Had you thought Udupi could be a holiday destination? Even I had not, before we made it into one. Udupi was just known for its authentic south Indian food to me and a place which lies on the coast of the state of Karnataka. I am a changed person after spending just a couple days here and I would like to share my experiences if you want to give yourself an off-beat, gorgeous and a peaceful break.
We started at 5 am ish from Pune and drove for straight 12 hours to reach the quaint little town of Udupi. A big traditional entrance gate welcomes you inside Udupi from NH 66. The town lives with excellent infrastructure. We were pleasantly surprised to see minimal number of vehicles on the road even in peak hours.
Sharing serene and magnificent locations in Udupi which besides the elegant temples.
1. Padukere beach
There is a stretch of land which lies in between the ocean and the rivers on the coast of Udupi and this location is straight out of the story-book. There are 2 bridges connecting this line-island and once you cross the bridge from Udupi mainland, you are entering a paradise. The coconut trees line outside the traditional houses add to the beauty of the place. We went here early in the morning so we had the road almost to ourselves. The ocean to the right and the river to the left- what a magnificent sight this was! Later we found out that there are multiple locations in and around Udupi where you can experience this phenomenon.
2. Hastashilp Heritage Village
This is a museum which feels like a walk in history. Traditional houses have been preserved with the minutest details for the future generations in this attraction. The entry ticket is INR 300 and you walk through 24 carefully preserved old wooden houses from the old era. These architectural marvels are relocated and restored. You can walk through the houses and shrines belonging to different religions and profession. It is a beautifully maintained open air museum and a must visit place!
3. Padubidri End Point Blue Flag Beach
Driving another couple miles below Udupi rewarded us with one of the most scenic and ornamented beach. Padubidri beach has been awarded the Blue Flag certification by the International Foundation of Environmental education. Blue Flag criteria include standards for quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management criteria. The Blue Flag is sought for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators as an indication of their high environmental and quality standards. The beach hosts a delightful garden, a quaint coffee shop, and multiple relaxing areas. We also had an amazing experience of kayaking in the backwaters surrounding the beach. It was a place hard to get away from.
4. Sea Walk Malpe
An experience of waling 1 km on the sea is something you don’t get that often and this is one thing you should not miss when in and around Udupi. The sunset looks stunning from the Sea Walk and watching the boats returning to the harbour while walking on this walkway is a therapeutic experience.
5. St. Mary’s Island
A short ferry ride away from Malpe beach, St. Mary’s island is a stunning location to witness historic rock formations form 88 million years ago. It is very well managed and not a single piece of plastic is allowed on the island. There is not much to do on the island but walking on a shells-only beach makes the most of it!
6. Kaup Lighthouse and Beach
We had seen the board on the road while driving back to Udupi the earlier day and decided to come back again, and we are so glad we did. After Climbing the difficult stairs of Kaup lighthouse, you are rewarded with a view I assure you is one of its kind. You have a personal 360 degree deck of 2 beaches on either sides, the unending ocean behind you and a dense vast coconut plantation in front of you. The beach is a clean golden sand beach which hosted one of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen
7. Marwanthe Beach
A beach you can visit while driving through NH 66. A wide area of reclaimed stones pierce the sea on this beach and this was the blue-set sea we witnessed in this trip.
8. Machli
We followed the recommendations of our friends and the social media and Machli is a restaurant not to be missed for its authentic ghee roast prawns and chicken. It is a humble restaurant in the heart of Udupi with a taste none can match
9. Woodlands
Another recommendation for food was this pure vegetarian restaurant and we had one of the best south Indian thalis here! The vibe is warm and the food is exquisite. If you can get over the unnecessary compulsion of eating non-veg food and keep your senses open to new and authentic food experiences, Hotel Woodlands is your place!
10. MTR
Mavalli Tiffin Rooms is as authentic as one can get in terms of Udupi Food. MTR was started in 1924 and has a humble and significant story of how they grew to be one of the most trusted brands in terms of Indian food.
We hope we could take you along with us on our Udupi exploration and you can visit and experience it like us soon. Have you already been to Udupi? Which was your favourite part? Do let me know in the comments section.