Top 5 things you need to do in Gokarna

Top 5 things you need to do in Gokarna
Image source: Google

After spending an entire week trying to work the hardest and be the best everyone deserves some time by themselves and Gokarna is just the place for it.

It is the unbearable lightness of the soft sunset and the slipping white sand which make Gokarna a more personal experience for a traveller. Situated in the Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, it serves as the perfect recluse for those who for once do not wish to travel for the weighty need of an Instagram moment but only to spend some time somewhere in the middle of the sea and the hills. That is easily the winning factor for this town which also serves the purpose of pilgrimage for many while posing as a microcosm in its own right.

With the increasing demand to get to a place away from the cities, especially during weekends, Gokarna is perhaps the spot you must check out at least once. It kind of serves the taste for the venturing mountaineers and the rowing sea dwellers due to its untouched rawness that stretches across the red-soiled hill tops right below which the beach lazily slides into the sea. However, in spite of its laid-back aura, there are quite a lot of things you can do in Gokarna.

If you don’t like to lay down by the beach and bask under the sun all day, here are the top five things you might just put in your to-do list for the trip:

 

  1. Banana Boat Ride - You don’t need to be a stealthy swimmer to enjoy the endless body of water, just as you don’t need to be a fast runner to take a long walk from the cafe to home. You have transport for all of that. The Banana boat ride takes you just as far from the shore and right on the edge of the middle where the sea bed drops deeper. As you have already guessed, you can easily team up with a few strangers or a group of your people- as you would prefer- and pay an amount between 250-300. Honestly, you can just skip one bottle of beer (not saying beer is bad, heck, I love it!) and roam about in the sea for an hour or two depending on what you have paid for.

You don’t need to be a swimmer to enjoy the sea. (Google Images)

 

  1. Beach Trek - Nah, no need of the big bag pack that makes you look like a 10-year-old trying too hard or those heavy boots to keep your balance on slants. All you need for a beach trek is a small bag that can hold a water bottle, maybe a pair of extra clothes, and lots of space for some munchies (you need those, you know that). As you begin walking through the leaning slopes of Kudle Beach, you will soon find yourself embarking upon a venture which is not like anything else you could have experienced. Due to the beach’s interesting location right between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, the trek will give you the opportunity to explore mountains and ocean alike. You will soon find yourself walking from one beach to the other like Om, Moon and Paradise, and just when you thought it will not get better, the sunset dawns upon your way.

The trek gives you the perfect of both hills and sea. (Google Images)

  1. For the Foodies - Now that you are on the road by yourself, chances are your stomach must be growling out of its mind. This is the best time to check out the less harped about food of this offbeat beach. Although it does not have an exclusive cuisine, Gokarna has a little something for everyone. If you are still in Kudle, and wondering how to satisfy the early morning cravings, places like Moonlight Cafe and Garden Cafe have just the right kind of menu that combines a wholesome English Breakfast with the healthy Dosa and Upma. If you have somehow managed to reach Om Beach by afternoon, Namaste Cafe will welcome you with just the right amount of rice, dal curry, and everything homely. Finally by evening you are perhaps relaxing in Moon Beach Prema Cafe has the perfect atmosphere to sit and relax over some beer and meat preparations.
  2. Own those braids - What can be a better memento than a whole new hairstyle. With the Akkas and Annas carefully helming multi-coloured thread strings, you can have your hair neatly plaited in braids. They charge as little as 100, and if you can bargain they might even do it for 60 or 80 bucks. The braids don’t come off but when they do, you can be sure it does not damage your hair- unless you are trying to pull out the strings, forcefully.
  3. Yoga and strolling - If you are an early bird and like to stretch yourself before you get started for the day, get out of your rooms and walk straight to the beach. You will always find a quiet spot near the ocean where you can practice Asaana and meditate for as long as you like. At the end of the day when everything is done, it is always a good thing to walk- especially if you have the sea caressing your feet as you walk by the shoreline.