An amazing, yet an underrated destination!

No..Not Goa, but Gokarna is my favorite holiday destination.

You all would have heard a lot about Goa, and its beach life and never-ending night parties. But, very few people know about Gokarna - a small town of Karnataka located very close to Goa, sharing the same stretch of the Arabian Sea. 

Gokarna hasn' been explored much, and hence it's not commercialized as Goa. So what can you expect? Well, cheaper accommodation and delicious foods are just byproducts for tourists on a small budget. The real charm of Gokarna is its unique geography and its ancient culture.

When I heard about this place a few years back, although I was skeptical, I backpacked and went on a solo trip. Since then, I have been seven times within 3 years! And yet, this place amuses me. It has something to offer you every time. Unlike Goa, it is a much peaceful place with cleaner beaches and its been gifted with serene natural beauty. Covered with vast and clean beaches on the exterior, and Western Ghat mountains on the most of the interior; it is one of the most suitable places for backpackers, adventure sports enthusiasts, trekkers, rock climbers, and night campers. Some of the famous tourist destinations are Om beach, Paradise beach, Half moon beach, and White sand beach. Every beach has its unique name because of its features. Like, Om beach is named after its shape resembling "?" - a spiritual symbol in Indian religion. Paradise beach looks like a real paradise on earth. Lush green dense forest, transparent blue water, and shiny white sands are just a treat to your eyes.  

It is known that Gokarna inherits its ancient culture from a sect of Brahmins who fled from Goa to escape forcible conversions by the Portuguese and British, and settled in and around Gokarna in the 15th century. It was then part of the Sodhe and Vijayanagar kingdoms ruling most parts of Southern India. However, the Konkan region — including Goa — was occupied by the Portuguese and it became part of their rule. Hence, the Portuguese culture is yet very dominant in Goa, but Gokarna has preserved its culture. It is one of the Five Holy Places as it's believed that Lord Shiva's Atma Linga was placed here. Hence, you can see a huge number of Lord Shiva's temple here and their devotees coming to pay their pilgrimage every year. 

Gokarna can be reached by buses and taxi cabs from Kumta (30 km), Ankola (26 km), Karwar (59 km) and Bhatkal(88 km) on National Highway 17 (NH-17). Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs long-journey buses from cities like Panaji, Bengaluru, and Mangalore. Private buses operate night journeys from the capital city of Bengaluru to Gokarna daily. It can be reached by Konkan Railway on the Mumbai to Mangalore route or Goa to Mangalore route. The railway station (called Gokarna Road) is 6 km from the town. Many important trains like Matsyagandha Express, KSR Bengaluru Karwar Express, Poorna Express, Marusagar Express, and Mangalore Local and DEMU local halts here. The nearest airports are Hubli Airport, Goa International Airport at Goa, and Mangalore International Airport to reach Gokarna.

So, when you plan for Goa next time, it will not be a bad decision to visit Gokarna once. I assure that you will not be disappointed. I am on the other hand, will keep seeking an opportunity to run back to Gokarna!