Kudle Beach (Gokarna): The Longing to Stay Back



I remember humming a soft tune as I walked down the beautiful Kudle Beach at Gokarna – a town kissed by the Arabian Sea in the South Indian State of Karnataka.

The melody of the tune was completed by the sweet sounds of the crashing waves, regular chirping of the coastal birds, shouts of kids playing soccer and the whispers of lovers walking on the beach. I also remember splashing waters on to my friend’s faces as all of us joyously bathed in the cool Arabian waters. The gradually receding beach was both merciful and welcoming. In the evening, nearly forty pairs of eyes stood staring at the beautiful sunset as the sea gulped the sun, to keep it safe in its hiding for the night. Quite a love story. And quite a sight to behold.

I remember walking down the streets of the beautifully antique town of Gokarna to reach Kudle Beach. I bumped into some really interesting people and sights on the way. And as my eyes caught the glimpse of the beach through the leaves of an ancient tree, I blessed the walk that had led me to it.



But what I remember the most from those two days at Kudle Beach, is a longing – a longing to let go. A longing to delve deeper and understand. A longing to stay.

When we travel, we come across numerous beautiful roads and destinations. And very often, we spend days at these locations and then move on to other places and things. Sometimes we come back from journeys and the places we saw take deep roots in our memories, as our minds get exposed to the realms of everyday life. But at times, we visit places we just can’t get enough of. At times, we feel the strong urge to call a distant land our ‘home’. At least for a while.

Such was the case with Kudle Beach and me. Having been there several times, I still feel the longing to stay there for a longer duration. Still feel the need to stare at the Kudle sunset for days together.

And it’s very difficult to state the reason why. It is definitely not the most enchanting place I have ever been to. But there was something in the way my thoughts completely melted and mixed with the aroma of the place. It lent me a peaceful, easy feeling very difficult to replace. I felt that I completely belonged to the place, at least for the time I spent there. So much so that I’ve been planning to go and stay there for a month or two.


I don’t feel the urge to spend my life away at Kudle. But for what she gave me, I definitely owe her a month of my heart and soul. For me, it will always be my favourite escape.



Things to Do in Gokarna

 When in Gokarna, do not miss out on the following:

·         - Trek from Kudle Beach all the way up to Om, Half Moon and Paradise Beach. The beach trek is an amazing experience. You are bound to bump into some amazing travellers and picturesque locations.
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·        -  See some beautiful temples and walk the old markets of Gokarna town. Gokarna is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Shiva. Delve in its history and culture.

·        -  If you are going to stay for long, you can also take Yoga classes near Kudle beach.


·         -  Go on a boat ride and if you are lucky, you can spot dolphins in the sea!

·         - You can get a nice massage and spend the day out in the beach sun.

·         - The bike ride around Gokarna is really beautiful. // Amarpreet Singh for Oasis Holidays
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For an all-India tour in 22 days, you may want to check out this video.

For Tour and Travels India as well as International packages from India, please contact us at Oasis Holidays

Unshod Rover is a worldwide-eyed wanderer currently based in Bangalore, India. You may follow his musings and wanderings on this blog. "Unshod in India" is a series of articles based on Mr. Rover's adventures and discoveries in this very interesting and incredible subcontinent. 


     {About the Author}


Amarpreet Singh is 25 and lives in Bangalore, India and apart from journeying with a waste management organization called Daily Dump, likes to spend his time scribbling words wherever he can. His passion is penning down random sets of words that may seem gibberish to most people and may make perfect sense for some insane ones out there. He doesn’t seem to stop any time soon too. Poetry is what people say he is good at. Music and Football are his other hobbies.
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