The place zeroed down was Mangalore. Options to reach there from Bangalore are many. You can chose to drive down. It is a scenic 10 to 12 hours drive. You could take a bus either.
If you are not very inclined to road journey you also have a very convenient train option. The Yashwantpur Mangalore express leaves from Majestic at 8:30pm and reaches Mangalore at 8am.
And if you need to save time taking a flight is the best option.
We decided to stay at the Summer Sands resort which opens to a very clean Ullal beach perfectly apt for unwinding after a day long sightseeing. Spending time at the beach in the moonlight is truly blissful.The very 1st day itself we headed 60 kms from Mangalore to see the Bekal fort and beach. This place actually falls in Kerala and is the same place where the shooting of the song “Tu Hi Re” took place in the movie “Bombay”. The beach is very clean and the fort very scenic.
On the way back we visited the Someshwar beach which is only 10 kms from Mangalore. The beach has a big rock which houses a Shiva temple. We stayed there for a breath taking sun set.
We next went to the St Marys island. Its an hour and a half of travel by car to Malpe fishing Port from where you are ferried to the island. This place is a total surprise package. Reminded me of the Pataya beach in Thailand. Its very much the same minus the commercialization. Very few people venture out here. Never the less
it truly is a mesmerizing place to explore. Crystal clear water, white sand. The salient feature of this island is the unique formation of basalt rocks which have crystallized into columns and split into vertical hexagonal blocks.
On the way back to Mangalore we also visited the Kaup Beach which has a light house. You are allowed to go to the top for a panoramic view however a word of caution to any one suffering from vertigo should stay away :)
From the lighthouse you can see the endless stretch of golden sand over the long coastline, the palm trees and the fishing boats. To sum up a spectacular sight.They say you cannot complete your visit to Mangalore without eating the famous Pabbas Ideal icecream. They claim it’s the best in the country. Well I honor that sentiment. It’s the same as a Barodaite vouching for Dairy Den and a Delhite for Niruals. However the flavors were truly mouth watering. “Parfait”, “Gadbad” and “Tiramisu” seemed to be the favorite of all. We ordered the 1st two.
All In all a great start of the year. I hope many more visit this great place.A short video done by my husband -
