Udupi – The Coastal Paradise of Karnataka

1. Udupi – The Coastal Paradise of Karnataka Sitting in the coastal belt of Karnataka, Udupi is a beautiful town famous for it’s pristine beaches, rustic temples and picturesque waterfalls. Not only the scenic beauty, but also the Udupi special delicacies and the sea food are enticing enough to attract any traveler to spend a few days here. A walk in the soft sand beaches, a dip in its waterfalls and a fiery sunset by the sea were all it took us to fall in love with this charming beach town. Itinerary This is our itinerary for a 3 day trip to Udupi. But you can always add more places depending on the duration of your visit. Day 1:Reach Udupi. Visit Malpe Beach and St Mary’s Island. Spend evening at Malpe beach. Day 2: Visit Kudlu Falls and Kodi Beach Day 3: Krishna temple and Kaup beach Places to visit:

2. Malpe Beach: Malpe is the most favoured beach of Udupi with golden brown sand dotted with thatched canopies and a shoreline adorned with swaying palm trees. The place is suitable for leisurely walks along the beach, having a dip in the sea or indulging in some water sports activities. There is also an array of vendors along the beach where you can enjoy lip smacking snacks and fresh sea food. But like other popular sea beaches, this too gets quite crowded during weekends and holidays. We visited Malpe early in the morning after we reached Udupi and it looked spectacular with an overcast sky and very few people around. We highly recommend spending the evening (after sunset) at the beach when it it most surreal with crowd mostly gone and the sea breeze and waves as company. St. Mary’s Island

3. If you ask us our favourite place in Udupi, then without any second thought we would say it is St Mary’s Island. Indeed this island was the primary reason we had decided to visit Udupi. To reach this island, you need to take a Govt operated ferry from Malpe harbour (5-7 minutes walk from Malpe beach) or take a private boat from Malpe beach itself. The ferry takes around 20- 25 minutes to reach the island and as you make way through the tall coconut trees, the blue water of the sea comes in to view.

4. The place is insanely beautiful with rock formations spread all over the island and the sea water reflecting many shades of blue. The hexagonal rocks found here are basaltic rocks that are created due to volcanic activity. These rocks on the shore make the place even more striking and provide a picture perfect background to get clicked. Kudlu Falls

6. Kudlu falls is located deep inside a forest on Udupi-Agumbe road and can only be reached by trekking. The fall is surrounded by lush greenery and the sight of water falling from a height of 150 feet to the pool below is absolutely breathtaking. In order to reach the fall, you need to park your vehicle near the forest entry point and then start trekking through the forest for around 30-45 minutes. The trek is not an easy one with the path being steep and stony at many places. Kaup Beach Kaup (aka Kapu) is the most picturesque beach in Udupi with a lighthouse on it’s shore and boasting of gorgeous sunset views. If you can brave the narrow spiral staircase that leads to the top of the light house, then you will be rewarded with 360 degree views of the coastline and the sea. Our driver who is a local informed us that after sunset when it starts getting dark, the light coming from the light house makes the place look even more dreamy. Kodi Beach

7. Kodi beach is still one of those few beaches which has not been commercialised yet and hence is pristine in every way. Even the drive to the beach is quite lovely with lot of greenery and view of the backwaters at one side. As very few people visit this place, it is an ideal place to spend hours in total seclusion. We visited this in the evening and loved watching the sunset in total serenity. As part of visiting Kodi beach, you can also visit the Delta point which is the meeting point of the river and the sea. Krishna Temple Sri Krishna temple is considered as one of the most sacred religious sites in all of South India and is visited by a huge number of people everyday. This temple has a very unique feature where the idol of Lord Krishna can only be seen through a small window and no one can reach near the deity. The priest who gave us a tour of the temple told us that the idol of Sri Krishna revered in the temple is around 200 years old. The whole temple area has a very pleasant vibe and in our opinion, definitely a place not to be missed. Other places of interest in and around Udupi •Mattu Beach

8. •Chandramoulishwar Temple •Mount Rosary Church •Uppinakudru Island •Maravante beach Best time to visit November to February [Peak season: Dec – Jan]: This is the time when the climate is pleasant and less humid. Our time of visit: End of January Avoid monsoon [June-September] if you want to visit St Mary’s Island as the ferry services are suspended during this time. Read More…