As previously mentioned in our travel plan for October 2012, we had split our travel with a week in between to celebrate Durga Pooja in Bangalore.
For the second part of our journey, we craved somethinh calm & soothing destination. Personally, Aarush is more inclined towards the sea if he had to choose between the hills and the coast. Our destination of choice was Mangalore, a coastal gem. We booked a three-night stay at a hotel in the city that offered the maximum discount. While our pick was SumerSands, a renowned destination for travelers to Mangalore, particularly popular among the expat community for its private beach was old out.
Day 1: Bangalore to Mangalore
We started our journey from Bangalore at the crack of dawn, precisely at 5 AM. We had loaded the car with all our bags and belongings the previous night. While we were low on cash, we decided to find an ATM along the way and left Bangalore in haste. This time, the road to Nilmangala via Yashwantpur was a more pleasant experience compared to last week, and soon, we were on NH 48. The road was now a proper four-lane highway with toll booths. We paid toll twice along this stretch, but I didn’t mind as I was cruising comfortably at 110/120 Km/h. The road from Hassan onwards was an older, undivided two-lane highway, but since we had set out early, we encountered minimal traffic, and we soon found ourselves near Sakleshpur. It was only 7:45 AM, and I couldn’t believe that we had covered 223 KM in just 2.5 hours on Indian roads.
We stopped at an ATM to withdraw some cash but inadvertently missed the adjacent petrol station 😆 And as I hate to take U turn we continued to drive
After having breakfast, we intended to refuel as the fuel gauge was hovering dangerously close to “E.” However, to our surprise, we had already crossed the small town of Sakleshpur and had entered the famous Shiradi Ghat section. That’s when we realized our mobile phones had lost network connectivity, which caused a bit of panic. We had no way of knowing how far the next petrol station was. To conserve fuel, we turned off the AC to gain an extra kilometer or two per liter. The road condition deteriorated as we encountered larger and larger potholes. The fuel gauge continued to flirt with “E,” but fortunately, the low fuel warning light did not stay constantly lit; it only turned on briefly once or twice. We asked a few groups of truck drivers for information, and their responses were reassuring. However, the milestones we passed were not very helpful in determining our distance to the next gas station.
Eventually, we crossed a forest check post, and upon inquiry, we received the best news: the next petrol station was only a couple of kilometers away. Just like that, the challenging Ghat section ended, and we were able to fill the tank to the brim before continuing to Mangalore. This was a huge reliev and learned a good lesson almost hard way , never take chances on next petrol pump.
There was a long queue at a toll booth just outside Mangalore, but despite that, we managed to reach the city by 11:30 AM. Nokia’s GPS proved to be highly accurate, guiding us to a major landmark, Hampankatta Circle. From there, it took us another 10-15 minutes to reach our destination, Saffron Boutique Hotel.
The hotel was excellent, freshly renovated, and we enjoyed a simple vegetarian lunch there. However, the temperature and humidity in Mangalore were quite intense, so we decided to take a nap to recharge.
After our nap, we drove south from Mangalore to Ullal, a journey of approximately 10 kilometers southward, to reach Summer Sands. We arrived in the scorching heat at 4 PM. The resort charged us 100 INR per person at the gate and provided us with some snack vouchers. Aarush was eagerly anticipating some beach time, but after spending some moments in the shade and enjoying our snacks, Aarush and I changed into our swimwear and headed for the water.
Although the beach was private and clean, the waves were quite rough, deterring people from venturing into the deeper waters due to the strong undertow. I had to keep a close watch on Aarush as he occasionally got carried away by the waves. Nevertheless, he had a great time playing in the water, and he was reluctant to leave.
As evening approached, we were faced with the challenge of what to do for dinner, as it was only 7 PM. Dinner was not scheduled to be served until 7:30 PM, but with a polite request, the resort accommodated us by serving dinner a bit earlier. We had a quick dinner, and on our way back to the hotel, I had to stop in front of a shop with streetlights to check my rear bumper, which was making a slight noise. The shop owner, a true “Good Samaritan,” kindly fixed the bumper for free using his unique skills and techniques, and it held up well.
Day 2: Exploring Mangalore and Beach Fun
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we set out on a northward journey, passing through the Mangalore port, chemical factory, and major refinery. Our first stop was Panambur Beach, which was pleasant but not exceptionally remarkable. The beach featured a lighthouse and some shacks. We then continued onwards, crossing Surathkal, the alma mater of my younger brother. According to our guidebook, Surathkal Beach is a clean and hidden gem of Mangalore, but we decided to skip it and head to Udupi instead.
Krishna Temple
Udupi is renowned for its Krishna Temple, where, during noon, you receive prasad as a complete meal. Udupi cuisine, famous for its vegetarian dishes, has spread across India. The directions to the temple were clear, but as we approached, the road became narrower, and parking became challenging. After parking in a designated lot, we walked to reach the temple. The scorching sun made the experience quite challenging. There was a modest queue at the temple, but it didn’t take long. After paying our respects to Lord Krishna, we eagerly awaited the special prasad. However, after waiting for about 40 minutes, we were informed that there was no prasad that day due to “Ekadashi” (the eleventh day of the moon’s calendar).
Malpe Beach
Disappointed but not disheartened, we exited the temple and returned to our car. Uncertain about our next move, we were both hungry and the intense heat urged us to stay indoors. So, after some deliberation, we headed for Malpe Beach. We missed the sign for the beach and took a detour around Malpe jetty, where the unmistakable smell of fish wafted through the air. We spotted a large resort called Paradise and intentionally spent an extended lunch there, ordering desserts and cold drinks in stages just to pass the time. We ended up staying at the resort for nearly three hours. Around 4 PM, we finally made our way to the beach.
The beach was bustling with activity, and we soon realized that it boasted some of the finest white sands we had ever seen. The waves here were gentler compared to their counterparts further south, and various adventure activities were taking place. You could go parasailing, enjoy a banana boat ride, or take a ride on a water jet. Aarush and I spent a long time in the warm waters, and as darkness began to fall, we reluctantly left the beach.
We hadn’t even left Malpe when a thunderstorm suddenly descended upon us. It was a heavy rainstorm accompanied by lightning, and it wreaked havoc on the road. We continued driving, but the torrential rain made it challenging. It was probably one of the most difficult rain drives I had ever experienced. Eventually, we decided to stop and pulled over, as driving behind the red taillights of other cars with no visibility of the road was a bit too unnerving. After 10-15 minutes, we resumed our journey. We reached a thoroughly drenched Mangalore quite late.
We took an auto from our hotel after freshening up and headed to a small fast-food place called “Hot Bitez” on Jail Road, right opposite Canara College. We had selected this place based on a blog with an enticing title. The food was decent, and with fries and burgers, you can hardly go wrong with Aarush. On our way back, we witnessed the “Dussehra rally,” where people of all ages dressed up as tigers, accompanied by drums and music. It felt like a carnival. The festivities commenced around midnight and continued into the wee hours of the morning. We were too tired to fully enjoy it, but it was a shame we didn’t have our DSLR with us to capture the vibrant colors and expressions during that time.
Day 3: Bekal Fort in Kerala
Our third day in Mangalore began at a leisurely pace. We visited the famous St. Aloysius Chapel, which is located within an educational campus. The chapel is adorned with beautiful stained glass windows, and the mosaic floor is simply exquisite. We took an auto to reach the chapel and spent some time there before heading to the nearby Tagore Park to photograph butterflies. Afterward, we walked back to our hotel.
Bekal fort is agin south of Mangalore, this fort became famous post 1990’s super hit movie called Bombay. We splent a good amount of time there. As Summer Sands was on our way back we stopped there for late afternon and we spent a good amount of time in the beach. Even we did not stay there we really enjoyed thier hospitality to the maximum. We had some evening snacks there before heading to wards Mangalore.
For dinner we opeted for the famus Kudla Family Restaurant.
The place was placked , we had to wait long and we ordered many seafood and fishes. But the spice level was so high we for the first time cold not finish the food. I still recall somehow this taste just did not worked for us.
Before leaving Mangalore, we made a stop at the renowned Ideal Ice Cream Parlor and sampled their famous “Gadbad.” Aarush particularly enjoyed it, considering it his breakfast, and soon we ordered the “Dilkush” as well. After indulging in these hefty ice cream treats, we returned to our room, packed our belongings, settled the bill, and set off for Bangalore.
This time, our fuel tank was full as we began our journey back through the Ghat section. However, since we were crossing it around mid-day, we encountered traffic, and negotiating the curves uphill added some excitement to the drive. Just after passing through Chikmanglur town, we stopped for lunch at a crowded eatery. Following lunch, we drove straight back to Bangalore without any further stops.