Two weeks back, my girl and I went to Gokarna for 3 days.It was fun and relaxing.
here's my first travel report for the forum.hope you guys like it.
From Wikipedia:
"Gokarna (Kannada: ಗೋಕರ್ಣ) is a small temple town on the western coast of India in the Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district of the state of Karnataka.[1] The main temple and deity is Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahabaleshwara. This temple houses what is believed to be original image of Lord Shiva's linga (Atmalinga). There are many other temples all over this small town. Ankola and Kumta on Highway 17 are the main towns near Gokarna.
Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers. It is on what was once an unspoiled beach near the estuary of the river Aghanashini. Recently, due to the influx of tourists, the character of the town has changed; it is no longer just a centre of pilgrimage, though large numbers of devotees visit to offer prayers and worship to Lord Shiva.
Due to its laid-back, unspoiled and rustic nature many younger western tourists started visiting Gokarna about a decade ago. The beaches around Gokarna were hardly used by the locals until these mainly western tourists started coming.[2] Enterprising locals started stores, restaurants, and now the resorts also caters to wealthier tourists."
There are four beaches in Gokarna.
Gokarna : Main Beach.Temple Crowd. G+ crowd
Kudle Beach : Hippie central.Semi Nude Bathing.Drugs.Party. R+ Crowd
Om Beach :Hippie central.Semi Nude Bathing.Drugs.Party. R+ Crowd.Costlier Than Kudle
Half Moon Beach : All the above and costlier.
Paradise Beach: No accomodations.Tents needed.Full on Hippie crowd.Not recommended for stay unless you want to take the off beaten path.
Best option is to stay on Kudle Beach and trek to other beaches on the coastline.We did that.
Drugs: Weed and other stuff is available for a decent amount, though for Indians it's difficult to score.For foreigners, they will approach you as soon as you get down from bus.
How to get there: Nearest airport is Goa.From there its 100 km southwards.Generally people come either from Goa or Mumbai.
Best Time For Visit: October-February. After that,it will be too hot.
Accommodations: There are many shanties and huts on the beach and they start from 300INR - 2000INR.Some have attached bathrooms, but many will be shared bathrooms.
Girls: Full on hippie and yolo crowd. Chances of hooking up normal.I was with a girl so had to stay in a room otherwise I would have stayed in a hut and tried hooking up.
People are very chilled and no one bats an eye for all the bikini-clad girls on the beach.People come here and learn yoga and do stuff during the day and smoke up and party during the night.
The most amazing and surprising thing was seeing a lot of babies playing on the beach.It was like these people had them on the road and now they are staying here as a temporary base for a few months.
P.S: the best time for a visit would be from monday-friday. During weekends, the flood gates opens and Indians come pouring out of all the holes.We went there on a friday and trust me the difference is phenomenal.
I am planning to go back there again in winter, alone and really enjoy myself.
Please do hit me up with additional questions if you have any
here's my first travel report for the forum.hope you guys like it.
From Wikipedia:
"Gokarna (Kannada: ಗೋಕರ್ಣ) is a small temple town on the western coast of India in the Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district of the state of Karnataka.[1] The main temple and deity is Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahabaleshwara. This temple houses what is believed to be original image of Lord Shiva's linga (Atmalinga). There are many other temples all over this small town. Ankola and Kumta on Highway 17 are the main towns near Gokarna.
Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers. It is on what was once an unspoiled beach near the estuary of the river Aghanashini. Recently, due to the influx of tourists, the character of the town has changed; it is no longer just a centre of pilgrimage, though large numbers of devotees visit to offer prayers and worship to Lord Shiva.
Due to its laid-back, unspoiled and rustic nature many younger western tourists started visiting Gokarna about a decade ago. The beaches around Gokarna were hardly used by the locals until these mainly western tourists started coming.[2] Enterprising locals started stores, restaurants, and now the resorts also caters to wealthier tourists."
There are four beaches in Gokarna.
Gokarna : Main Beach.Temple Crowd. G+ crowd
Kudle Beach : Hippie central.Semi Nude Bathing.Drugs.Party. R+ Crowd
Om Beach :Hippie central.Semi Nude Bathing.Drugs.Party. R+ Crowd.Costlier Than Kudle
Half Moon Beach : All the above and costlier.
Paradise Beach: No accomodations.Tents needed.Full on Hippie crowd.Not recommended for stay unless you want to take the off beaten path.
Best option is to stay on Kudle Beach and trek to other beaches on the coastline.We did that.
Drugs: Weed and other stuff is available for a decent amount, though for Indians it's difficult to score.For foreigners, they will approach you as soon as you get down from bus.
How to get there: Nearest airport is Goa.From there its 100 km southwards.Generally people come either from Goa or Mumbai.
Best Time For Visit: October-February. After that,it will be too hot.
Accommodations: There are many shanties and huts on the beach and they start from 300INR - 2000INR.Some have attached bathrooms, but many will be shared bathrooms.
Girls: Full on hippie and yolo crowd. Chances of hooking up normal.I was with a girl so had to stay in a room otherwise I would have stayed in a hut and tried hooking up.
People are very chilled and no one bats an eye for all the bikini-clad girls on the beach.People come here and learn yoga and do stuff during the day and smoke up and party during the night.
The most amazing and surprising thing was seeing a lot of babies playing on the beach.It was like these people had them on the road and now they are staying here as a temporary base for a few months.
P.S: the best time for a visit would be from monday-friday. During weekends, the flood gates opens and Indians come pouring out of all the holes.We went there on a friday and trust me the difference is phenomenal.
I am planning to go back there again in winter, alone and really enjoy myself.
Please do hit me up with additional questions if you have any