Fort and Palace

Lalbagh Glass House

Government Museum

Cubbon Park

Bangalore Turf Club

Bangalore Palace

Bannerghatta

Where to Stay- You can book any stay depending on your budget. Check some here

What to Shop- Sandalwood items.

What to eat- South Indian Thali but if you till now if are bored of south Indian food try any other food.

After sightseeing, late evening board your train or flight for your return journey.

I am sure you can not get so many variants in a single trip. So if you are looking to see the real India back your bags and get ready......till than Sayonara...........

Fort Bassein : A Pleasant Surprise

It was raining heavily on Sunday and I did not want to miss the chance of exploring the beauty of Mumbai rains, as I am Pluviophile, it was obvious. So I decided to drive down to Vasai fort from Navi Mumbai. Lashing rains , empty roads and Kishor Kumar's song made almost two hours journey very pleasant and finally I reached to Vasai fort. I have noticed this fort earlier in so many Hindi and Marathi movies such as Josh , Khamosi , Ti Sadhya Kay Karte etc. , so was very excited to explore this place. As you enter in the fort you can feel the Portuguese influence, one side it looked haunted while another side it's green , beautiful and rustic. Now choice is yours what you want to feel. A surprise element for me was a beautiful temple inside the fort , I think during Maratha era this might have been constructed.

This place is having reach history and it was built in 1184. It's history can be divided in pre-Portuguese, Portuguese , Maratha and British era.

Best way to explore this place is roaming around and spending some time here and if you are lucky you can also spot some movie/serial shooting going on. So if you are looking for a short half day trip near Mumbai, its a good option.

How to reach- Easily accessible from Vasai Road Station. After reaching here you can take an auto.

Time Duration -3-4 Hours

Best time to Visit- Any time

Where to Eat- There are many options near by but if you want to experience beach side restaurant try Farm House Sea n Sand.

Feeling Top of The Mumbai : An Unforgettable Experience

I was fascinated by Mumbai since my childhood, and just like any simple small town girl Bollywood was an artist who filled the canvas of my imagination. I grown up watching 80s-90s movie and each and every film introduced Mumbai like a dream world. In this world Mumbai's CST station , Nariman point and hotels adjacent to it were very important , and I stared looking at Mumbai like a dream destination. I was never knowing that I will land in this dream city and will be a "Mumbaikar".

It may be the song of Mukkadar ka Sikandar or a song of movie Anjaam , I was fascinated. It may the scene of movie Fashion or Wake up Sid , I was amazed.... Though I have been to these places so many times, I was having one wish, getting up with the view of Arabian sea in rainy season and soon it became one of the things of my bucket list. 

So how I can miss this and soon booked the room in one of the most luxurious hotel in Mumbai, Trident, Nariman point in month of July, when rains are in their peak. 

Once you enter the property you can experience the grandeur and luxury at each and every corner and most important a view to die for ........ After checking in my room I just sat next to my window and enjoyed the beautiful view and only one thing was missing " A Hot Cup of Coffee".

View From My Room 

Coffee Date With Arabian Sea 

Being a Pluviophile , sipping a cup of coffee with Arabian sea was like a romantic date. I was feeling Top of the "Mumbai" and suddenly realized that I am a stranger in my own city :) . Mighty sea , drizzling rains and view of people sitting by the Nariman point made me feel strange and I was not sure what exactly I am feeling and why....... 

View From My Room 

Pool and Garden Area 

Then I decided to explore this beautiful property and was not having any doubt that why this is one of the best hotel in Mumbai, in-fact in the world. I also spotted memorial build in the memories of victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and paid my tribute. It's windy pool area is perfect place to relax and witness the beauty of Mumbai city in the night. 

While enjoying the beauty of this place, I was thinking about my childhood and the image of Mumbai I had since then. Once again I have became the stranger for this city and started imagine a picture and believe me this time picture was more beautiful than earlier. 

The Famous Queen's Necklace " Top View" in the morning

Mesmerizing Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar , a very famous hill station of Maharashtra is a complete holiday destination , which is having something to offer for each type of tourist year round. If you are looking for a romantic holiday or a family outing or even an adventure trip you can explore this place in small three days two nights trip form Mumbai or Pune. In winters you can enjoy the freezing temperature here while in rainy season greenery and water falls will surely mesmerize you with its beauty. Summer is favorite among locals, to get rid of humid heat of Mumbai and harsh heat of Pune. So whichever season you chose you can enjoy the beauty of this hill station but if you do not like crowd avoid long weekends.

Like seasons amenities also give you wide choice here, from luxurious resorts to home stay, chose your stay based on your budget and keep some money for typical tourist destination shopping. If you ask me the one thing not to be missed is visit to nearby strawberry farm and relishing on "Strawberry Cream”, a local specialty, specifically in winter season.

You can also visit some factories such as “Mapro” and “Mala” en-route. In case you are visiting in month of March check the dates of Strawberry festival organized by Mapro every year.

If you have time and want to witness a famous Bollywood shooting location, do not miss a small town on the way known as “Wai”. Lot of movies such as Swadesh has been shot here. Last but not the least if you also want to satisfy your spiritual tourist also visit a famous Ganpati temple of Wai known as “Dholya Ganpati”.

So if looking for a short beak think about it 

Till then have a look of Mahabaleshwar post rainy season

Wai

Mitawali, Padavali & Bateshwar -Beautiful Historic Architectural Sites

If you love history and love to visit historical places then do visit this place  in case you are planning a trip to Gwalior. This place is situated approximately 40 Km from Gwalior and can easily reach by road transport from Gwalior. This place is not very famous and most of the traditional tourists do not covers this place. Actually, this place gain popularity only in last few years. Even in my childhood I was not aware about this place.

These are the complex of temples and said that these three places make a golden triangle and there was a university in between, about a 1000 years ago. It is also believed that Parliament House of New Delhi has been inspired from architecture of the Mitawali temple. One more very famous temple is Chausath Yogini Temple , situated on the hill and surronded by lush green forest.

To have a visual treat, visit this place in winter months and do remember to bring sweet memories as well as a very famous local sweet known as " Gajak" from nearby town Morena. Morena supposed to be the origin place of "Gajak"-A sweet made from Till (Sesame Seeds) and Gud ( Jagerry).

For more information about this place you can also visit MP tourism website. 

http://www.mptourism.com/blog/mitawali-padavali-bateshwar.html

Some Tips- It is better to have your own vehicle as well as carry water and some food with you. Do not forgot to carry Cap, Sunglasses and Sunscreen Location.

Till you plan a trip to this place enjoy the architecture marble through my lances.