Explore and you may find a moveable feast
From Ganapatipule we drove to Goa, and then continued towards
Mangalore. At certain spots along the Goa-Mangalore road, there
are stunning views of the sea: of deserted covers, forgotten islands
lying out in the sun and other such cliches one would expect from
a coastal drive. But for the most part the road shies away from
the sea, and moves from one town to the next, all very close to
the water but not quite there.
So the only way to enjoy the drive is to turn off at random beaches,
and explore. The problem with this, however, is that accommodation
along the entire coastal stretch is negligible. There are a few
grotty lodges and middle-range hotels in the larger towns, but
these are totally devoid of character and nowhere near the beaches.
Though this leaves the beaches completely untouched, it also makes
them inaccessible, as well as lacking in even the most basic facilities.
To add to this, there is almost no tourist information available
for this area. The Indian Tourism Development Corporation has a few half-hearted brochures, with no seaside details; the Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation's brochures would probably be half-hearted
too, but don't exist. Even the ubiquitous and vaguely tedious
Lonely Planets and Rough Guides virtually leave it out.
But go anyway. The scenery is incomparable, the people friendly
and since we have done the trip already, you won't have to go around
looking for accommodation.
A beach that's worth visiting in Goa, and ignored by most tourists,
is Palolem. This is at the southernmost tip of the state, near
Cancona: about 80 km from Panjim and 30 km from Karwar. It is
a small beach set around a deep cove, with the mandatory bacon,
eggs and grilled fish shacks: Goa's way of going international.
The Palolem Beach Resort offers tents and rooms, and there are
a few other small shack-hotels. There are several hippies here:
pushed off the beaches further north with the advent of the
charter flight tourists who with their sun-blocs and fish on
chips have managed to conform and conventionalise most of Goa's
other beaches.
Though Palolem is for anyone who enjoys a relaxed, no-noise time,
the same cannot be said of Gokarn in neighbouring Karnataka, 50
km south of Karwar. 'Jewel Island,' rhapsodised some
misled writer, which sent us eagerly seeking an island with a
quaint town and beautiful beaches. No. This is not true. The beach
is a mess and the hippies even messier. The only semi-decent place
to stay is the Government Tourist Home, but it is so far from the
sea, and the staff are so eager for you to leave that it is better
to do just that. As soon as possible.
Honavar is 70 km south of Gokarn. At this point, we moved off
the coastal highway and into the coffee growing hills that lie
behind the coast. The first stop is Jog Falls, 60 km from Honavar.
The drive from Honavar to Jog is one of the best. The road first
passes through lush supari, coconut and paddy to Gersoppa, from
where it climbs densely forested ghats to Jog.
The falls are not much off-season, but the area has a hill station feel and is worth
a visit. The Karnataka Power Corporation's bungalow is the only
good place to stay, with a frontal view of the falls. To get permission
for this, you need to go a few kilometers further, to Jog town,
where the KPC has its office. It is well worth the effort as the
other alternatives for accommodation are best left as alternatives.
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