DESI DISCOVERY QUIZ 39

Bekkal Fort near Kasargod is the correct answer. Where Karnataka ends, Kerala begins . If you are looking or an offbeat mini hill station this summer, Malolam near Kasargod- referred to as mini-coorg & Kottancheri  are the answer. You need to stay at Mangalore(50KM) where you get better hotel stay options.  You come across Bekkal when you travel from Coimbatore to Mangalore. A pocket friendly location.

If you are a big group & want to have one heck of a busy holiday, then proceed further.

The stretch from Bhatkal in Karnataka to Bekkal near Kasargod has  numerous tourist spots stringed together that fits all age groups in the family. You have beaches, forts, temples, backwaters, fresh water river /lakes, snorkeling for corals, exotic sea food, yummy dessert all rolled into one.

You may take the train route or the road route –both are equally breathtaking.  I prefer the road route. As you drive from Hubli, come down the Ankola ghat section, you reach Murudeshwar; have a  quick darshan  of the giant shiva statue by the sea. A half an hour later, you enter Bhatkal -a beautiful sea side village with major fishing community where you can find some of India’s most luxurious home décor shops ( funded by Gulf .)  Daily evening, as dusk falls, big families with many black burqa clad ladies gather by the road side to send off some family member in the bus to Mumbai  ( Mohammed Ali Road).Every evening is a send off time & that’s the only entertainment here

From there on, the NH66 passes all along the Arabian sea to its right. Stop by near Kundapura  to take in the beauty of the sea. The sea is calm, grey  & soothing in the early morning. But later it rages with heavy waves breaking savagely on the concrete tripods & huge boulders serving as wave breakers. Backwaters  frequently cut across the highway at numerous locations till Bekal.

The first spot you hit is Udupi ( Krishna temple). 30 minutes down the road  from here to Mangalore, you come across a small place called Padubhidri by the roadside. Check in into the private fully furnished  2 room homestay in the wooded area & stay beside the beach. The beach is exclusively yours. Total privacy guaranteed. With this as the centre point for  the next 3 days you can visit Dharmastahala (where the temple grows all the food they serve in Annadanams), Mookambika, Subramanya temple, Mangalore etc.

Just when the kids  start complaining of too much temples, take them to Mangalore indulge into the sinful Gadbad’s or neer dosa or excotic sea food. Wind up your trip with the Bekkal fort on the border.

If you still have a few extra days- drive from Mangalore to Belur-Halebedu for some splendid ancient architecture ( Sankarabaranam songs were shot here ). Alternatively, you can drive from Mangalore to Coorg to Mysore or travel from Mangalore to Coimbatore. 

Except west(sea) from Padubhidri – whichever direction you go, you have something interesting to see around these places.