Soul Serendipity

We first set foot on Kudle beach, where we had to search for rooms to stay. Since it was a long weekend it was difficult to find rooms, finally we found hostel style rooms at Sea Rock beach shack and we decided to take it as we had no other option. As soon as we got our rooms, we freshened up smeared a layer of sunscreen on ourselves and first, sat down to eat something since we had not eaten anything since the previous night. Right beside sea rock shack is Sea View Shack and that’s where we had our brunch. The food was decent enough, we had pasta in red sauce, cheese and mushroom lasagne (YUMMY), chilli chicken, banana-Nutella pancakes, chicken biryani (not good enough) and the show stopper- Prawn sizzler. Delicious big prawns fried in a batter with some very palatable sauce and French fries.

Prawn Sizzler!

After a stomach, full sumptuous meal, we wanted to have a chilled beer to beat the scorching beach heat. Unfortunately, and to our surprise there was no beer available in the afternoon and they said that they serve alcohol only after 5p.m. 😞

The sun was right above our head 🌅, we were sweating and the sand was burning our feet, but we could no longer hold it, and ran towards the sea. The beach is much cleaner than mainstream beaches of Goa.

Me, staring into the infinite sea!

Let me tell you something that you probably won’t find in any other blog on Gokarna. It looks like the foreigners have bid goodbye to Goa and made Gokarna their new vacation spot. I was surprised to see so many non-Indians, sunbathing in their bikinis and swim wear. Their bikinis caught a lot of unwanted attention from a few perverts, it was a sad and frustrating sight👙.  I thought it was my duty as a citizen of India to protect those women from the perversion and the filth of their mind and tried my best to keep them away from women they were prying on. I was vigilant and went and sat beside those women and tried to make sure they were not harmed. “Athithi Devo Bhava”! 🙏

Moving on from that seriousness, we played Frisbee and beach kabaddi, courtesy Dear Zindagi 😛 until it was time for sunset. We shifted from Kudle to Om Beach to watch the sunset. The road leading to the main road from Kudle beach is a tiny trek away (not tiny for people not used to trekking).

OM Beach!

When we reached Om beach it was very crowded. No wonder people prefer Kudle beach.

Crowded route to Om beach.

Om beach, as one of my friends said- “looks like this beach is made for photography”. Large boulders, unintentionally shaped to perfection by the sea, it has got danger written all over but at the same time, it is the most beautiful thing I have seen since a very long time.😍

Seemed like the sun was very active and didn’t want to set. So while the sun was being stubborn, we pumped up some adrenaline and took to water sports🏄. Jet skiing, Bumpy ride(scary) and no one had the guts to try the banana boat ride(in our defence, none of us know swimming and hence being scared is justified :P). We were craving for beer and tried our luck at the most famous, Namaste Café. We were unlucky for the second time as they said beer will be served only after 7p.m.😞

Jet Skiing!

Bumpy Ride 😄

The sun setting behind the rocks at Om beach is another sight that you should not miss. Gokarna undoubtedly shows you the most gleamingly colourful sunset, which is sure to leave you mesmerized.

The best sunset I have ever witnessed 😊

Soon we reached our rooms back and washed all the salty sand from our bodies and went out for dinner. I don’t remember the shacks name but it was the last shack on Kudle beach and near the Kudle to Om trekking route. We ordered a lot of starters, Chicken tikka (rubbery chicken), mushroom and baby corn tikka (okay-ish), prawn in butter garlic sauce (tasty little creatures), Fish rava fry ( the best among the starters). And it was here that we FINALLY got about a dozen bottles of beer to drink. Not very impressed with the starters, we asked the waiter what would be a nice option for dinner. We ordered Chicken Kolhapuri, as he suggested , rotis, dal fry and jeera rice. The food was delicious and unlike the starters. Finally, the icing on the cake was my recent favorite- Banoffee Pie(Lipsmacking). After tasting it at Place toBee, Ooty , this is what I order everywhere I go.

Butter Garlic Prawns

Banoffee Pie 😋

 The bill was quite exorbitant but worth it. After dinner we sat at the beach for sometime gazing at the stars(since it was Amavasya, there was no moon :P ) and listening to the waves.

Day 2! I should say, this day was such a stress buster! We did nothing but relax at the beach😔. We did not want to wander in search of shacks or food so we settled for sea view shack again. The whole day, that is from 11a.m. to 7p.m. we sat at the same shack, constantantly ordering food(chilli chicken, veg sizzler, chow Mein, veg sizzler, chilli chips- all very very appetizing!) , beer and playing chess! Yes, Chess!

Chess+Beer! 😁

At around 4p.m. we went on a boat ride. For 300rs per head they showed us 3 beaches. Om,Paradise and Half moon beach. Don’t forget to sit in the corner and touch the water, its an amazing feeling!

Boat Ride!

That amazing feeling!😌

After we got off the boat, me, being a prawns lover was very keen on eating a prawn pizza (something that you don’t get everywhere). Beside Sea View shack there is a “Old La Pizzeria”. We landed up there to have a delicious cheese and prawn pizza to satisfy my prawn cravings! So, we left Gokarna post the pizza on a damn delicious note! 🍕

Beach+Sunset+Pizza= Perfect!

Sunset from La Pizzeria.

Some tips and facts

• If you are going to Gokarna on a long weekend, do book your rooms in advance. If you’re visiting Gokarna on a normal weekend, you don’t have to book rooms in advance. You will get rooms easily.
• You will see many people doing Yoga on the beach. You can join them.

  Yoga by the beach.

• You will see many foreigners with bikinis on the beach. Please do not stare at them and make them feel uncomfortable. Remember, as I said before- “Athithi Devo Bhava”. 
• Shacks on Kudle beach provide you with many games that you can play on the beach and in the shacks. Frisbee, carom, chess and many more games. You must ask the staff! 
• Foreigners are very friendly, you can politely ask them if you can join them in their game of Frisbee or anything else.
  



• Don't stick to clichéd shacks like namaste café, try to explore. There is much more to Gokarna cuisine. 
• It is good to have a person who speaks Kannada, with you. When I asked the man who took us boating, he said 300rs per head. And when I asked him to reduce it he said- “Since you spoke in Kannada I said 300rs, if someone speaks in Hindi or English I would have said 400 or 450!”
• Beach stuff like clothes, braids, jewellery is expensive. Do bargain.

  Got colorful braids done 😊

• Post sunset, there will be a jamming session by the foreigners. Music, dance and they even set up small stall from where you buy stuff(again, do bargain), speak to them and know more about them. 
• Lastly, if you are looking for a Goa like vibe or party destination, Gokarna is not the place for you. Gokarna is only for those who want to take a break from hectic work schedules and relax! 

Definitely going back soon!



 Cheers! 🍷🙌