There is something about beaches, they calm the chaos in me. So when I was browsing through Facebook and saw that a dear friend was going for a beach trail to Karnataka, I knew I just had to go.

Having said that, experience has taught me nothing comes easy and that is exactly what happened. The batch was full. Honestly, I was disappointed until the organizer suggested: “You get the train ticket, I will take care of the rest.” Sometimes a little ray of hope can do wonders.

I tried all possible ways to get the tickets but I failed. I gave up hope. Suddenly 3 days prior to the trek, on one fine morning, I received a message “We do have one ticket for the trek. Let me know if you are coming?” My happiness knew no bounds. I quickly cleared my schedule and took up that seat and I am super glad that I did.

Someone has rightly said, “If it’s meant to happen it will.”

Our journey began on Friday night as a bunch of strangers from varied walks of life travelling to one destination with one common interest beach trek. The 14-hour-long train journey (thanks to the delayed trains) gave time and space for these strangers to connect and some friends to reconnect. The fabulous duo (Jaal & Sai-our trek organizers from Tattva Adventures) acted as the catalyst.

The first interesting local snack that we had was ”Goli Baje”.Goli baje is an interesting snack made in the south.

Though late, we finally reached Kumta, Karnataka. The red soil, coconut trees, and roofed houses reminded me of my hometown and I couldn’t resist traveling down memory lane.

We hopped on to local transport, the localities were super cool and accommodated our crowd and chaos. We got off near a temple. Little did I know that just a few steps away was our first beach-Vannalli.

About our beach trail:

Vannalli Beach

Vannalli is a simply beautiful beach. The still and calm waters shining under the sun made it picture-perfect. An artist could spend hours there sketching the beauty on canvas. The best part of the beach was there was no one there, no people, no shops. It’s just nature at its best and yes there are farms bang opposite the beach.

Kadle Beach

After a round of quick introductions, we headed forward to our next destination Kadle beach. The moment I set my foot on the beach, I stood transfixed. The water shimmered like diamonds under the blazing sky. Who needs jewels when you have something so beautiful and pure in front of you? What was more beautiful is the point at which the shimmering water met the calm clear sky. The Kadle beach made me realize one thing- we are just a tiny part of the whole. There is so much more than just I, me, and myself.

The journey to the next beach was beautifully filled with laughter, giggles, and teasing. Surrounded by unseen plants, gorgeous butterflies, and stunning insects. The fishes and chilies left out for drying made me realize it was lunchtime. (It was past noon and tummies were growling)

Gudengali Beach

But the moment we reached the next beach we had actually forgotten about hunger. The sight looked as if it had popped out of a painting. Gudengali beach is a  long beach with clear water, kites (the bird) flying high, lovely sand, and fishing boats. The fishing boats made me want to go fishing.

After a heavy lunch of locally made biryani and sambar. Yes, they actually served dal with biryani. We slowly walked the entire length of the beach and then up the hill. The journey was torture and taught me a lesson not to overeat when you are trekking, just eat enough. But as we began to descend the road was breathtaking. I was practically torn between making sure that I don’t fall and looking at the beauty of nature. After all the Skidding, slipping, laughter, giggles, and some tears we finally reached the next beach- Nirvana. The wish to catch fish came true on the beach. There were fishermen on the beach who were catching fish.

We then headed forward to the Anaghshini port where we witnessed the stunning sunset as we crossed the river on the local ferry boat.

Belekan Beach

Our last halt for the day was at the Belekan beach where we got the privilege of tasting the local fish meal that consisted of fish fry, prawn curry, bhakri, and rice. After the tents were up, most trekkers spent the night singing, dancing, and chit-chatting. As for me, I spent it meditating and then sleeping under the stars by the beachside. One of the things that had been on my bucket list for a long.

Being an early riser is always beneficial, I got to witness the beautiful sunrise after a long and peaceful chat with a fellow trekker.

We had one other local snack for breakfast known as the banana bun/bread which was served with a delicious chutney.

If you land up visiting Balekan do visit the paradise café, the owner serves one of the best tea and divine coffees.

Paradise Beach

Our first halt for day 2 was at Paradise beach. Once you have a look at it you would know why it is called paradise. No wonder many foreigners live there in hammocks. We spent a long time swimming and floating in the salty water.

After all the hard work we did, the fruits served at beach felt divine.

The next few destinations we visited included Half Moon beach, Hell cliff, and Shell Beach, each of which is equally beautiful.

While the other beaches hardly had any visitors, Om Beach was overcrowded. It is a nice place but what made the beach special is the company and the mannequin challenge.

We then had an interesting lunch with local fish at the kudle beach followed by games and a crazy dancing session.

Gokarna

Our last destination was Gokarna. No words can do justice to the peace and beauty of the place. There is the famous Gokarna temple surrounded by calm and serene water and stunning blue sky. Once you visit Gokarna make sure you try out the water that is obtained through a stream near the temple. It’s cool, sweet, and known as the blessing of Lord Ram.

One of the other interesting things I noticed about the houses is the way they are built. Also, each house has a mask on it. The masks differ from house to house.

Some food and drinks

Some of the other foods/ juices that I tried along the journey included-badman milk, local cold drinks with funny names, ice pepsi, tapioca and banana chips.

Later in the evening, we took the train from Gokarna to Mumbai.

The only regret I have is that there wasn’t enough time to sit back at the beaches (but then I don’t think I would ever be satisfied when it comes to beaches, I love them) or explore the local cuisine (can’t help it, I love food.) Overall it was a beautiful experience.

Yes, destinations are important.

But it’s the journey that is more important. For you find a lot about yourself and your life, people, and places along the way.