A getaway to Gokarna, KA

We boarded the 15.20 pm train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. I reached just in time because I had to return a book to my friend who missed meeting me at the allotted location and time! I met my friends Simran and Nitin on the train and we made some new friends as well. We played Uno and Dumb Charades with them and in conversation found out they were heading to the same destination as us!

We reached Gokarna Road by 7.50 am. The train was heavily delayed due to the rains but we got more sleep and were also able to check in on time! We checked in at Sanskriti Resort which was close to Gokarna Beach by scooter or tuk tuk and we were grateful that we also had breakfast included in our package.  We got ready to visit our first location - the Mahabaleshwar Temple. That was 2 km away and I rode the scooter after 6 years of being out of practise! Not going to lie only Mahadev got me through that ride to and fro!

Then we had to head back to our scooter rental to replace our scooter with another one because the storage section wasn't shutting. That's when I slipped and fell and realised this isn't for me! Well then I headed back and met 2 strangers who quickly turned into friends. They helped me reach my friends who were At the Petrol pump. They were travellers from Bangalore and told me about their amazing travel stories! One was originally from Wayanad, Kerala the other one was from Mysore, Karnataka and we all went to visit the Vibhooti Falls and the Yana caves together!

It was a close call as both locations shut at 5.00 and 5.30 pm respectively but they still let us in inspite of the delay. In the middle we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant and the food was delicious! We had a fish thali which sustained us for the travels to come!

On the way back we had dinner at the Local House and winded down with some alcohol and music. It was an easy breezy end to the long day!

Our fourth companion Siddhi arrived at Gokarna Road in the morning and rested and we took the day slow too! Post breakfast I went for swimming and then we headed to Om Beach, moving on to Kariappa a shack at Gokarna Beach and then came back to the hotel. We then went swimming once again and went to the Coco Tea Leaf Shack on Gokarna Beach before calling it a night. We were super exhausted from all the travelling but the weather was definitely in our favour.

The next day we spent in Murudeshwar and Honnavar. We visited the temple, the Honnavar Mangrove Boardwalk, the Apsarakonda Falls and the Eco Beach. We then asked the taxi driver to drop us off at Kudle Beach where we chilled at a local restaurant before heading back to our resort for dinner and winding down with some drinks and games in our bedroom.

We took it super chill today by doing breakfast at your resort and then packing up for checking out and heading to the Namaste Café at Om Beach for some yummy lunch before heading to the  station to catch our 3.30 pm train back to Mumbai! The train was delayed due to the rains but we made it to Mumbai City in time and I was welcomed with rains but that's alright, as long as I'm home! I had a bunch of anklets as presents I picked up for my friends and family and a bag full of unforgettable memories!