Dec 27, 2008 09:05 AM
8262 Views
(Updated Dec 27, 2008 09:10 AM)
We went to Mangaluru with parents and our infant, from December 20-25, 2008.
Hotel:We stayed at Hotel Srinivas, on PM Rao road. The hotel has good rooms, and awesome food. Service was also excellent. Lunch at Woodlands was ok, not great.
Travel:We hired a taxi for 8 hours, 800 rs. They drive like mad and we had to hold on for dear life. Our baby was tossed about the whole time.
*Sightseeing:
1. We went to **Mangala Devi temple and Kadri temple. Both were good.
Sultan Battery has an old fort, and excellent view point. The history of the place is also on display.
In the evening we went to Saint Aloysius church, which has 150 year old paintings. Really awesome. Dont miss this.
The Tannirbavi beach has the softest sand. You can go here only if you have your own vehicle. You can see the remnants of a ship which sank 15 years ago.
The next day we took a taxi to Bekal Fort on Kerala border, famed from the tamil/hindi film Bombay, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, where the song Uyire was shot. There is a lot of walking to do here in the hot sun. Please carry a cap or umbrella and lots of water. It is better to carry food to Bekal. The Chandragiri fort nearby, 10km towards Kasaragod is also worth a visit. It is where the river Chandragiri meets the sea.
We visited Someshwara beach(at Ullala) on the way. You can eat at Summer Sands beach resort, the only decent hotel in the route.
The next day we went to Udupi, to see the Krishna temple. On the way we stopped at Suratkal beach. Each beach had different kinds of shells. They were completely deserted when we went. It is romantic and scary.
We went to St. Mary's isle, by boat. Please check the boat timings before leaving. The boat does not leave until 30 people join, which was a long wait for us. Finally 15 of us ended up paying for 15 more people and took the boat, . The island was awesome. The rocky outcrops are a sight to see. The sunset was also very good.
We stayed at Hotel Udupi residency, which is not very good. I would not recomment anyone there. Rooms are ok, but corridors are dark. No facilities for drivers. Food is ok.
We went to Sringeri from Udupi. The Agumbe forest on the way is wonderful. Roads are not very good after Agumbe.
The Saradambal temple is well worth the visit. It is the oldest temple in Southern India and has great architecture.
We went to Sirimane falls, which is a good 22 kms away and not 11 kms as the road signs say it is. The road is winding and was under repair at this time. The falls is good, and has visits from small snakes in the afternoons. Really beautiful snakes.
It was a good trip. This route is suitable for families.
