Goa to Bangalore

20th September 2009

Day 2 - Om Beach

Om beach (in shape of the Hindu symbol) is situated 6 kilometers from Gokarna (literally: cow’s ears), a temple town, which in turn is 60 kilometers from Karwar in Northern Karnataka on NH- 17. The most  famous of the four beaches which straddles Gokarn and has some creative names such as Half Moon (because it is so shaped), Paradise and Kudle Beach and can be reached easily by trekking across some rocky hills. 

The length of the beach itself is not very big with about 1 – 1.2 kilometers end to end and sloping towards the sea. Most visitors here are locals from the state and on weekdays the largely empty beach reminds one of Goa in its more idyllic days. Foreigners too flock the beach in droves and their popularity can be gauged from the pastas, sizzlers dished up at the 10-15 odd cafes (in peak season) along the beach front. If you like your tipple though, please carry it from Gokarn which has a couple of bars or you will have to make do with some not so chilled beer the cafes or a auto ride (150 rupees one way, half hour) to the town before sundown. Namaste Café (Raju – 9880459559), by its dint of being featured in the Lonely Planet, is the most buzzing with activity and you literally fall into it as you step into the rocky beach.

 A bit too teeming with boisterous drunken parties to our taste, quieter ones can be found further down the beach. A better one which we liked was Ganesh café near the far end of the beach and astride Nirvana where visitors can get rooms for 400 rupees a night (ask for the ones with the porch and not with rooms as they are relatively spider free). William at the Ganesh café is extremely friendly and, the service a bit slow normally, is well worth the wait.  Carry a couple of torches, some old bedsheets and you have all the necessary ingredients for an awesome picnic on the beach in pitch darkness.