Coastal Karnataka- Mangalore,Murudeshwar, Udupi , Agumbe- 4 days

How i did it : Overnight bus from Bangalore to Manipal. Kept the base at Manipal, got a good deal and booked stay at Country Inn and suites by Radisson. Rented a bike at R R Bros Manipal and traveled to all the nearby towns , beaches etc.

My itinerary:

Day 1: Murudeshwar

Day 2: Udupi and Manipal

Day 3: Koodlu Teertha waterfalls

Day 4: Doddamane , Kundadri

Murudeshwar:

At a distance of 103 km one way from Manipal is Murudeshwar which has the second tallest Shiva Statue. The sea on three sides surrounds the temple towering on the small hill called Kanduka Giri. This is a great place to watch the sunset. Murudeshwar is also known for the Murudeshwar Fort and wonderful beaches. Nearby Netrani Island is also a very popular spot for tourists as it offers excellent boating, snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities.

Exactly midway to Murudeshwar is Maravanth Beach. It is one of its kind with the beach on one side and river on the other. There a cemented platform to sit and the atmosphere is relatively quiet. In fact like us, you can plan to see the sunset here while returning back from Murudeshwar.

Udupi and Manipal:

Manipal is a strategic town which is close enough to Udupi and Mangalore. Owing to a big college it is a very fun kind of town with lot of eating joints, cafes and pubs. Also one can just head to one day of gluttony to Mangalore , with the must try pot Biryani. In Manipal city you should explore Baba point and Suvarna River

Udupi is famous for its beaches . especially Malpe and Kapu. Malpe beach is clean with a lot of water activities. However the main attraction of Malpe beach is to catch a half an hour ferry ride to St Mary’s Island. Probably my best memory of this trip would be bathing in crystal clear waters at St Mary’s Island. You get a 2 way ferry for 300 bucks and this trip is totally worth the hassle. This place also reminds us how beaches untouched by humans still have their beauty.

Kapu is the lighthouse beach of Udupi. There is a light house at the beach which adds to the beauty of the beach. Try climbing to the top of lighthouse and experience the sunset from there. The view of the Arabian Sea is mesmerizing from here.

Koodlu Teertha Waterfalls:

I am a waterfall person so spent 1 day at this amazing waterfall. Located at about 50km one way from Manipal, this was an amazing ride. The Manipal Agumbe road has amazing greenery and at many places it is almost like a canopy of trees. You leave the Manipal Agumbe road and take a detour 10 kms inside for the beginning of the trek to the waterfalls. This detour is almost like offroad biking and adds to the charm if you are on the bike. The trek to the waterfall is simple 40 minutes walk crossing a few streams and so a good trekking shoes would be favorable. There is a small place to eat about 500 m from the base of the trek. This was an amazing waterfall and totally worth the effort.

Doddamane , Kundadri

The scenic Manipal Agumbe route made me take the trip to Doddamane. Doddamane,Doddamanne, 2 episodes of Malgudi days were shot in this house. This 120 year old house is an architectural marvel as well with a central courtyard , underground storage, well lighted and ventilated rooms . Currently it is run as a guest house and has awesome food. This is on the main road and one cannot miss out on it.

Situated at about 20km from Doddamane, the ride to Kundadri top is interesting and the view from top is quite surreal. Perfect place to reach after a 70 km ride and take a break with the view.