Warm January in Kerala (and a bit of Karnataka)

Hi everyone, We're back in India for the 7th time (for the other trips, check here: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/asie/) ... But this time, no more exploring or trekking! With age, we're just spending a quiet month in southern India, a country we particularly love... Our journey starts in Kovalam, then Monroe Island, Varkala, Kochi, Kannur, Udupi, and finally, as in recent years, Gokarna. No problem getting around—there’s the train all along the coast...

Night in Trivandrum

Prepaid taxi to the « Safire Residency », where we stayed last year. This hotel is still just as nice and welcoming (980 INR). Then, dinner at the restaurant « Ariya Niwas » where we enjoyed those delicious dosas again! (We missed them!)

4 days in Kovalam

Thursday, January 9: From Trivandrum, where we spent the night, we take a rickshaw to Kovalam (350 INR to Lighthouse Beach). We soon arrive at the stairs leading down to the promenade along the beach, "Lighthouse Beach," where our hotel is located... After a bit of searching, we find the « Wilson Ayurvedic Resort ». Actually, it’s at the very start of the promenade, near Hawa Beach. (Here, everything is called "Ayurvedic"! Wilson, which is very pleasant, isn’t Ayurvedic at all.) For 1,800 INR per night (about 20 €), we have a room with a balcony overlooking a garden filled with beautiful trees surrounding a pool! Gorgeous... It’s very well located, set back a bit from the promenade, and the manager is eager to help. He even exchanges money for us at a great rate. Then we buy a SIM card at a small shop on the promenade (no problem getting an Indian phone card here, unlike last year when we struggled in Trivandrum without success).

Wilson Ayurvedic Resort

The promenade along the beach

In Kovalam, there are several beaches:

LIGHTHOUSE BEACH, the long crescent-shaped beach along the promenade, is where the shops and most Western tourists are concentrated. North of the promenade, you’ll find HAWA BEACH. We discovered a really nice little restaurant there, the Rock Café Restaurant 😊 We ended up going back often, especially since our hotel was right nearby. These are the two beaches we visited the most, of course, since they were so close to our hotel...

Lighthouse Beach

Hawa Beach

Walk to Samudra Beach We took the road heading north (Kovalam Beach Road) to two other beaches: Kovalam Beach and Samudra Beach, separated by rocks. A mosque stands by the sea, and a few luxury restaurants and hotels are perched on the hill behind, on the other side of the road. After a nice swim at Samudra Beach, we headed back to our place. Kovalam Beach and its mosque, with Samudra Beach extending beyond

Between Hawa and Lighthouse Beach, there’s a rocky ridge with a watchtower. Behind the tower, among the rocks, fishermen gather sea urchins and shells...

Awesome! I’ll be following along very closely. Hope 7 was a lucky number for you.

Thanks Joel, We’d already chatted on this forum when I was traveling in Myanmar... I even carried a little package for you there! And I took inspiration from some of the destinations you described in your travel journal in Thailand (Prachuap Kiri Khan, among others)—that was a few years back now. I don’t know if the number 7 will bring us luck, but this 7th trip to India sure was, and I think it won’t be the last! !

I can tell you we haven’t forgotten that gift of a trip, and we still reminisce about it regularly! 😊

Haha!!! Okay, continuing my story: Evening at Hawa beach: Like on many beaches frequented by Indians, there's plenty of activity: Indians love admiring the sunset and taking a dip at that time, vendors set up with colorful, glowing trinkets, and the stalls light up...

A beautiful devil!

Soap bubbles...

Another day, a walk to Vizhinjam port In the late afternoon, after our nap, we head out for a stroll toward the south. After the lighthouse, the path overlooks a beach: Palm Beach, and a few luxury hotels... Then, we reach a road that runs along the village of Vizhinjam and its first houses...

Schoolkids heading home from school



And there we are, in sight of the commercial port. Unfortunately, the cliff from there on is covered in trash! Behind the port stand two mosques. The population is largely Muslim in that area... On the other hand, on the side where the fishing port is, it's Catholic. There’s a large church and a Christ the Redeemer statue standing by the sea, at the foot of houses perched on the hillside. We often noticed that fishermen in southern India are Roman Catholic (as was the case in Pondicherry and Kanyakumari, among others). On the commercial port side, two mosques stand...

And on the fishing port side, a Roman Catholic church

Hi Anne, What a pleasure to see you back here with this new travel journal. My visit to Kovalam feels like ages ago now, and I really enjoyed it. I remember that village with the mosques—I was the only tourist wandering around there. Are there many tourists in Kovalam these days? Between Kovalam and Vakarla, which place do you prefer? Varkala must be packed with tourists? And full of hotels, I imagine.

Hi Mariejo, First of all, thank you—it’s thanks to you that I recently discovered this forum was up and running again... and I’m so glad it is. Yes, Kovalam is lovely, and we really enjoyed staying there for a few days. When we were there in January, there weren’t that many Western tourists, I found. We even managed to find a room easily in this really nice, affordable hotel. Actually, there were more Indian tourists, especially since it was a weekend, but the beach is big, so it wasn’t a problem. In the mornings, it’s very quiet—Indians tend to go out more in the late afternoon. As for Varkala, we liked it a lot too because we had a hotel on a very quiet street, not on the cliff but near the beach entrance where the priests perform their rituals. It’s a much more local part of the beach. The beach itself is huge and beautiful, and it’s easy to find a spot with no one around. That said, don’t swim too far out—there are big waves and currents, so it’s dangerous... I’ll write more about our stay in Varkala later... Good news: Our site "un endroit où aller.fr" is back up and running! Yannick managed to get it working again... until the next attack! Fingers crossed! I know you’ve been on even more trips. I haven’t had time to dive into your stories yet, but I will—I’m interested...

Thanks for your reply—I didn’t wait to dive back into your blog, and now I’m ahead of your travel journal and have read everything. I’m gonna end up caving and walking the beaches all the way to Gokarna, where I was supposed to go 3 years ago. I’ve still got plenty to do 😁☺️

Oh wow, thanks for bringing back those memories, Anne! I was in the area back in 2010. Kovalam was nice but a bit too touristy for my taste, but I had a massive crush on Vizhinjam port. We’d rented a scooter to just ride around aimlessly, and I had no idea we’d stumble upon such a stunning scene—I was totally blown away. I’ll definitely be following along, thanks! 😊 Christelle

Thanks, Christelle, your photo of the port is gorgeous...

MUNROE ISLAND

After four days in Kovalam, we take the train to the small station at Munroe Island, Monrothurutu...

The train to Monrothurutu, the "Kottayam Express," finally arrives, an hour late. The carriage is packed, but we still manage to find two seats—phew! It’s really cramped and super hot... It eventually arrives almost on time (6 PM) at the little Monrothurutu station...

Munroe Island is located near Kollam, in the backwaters. Actually, Munroe Island is an archipelago made up of a group of inland islands at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River. It’s the peaceful side of India where all you have to do is stroll along the little paths by the rivers, on foot or by boat. There’s not much else to do... It’s so relaxing!

A floating locomotive!

One of the many paths we take every day...

We’re staying at « Valiyath Hollidays Homestay », where we stayed last year too. We’re still very comfortable here (room with bathroom + living room). After warm reunions with the family hosting us, the father tells us his daughter is getting married in February. Unfortunately, we won’t be in India anymore by then... What a shame! Our homestay...

In the evening, after dinner at the family home across the street (where we have breakfast and dinner), the father brings us two glasses of rice pongal (rice with coconut milk, lentils, and spices). It was cooked, following tradition, for the Pongal festival in front of the temple by his daughter. Every family cooks this rice during the Pongal festival (harvest festival). The pot’s contents must boil over as a sign of a good harvest for the year.

Stroll along the little canals:

A fisherman in a cool hat!

A group of women... Young Indians kayaking...

A boat ride:

At our request, our host had booked us a morning "boating" session (last year, it was in the evening). The boatman picks us up at 6:30 AM for a ride lasting about 3 hours. At this early hour, it’s really pleasant, and there are lots of birds: egrets, black-crowned night herons, fishing eagles, kingfishers, cormorants, etc... The water level is very high this year, much higher than last year.

We often have to lie down in the boat to pass under the bridges! And there are so many of them! Dawn breaks... A small Hindu temple by the water

A hearty breakfast awaits us after our boat ride, served by the family’s daughter. She tells us about her upcoming wedding and explains that wedding traditions vary by caste... For some, you have to prepare three different outfits for the big day! The rest of the day passes quietly... Another day, we take a long walk to the Kallada Bridge. We follow the trails... until we reach a bridge near a Syriac church...

View of the river from the bridge that spans it

And here’s the Syriac church, with its characteristic column: In the region, there are many Syriac Catholics... but also Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Hindus. However, in Kerala, in the coastal towns we know, there aren’t cows roaming freely everywhere. We’ll find them in Karnataka!

The Syriac church of Kallada

After crossing the bridge, we follow the path along the river... It continues through a very wooded area. The vegetation is lush. A few small huts line the way, and plots of land bordered by banana trees are planted with cassava. The scenery is really pretty around here...

The path becomes wilder and wilder...

A woman cultivating cassava on a small cleared plot... We ate quite a bit of cassava around here... Then, we reach the spot where there’s a ferryman to cross the river in his boat. The ferryman...

Once on the other side, all that’s left is to follow the paths back to the homestay. A really lovely walk...

Friday, January 17: Departure for Varkala After breakfast, we say goodbye to the charming family who hosted us these past few days. We pay 7,280 INR (about 80 € in total) for the 4 nights, meals, and the boat ride (1,400 INR, included in the price). A rickshaw takes us to Mondrothurutu station, and we head to Varkala. The train arrives late and is packed. No seats, but luckily, it’s only a 45-minute ride!

I’ve heard about Munroe Island on VF several times now, but unfortunately, I didn’t read up on it at the time. A great reason to go back when we need to escape the world in an enchanting setting 😊... especially when you see the unbelievable price!! At this point, it’s not just "a great deal"—it’s like winning the jackpot 😂. Have a nice day, Anne

Indeed, our accommodation on Munroe Island was really cheap (and we had a large room with a bathroom plus a living room). I even thought I had made a mistake when noting down the amount we paid, but Yannick confirmed it was correct! It must be said that the food was very simple: mostly chapatis, dal, chickpeas, and rice... Last year, we had fish, but this year, the owners were very busy with their daughter’s wedding preparations and didn’t have much time to dedicate to us. Last year, we attended a strange ceremony at a nearby temple (a man in a trance believed he was the serpent Naga) and an elephant parade. I wrote all about it on my site: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/munroe-island/

Anyway, back to my travel journal: 4 Days in Varkala

We arrived from Munroe Island by train in the morning. A rickshaw took us to VIP Garden Resort. It consists of several bungalows staggered up a hill (around 20 €)... It’s located in a quiet spot, on a dead-end road. To get to the beach, we just followed a small path winding through the vegetation with little streams. At the end, we reached Beach Road and the entrance to the long beach, Papanasham Beach.

At VIP Garden, the bright red bungalows are staggered up the hill

To reach the beach, we took a small path through the vegetation

Varkala Beach:

It’s very long and overlooks a cliff, “the cliff”... At its northern end, it’s lined with shops and restaurants. The path we took from our guesthouse leads to Beach Road, further south. That’s where the entrance to Papanasham Beach is... Every morning, priests welcome Hindu devotees who come to perform various rituals. On both sides stretches the very long beach—wilder to the south and more westernized to the north... The sea is great but rough. The big waves and strong currents make it dangerous.

The beach seen from the top of the cliff

The middle section of the beach. Above, on the cliff, there’s a large parking lot

Shops line the northern cliff

The long beach on the southern side... Very few people here

Papanasham Beach, “sacred beach”: At this part of the beach, where Beach Road ends, priests set up shop under their umbrellas...

Since it’s the weekend, there are lots of devotees performing rituals...



A ritual commonly practiced here: You have to go to the sea with a lit lamp on your head (or flowers and rice balls wrapped in a banana leaf), balance it on your head... Oops!... And drop it into the water by passing it behind your head!

I wrote all about it on my site: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/munroe-island/

Hi Anne, I was surprised I hadn’t run into you yet, since I saw you were back on the forum... I’ll definitely be following this travel journal, especially since Kerala is like a second home to me... This is the second time you’ve linked to your personal blog. You’re lucky this account wasn’t moved to the "travelers’ personal sites" section. When VF reopened, I did the same thing as you to avoid rewriting something I’d already posted on my blog. And I was immediately censored. My thread was moved to the section I just mentioned. I was told it wasn’t allowed to use VF to direct readers to your personal site or blog... I had to remove the link to my blog to get moved back to the travel journals section. I was really surprised at the time because I knew you’d done this before.

Side question: By the way, does it work? Does it bring you more visitors to your blog through VF?

Munroe Island is located near Kollam, in the backwaters. In fact, Munroe Island is an archipelago, made up of a group of inland islands situated at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River. It's the quiet side of India where all you have to do is stroll along the small paths lining the rivers on foot or by boat. Not much else to do there... It's so relaxing!

Hello,

I can confirm it's the quiet side of India, but there’s still plenty to discover so you won’t get bored if you stay for 3 or 4 days. I hadn’t found much information about Munroe Island (barely mentioned on VF), which explains why there are so few tourists and boat rides without the crowds of Alleppey. It was my highlight in Kerala ;) I was there last January too! Thanks for this lovely travel journal

Hi Jean-Marie, I took a chance by adding a link to my site even though I’d read your post where you said yours had been moved... Actually, I linked to an article on my site rather than the whole site—maybe that’s why? I don’t know. I only did it to avoid rewriting an article and posting more photos. While the forum was down, we had to write on another platform, and we’re not going to rewrite everything! I don’t know if I get more readers on my personal site when I post links here, but anyway, I don’t think I have a huge audience since it’s poorly indexed. Since we don’t do business or paid ads, it doesn’t show up in search engines. Really, it’s mostly for saving our travel memories and photos. I can post more... The travel journal here is more about exchanging with the "travel buddies" I’m happy to reconnect with! And sharing some tips too—I’ve picked up so many that helped me plan our trips. Nowadays, we’re older and don’t have the energy for too much scrambling through transport, but we love spending a month in Kerala and Karnataka during winter. I know you live in Kerala, near Kannur. Since last year, we’ve discovered Thottada, which is a gorgeous spot. Is that near you? See you soon...

Thanks Catherine, I can confirm that in Munroe Island, there’s almost nothing to do, but it’s so pretty and peaceful. I don’t think we’ll go back again—two 3-day visits were enough to explore the place!

Back to my travel journal:

VARKALA (continued)

A little trip to Black Beach We walk along the top of the cliff where all the shops are. Way too many Western tourists around there...

Once past the boutiques, the coastal path becomes wilder... And we arrive at Black Beach, a mix of black and blond sand, quieter than the main beach.



Visit to the Janardhana Temple This afternoon, the weather is rainy, so we take the chance to visit Varkala’s most important temple.

Dedicated to Vishnu, it’s very old and dates back to the 13th century. The site has been a place of worship for nearly 2,000 years.



Inside the temple grounds, there’s a huge banyan tree, as well as a strange tree called the "cannonball tree" or "nagalingam" in Tamil. It’s considered sacred by Hindus because its flower, with the stem growing from the trunk, resembles Naga, the serpent god.



In front of—or behind—the temple, depending on where you arrive, there’s a large basin at the bottom of a long flight of steps. A few young people are having fun swimming there. The water’s much calmer than in the sea!

Blessing of a motorcycle As we leave the temple, we stumble upon a unique ceremony: a young guy, with his parents, is getting his brand-new motorcycle blessed. A "Royal Enfield," as it should be!

On our way back to the beach along "Beach Road," we stop for a quick chai break, paired with delicious "vada"—spicy round fritters—at a tiny, very Indian, and super affordable spot called "Aloppura Restaurant."

We eat most of our meals at the "Varkala Marine Palace." That’s where we go most often because it’s not on the cliff but near the beach entrance, close to our accommodation... It’s really nice to eat on their well-ventilated terrace overlooking the beach... Great view, good food, peaceful, and the staff is super welcoming. What more could you ask for? In the evening, you can dine at small tables set up right by the beach—pretty cool! The Marine Beach Palace

Dinner by the beach at Marine Beach Palace

Another good restaurant: We went twice to "Mamma Champo," located along Beach Road. The downside is that it’s so popular, there’s always a huge crowd. As a result, the wait is *very* long...

The cliff lights up at night...

Tomorrow, we’re leaving Varkala for Kochi. We’re continuing our journey up the Malabar Coast, with Gokarna as our final destination. There’s a train that runs all along the coast—super convenient!

Tuesday, January 21: A 2-night stop in Kochi...

We leave Varkala on the 9:55 AM train. Luckily, we had reserved seats when we arrived at Varkala station four days ago, because this train is packed... We arrive in Ernakulam at 1:30 PM. There, we want to book seats for Kannur the day after tomorrow, but no luck! No seats available. Darn, that’s annoying because it’s a 6-hour trip, and if we don’t have reserved seats, we’ll have to settle for unreserved carriages—and there’s no guarantee we’ll find two seats together...

We’ll see! We take a rickshaw to the Bastian homestay in Fort Cochin (320 INR). We’ve been to Kochi several times before, but we’re stopping here anyway to break up the journey. It’s better to stay for 2 nights because the first day is already half gone: time to take the train, travel from Ernakulam station to Fort Cochin (which are quite far apart), and find the homestay (since rickshaw drivers never know where our homestay is in the maze of small streets in the neighborhood)...

We had called the day before yesterday, and there was a room available. Good thing, because this homestay, which was recommended by some French travelers we met in Munroe Island, turns out to be really nice. It’s well located, in the same area where we’ve stayed in recent years. We have a small, very comfortable, clean, and quiet room for 1000 INR (around 11 €). The owner and his wife are very welcoming and ready to help us out. Thanks to them, we’ll find train seats. They advise us to wait until the next day. Starting at 10 AM, there will surely be Tatkal seats available, according to them... Well, let’s wait until tomorrow! In the meantime, let’s take a stroll along the waterfront, as usual...

As always when we stop in Fort Cochin, here we are again in front of the giant Chinese fishing nets... A must-see!

For dinner, we go back to the very Indian vegetarian restaurant "Anantha Bavan Inn," like last year... There, you can eat dosas, "meals," and basic Indian dishes in a lovely patio.

Wednesday, January 22: Hearty breakfast on the terrace of our homestay (150 INR/person). At 10 AM, we go see our hostess. Will she manage to find us train seats on her computer?... Eureka! There are seats available, and even in AC Chair, the best ones. Great! Our host also exchanges money at the same rate as in town. So convenient...

We then set off for a long walk through the streets of Fort Cochin to discover places we didn’t know: Located in the Vannar Sangam neighborhood, Dhobi Khana is a large artisanal laundry. According to the sign at the entrance: "172 families from this neighborhood have worked here since 1720. The Dutch government brought their ancestors from various parts of Tamil Nadu and the Malabar Coast to wash the army’s uniforms." Nowadays, they wash laundry for hotels and private individuals...







Continuing on our way, we arrive in front of the Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, the Thirumala Devaswam temple and its pond. As is often the case in the south, non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple... Too bad!

The temple pond, covered in lotuses, is adorned with a pretty pavilion...

It’s very hot in Kochi... After the walk back, we’re pretty tired! Lunch at our usual restaurant and rest until late afternoon. Around 5 PM, we head to Princess Street for a bit of shopping...

A friendly encounter on Princess Street

... Then, a leisurely stroll along the waterfront where we sip a good chai at the "Mapples" café, located outdoors along the promenade... This time, we didn’t go to the old Jewish quarter or Bazar Road (Mattancherry) because we’ve been there several times before and preferred to discover places we didn’t know. We go to bed early because tomorrow, we’re taking a rickshaw at 6 AM to Ernakulam station.

On the waterfront promenade in the evening...

Hello 🙂

I love the gentle, happy ease of your trip in this country I’ll never visit. What a great idea to take your time, and what a delight to savor every moment...

So nice to read you.

Thanks Dolma for your kind message...

I’m picking up my travel journal again: We were in Kochi... A rickshaw comes to pick us up from Bastian Homestay in Kochi to take us to Ernakulam station. We’re comfortably settled in AC Chair class. Since we left the homestay too early, we can’t have breakfast there... But on the train, there’s everything we need (omelet, tea, coffee). And since we won’t arrive until 3 PM, there’s also lunch (chicken biryani)... Once at Kannur station, we want to book our tickets for Udupi on the 26th. But it’s a Sunday, and on that day, there’s no direct train to Udupi... So we’ll change at Mangalore... In Kannur, a rickshaw takes us to "Manchore Bay guest-house," where we’d already stayed last year. It’s located at Saddam Beach, near Thottada... We get the room next to last year’s, which is even better because since it’s at the end of the balcony, no one walks past! The bed is still just as hard, but you get used to it... The place is so beautiful!

The quiet little beach below the guest-house

Here, it’s all about lazing around and sea baths...

Gorgeous landscape!

At Manchore Bay, the dining room overlooks the sea...

On our little beach below the guest-house, there are even shady spots under the palm trees, and almost no one... It’s so peaceful... Reading on the beach, swimming, resting...

Friday, January 24: Lunch in Thottada village We have breakfast and dinner at our guest-house... We could also eat lunch there, but we feel like changing things up and discovering new places... So we walk to the small village uphill (it’s a climb!). Unfortunately, the only restaurant there is closed (apparently, it’s been shut for a while!). Oh well!... Some rickshaws are parked nearby... The rickshaw-wallah agrees to take us to Thottada village, where we know there’s a restaurant, the "Tripti Family" (we’d already been there last year). He’ll wait for us and bring us back to the guest-house for 250 INR. We enjoy a delicious thali with fish and shrimp... Thottada village isn’t right by the sea—you have to go a few kilometers to the coast to reach Tottada Beach...

Once back at our guest-house, it’s time to rest first! Then we take a walk along the path that runs along the coast to the big beach... Our place at Saddam Beach is on the coast and connected to Thottada’s main beach by a small path...

The path from our hotel to the big beach

Thottada’s big beach

Behind the beach, a bridge crosses a stream... Once you cross the bridge, there’s a mangrove and a coconut grove with several guest-houses: "Kannur Guest-House," "Blue Mermaid," "Ocean Green," etc... This year, there are more people than last year, it seems (but it’s still not crowded)...

Saturday, January 25:

After spending the morning on our little beach, we head out to find lunch. Yesterday, on our way to the big beach, we’d passed a sign that read "RoBà Café." Maybe there’ll be something to eat there? It’s brand new, a bit upscale, and in a lovely spot... But there isn’t much: tea, coffee, and a few snacks. We eat momos in the garden overlooking the sea. It’s very windy today, which is nice because it’s so hot... The terrace at RoBà Café overlooks the cliff above the sea

In the early afternoon, we go to the small village above our guest-house to buy some fruit from a little shop... Then, the rest of the day passes quietly (resting, reading, swimming—our usual activities, really!)

Sunday, January 26: Departure Yes, today we’re leaving this beautiful place... Off to Udupi: After breakfast, a rickshaw picks us up at 8:30 AM to take us to Kannur station... Since it’s Sunday, there’s no direct train between Kannur and Udupi. We have to change at Mangalore. The train is packed. Luckily, we’d booked our seats (sleeper class). For the second time this year, we arrive early! It’s 11:50 AM, and our train to Udupi doesn’t leave until 2:20 PM. We have time to grab lunch at one of the restaurants in Mangalore station.

For a few years now, we’ve been stopping in Udupi... Since the trip to Gokarna is quite long, we like to spend a night there and attend the chariot ceremony that takes place every evening during this season. A prepaid rickshaw takes us to the "Sri Ram Residency" hotel (there wasn’t any room at the one we’d stayed in last year). It’s very comfortable, well-located near the grand Krishna temple, and there’s a lovely view of the city from our room’s bay window.

...After a bit of rest, we head to the grand Krishna temple... We’d already visited it in 2024 and 2019. I’ve written about it here: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/udupi-2024/ and https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/udupi/

Inside the temple grounds, a vendor is selling a kind of coconut. They’re different from the ones we know... They’re the fruit of the Palmyra palm or sugar palm. These nuts have three "hearts." I’d never tasted (or even seen) them before! They have a slight coconut flavor... Fruit of the Palmyra palm

The chariots are out in the courtyard. Not just the very large wooden one, but also the golden chariots and the one covered in gemstones. We assume they’ll be used in the procession tonight.

Since we’d already seen the wooden chariot procession in previous years, this year we’ll get to see the other chariots come out... It’ll be a little different (though the rituals are always the same!)

While we wait, we enjoy some banana buns, goli baje, and chai at the popular little restaurant "Mitra Samaja," which is packed at this hour. It’s even bursting at the seams, but since Indians don’t linger at the table, we don’t have to wait long to find a small spot.

A very busy little restaurant...

The chariot procession in Udupi:

Around 7:30 PM, the puja (prayer) first takes place in the temple with drums and the ringing of bells...

A floating chariot: On the temple’s large pond, a chariot mounted on a raft starts moving, propelled by rowers sitting at the back (which makes the front tilt up!)

The chariot is launched into the water as pilgrims gather to admire it... It circles the pond several times before returning to its starting point.

Then it’s the turn of the two other chariots, which will be pulled by pilgrims around the temple grounds. The chariots are lit up with changing colors...



The deities’ representations are placed on the chariots by the priests, accompanied by the crowd’s prayers... They start moving, pulled by people who all want to pull or at least touch the ropes...

The large figures walking at the front dance and spin around. They represent guardians... Bengal lights explode in golden showers...

White fabrics are burned. The fire symbolizes divine energy, and white represents purity...

Every devotee wants to touch the fire...

The chariot moves forward, pulled by the devotees...

Then, the chariots return in front of the main temple. People prostrate themselves, pray, musicians play, singers raise their voices... And devotees line up to enter the temple, following the deities who are taken down from the chariots and returned to their place inside the temple... As for us, we head back to our hotel... Tomorrow, we’ll take the 7:40 AM train to Gokarna, where, as usual, we’ll end our stay in India...

Ten days in Gokarna We arrive by train from Udupi around 11 AM. A rickshaw takes us to the same guest-house as usual. This is the 5th time we’ve come to Gokarna... We have a pretty old but well-located bungalow here, with a large, airy, and shaded courtyard (800 INR). It’s set in a lush, well-maintained garden behind the main beach... Our guest-house’s restaurant is right by the main beach. It’s so nice to settle in there at the end of the day, sipping a lassi, fruit juice, or a cold beer before dinner...

A little cow that really wants to eat my chapatis! Here, we’re in southern Karnataka (Hindu) and there are cows everywhere—in the village streets, on the beach... Everywhere!

Gokarna isn’t just a beach resort; it’s also a pilgrimage town. There are lots of temples... and pilgrims!

Pilgrims carrying offerings head to the beach...

...Then they throw their offerings into the sea!

In the village streets:

At the end of the street, one of Gokarna’s many temples

Gokarna’s large tank is surrounded by colorful buildings and features a pavilion in the middle. All around, devotees come to perform rituals and ablutions...

Lunch for the sacred cows!

On the main beach (Main Beach):

The pilgrims make such a mess with their offerings that the beach cleaners have their work cut out for them!

The long stretch of Main Beach

GOKARNA (continued):

On Main Beach, a little restaurant far from everything: We discovered this year, walking all the way to the end of the very long beach, a lovely little restaurant with a well-ventilated terrace overlooking a lagoon: the « Kushal Café ». We had lunch there almost every day...

You have to walk all the way to the end of the long beach... It’s wild out here... We walk through a desert-like landscape... A lagoon in the middle of the sands where a few birds fish (ibises, egrets, stilts, kingfishers)... a few thatched huts in the background...

... And the Kushal Café on the horizon... Phew!

The pleasant terrace of the Kushal Café, well-ventilated and shaded, where you can relax for part of the afternoon...

Then back along the beach...

Near Gokarna, Main Beach isn’t the only one—there are several others, like Kuddle Beach and Om Beach, among others...

Walk to Om Beach:

We set off early in the morning for a long walk to Om Beach... On the way, we meet some monkeys... They’re langurs, and they’re not aggressive.



We first arrive at Kuddle Beach (see here: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/gokarna-2024/)

Then, it’s Om Beach, the beach shaped like the Om symbol (two crescent-shaped coves separated by rocks...

Om Beach

Times are changing: now some young Indian women wear light clothing to go swimming!

Thursday, February 5th: The end of the trip We leave at 1:30 AM by taxi to Goa Dabolim (4,000 INR). We have a 7:40 AM flight to Delhi, then another from Delhi to Paris CDG... Then the train...

What a joy this travel journal is!!! I just discovered it and will go through it in detail. It reminds me of our trip in 2010. The next one is planned for November 2026... your journal helps me relive so many moments and will especially help me organize part of our next adventure. This site is truly a gem—I plan all my trips using it. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all these details, for these photos, and for taking the time to share all of this with us. I’ll definitely share feedback if everything goes as I hope. To be continued in....

Hi Anne, - My first question is: why didn’t you contact me, knowing I live in Kannur? I could’ve hosted you and also arranged a night of Theyyam, which is something pretty spectacular only in this region. - Why don’t you ever capitalize the ‘I’ in ‘Indian’? Like the French, the Chinese, the Italians, the Spanish... - Why do you always say IRP? The currency of India is the Indian rupee, INR. You’ve really made me want to go to Gokarna, which I’d always skipped because I’d heard it was packed with tourists... So thank you so much. Otherwise, I don’t agree with a few things you said, but hey, I’d rather not get into it. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the updates, I’m Angie—been to India 9 times and Gokarna 4 times! To all those who love India 🇮🇳🧡🤎🖤

Hi Jean Marie, Thanks for your invitation, but I couldn’t get in touch because I only recently found out this forum was active again. Plus, I wasn’t sure if you were still in India—with Covid, you might’ve returned to France and maybe even stayed there... Back then, you were wondering if you’d stay in Kerala. Anyway, it’s really kind of you to offer accommodation. Who knows, maybe another time? Last year, we’d already been to Thottada and got to see a Theyyam—it was absolutely spectacular! This year, there weren’t any on the days we were around...





Also, thanks for pointing out a few mistakes I made, like the capital ‘I’ in ‘Indian’ when it’s used as a noun rather than an adjective... Same goes for the currency—I’ll fix all that.

For the rest where you don’t agree, I’d love to discuss it with you since you know India and Indians better than I do. Drop me a PM if you want... It’s always interesting to exchange ideas.

See you soon...

Thanks for the Theyyam photos. Were you able to see any rituals with fire or embers?

Thanks for the Theyyam photos. Were you able to see any rituals with fire or embers?

No, unfortunately not... The Theyyam lasted until around 10 PM, and it only started again at 4 AM. We didn’t have the energy to go back, especially since it was far away...

By the way, Jean-Marie, since you know the region where the Theyyam ceremonies take place so well, could you explain what this kind of ceremony is about? At the start, an elderly man is scolded by an officiant until he goes into a trance—he even faints... We thought maybe this man is sick and the ceremony is performed to drive the demon out of his body, and that the dances and costumes help banish the demons and please the gods... But maybe that’s not it at all...

By the way, Jean-Marie, since you know the region where the Theyyam takes place so well, could you explain what this kind of ceremony is about? At first, an elderly man is scolded by an officiant until he goes into a trance—he even faints... We thought this man might be sick and that the ceremony is performed to drive the demon out of his body, with the dances and costumes helping to chase away the demons and please the gods... But maybe that’s not it at all...

Oh no, that’s not it at all. I see what interpretation you’re referring to. I think it’s the one with the two lit torches crossed on his chest? I’ll try to explain. I’ll need to refresh my memory, but I’ll do it in my current travel journal. And I’ll add photos so you can tell me if it’s what you saw. Just a little patience for a few days—I’m really busy sorting through my 13,000 photos from Thailand right now. But you know, often what we see happening has absolutely no connection, for us, to the episode or story the theyyam is supposed to represent. And the Malayalees who’ve been watching this for generations don’t question it like you, like I, like we Westerners do. I’ll talk about that too...

Actually, in the Theyyam we attended, there were two parts. The first one involved an officiant and an old man (who might not have been that old but looked it) until he collapsed on the ground...

The officiant threatens him with his finger, rolls his eyes, and glares at him... the old man shouts and eventually collapses. He’s carried away by his companions. We assume it’s about healing him from an illness by driving it out of his body through the power of trance and the intervention of the gods... but we’re only guessing! We don’t understand everything.

After that, there was a big meal with lots of people from the audience (us too), then a second part, completely different, with dancers in costume...

And here’s what I wrote on my site: The ceremony isn’t over: The drums start beating again, and three men in makeup and costumes arrive. They’re the representatives of gods or goddesses (which ones, we don’t know). These dancers have been trained in this ritual since they were very young and are considered incarnate gods (that’s what I understood from my online research).

Then everyone leaves, and there was supposed to be another fire ritual at 4 AM, but we didn’t stay for it—and we regret it! The drums start beating again, and three men in makeup and costumes arrive. They’re the representatives of gods or goddesses (which ones, we don’t know). These dancers have been trained in this ritual since they were very young and are considered incarnate gods.

I’ve described all this on my site, along with more photos. I’ll definitely check out your explanations in your travel journal... let me know when you’ve posted them—I’m interested! Thanks, and happy photo sorting! 13,000 is a lot indeed!

Then there was a big meal with lots of people from the audience (us too)

Very often, theyyams are integrated into the temple festival where they take place. The big feast happens as part of the festival, not the Theyyam itself. During a simple theyyam, no meal is offered.

where there were dancers in costume...

They’re not dancers in the strict sense. They’re divine incarnations. It’s not just about putting on a pretty costume. There’s real physical, mental, and spiritual preparation that happens long before the dances begin. I really should get around to giving you all a little rundown on Theyyam because you read all sorts of nonsense on travel blogs from people who’ve been misinformed—often by locals, no less, who don’t know any better. I’ve been told more than once: "You know more about Theyyams than I do."

that’s what I gathered from searching online

Be careful—you can find interesting and accurate info online, but there’s also a lot of mistakes and inaccuracies. My site isn’t up to date. I’ve been neglectful. I spend too much time on VF and YouPic. I really should get around to writing more articles on the different Theyyams. In the meantime, I’ll say it again—to you and anyone else interested—check out Theyyam basics, as well as masks, makeup, and jewelry, and also the performers of the Theyyam ritual.

These dancers are trained in this ritual from a young age and are considered incarnate gods.

Careful not to get it wrong. I’ll say it again—they’re not dancers. They’re men (I was about to say like you and me ) who have lives just like everyone else, belong to different castes, and in daily life might be barbers, doctors, lawyers, rickshaw drivers, or any other profession. I really encourage you to click the links above if you want to learn a little more about Theyyam. And more photos here.

Thanks for all this info and the photos. I checked out your site—it’s really interesting...

The photos are gorgeous, and on top of that, there are some mouthwatering recipes! I’ll have to try them out soon...

Thanks for all this info and the photos. I checked out your site—it’s really interesting...

The photos are gorgeous, and on top of that, there are recipes that look absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try them out soon...

Thanks, that’s so kind! It really means a lot that you didn’t just look at the Theyyam posts.

Hi Anne,

Saw this in "A Place to Go":

On the agenda: sea baths and more sea baths, meals, walks to nearby beaches (Kuddle Beach and Om Beach), naps, strolls through the village, and relaxation :)

This agenda gets my full approval! 😏

Thanks Michel for your kind thoughts... I think from now on, this will be our way of traveling... Cool!!!

I’m taking note because I’m following you closely—the years fly by :(

Yeah, but it's not for right away... You're still in great shape! I'm afraid you might find this kind of trip pretty boring... For now, keep exploring Asia... We're following your journey...

No, no, Anne, you’ve got to get moving so you don’t get stuck in a rut. You took a break this year, but it’s time to get back into the swing of things. I can speak from experience—I walk between 10 and 15 km a day, which went up to 25 km in Thailand, and I’m in great shape. I’m sure I’m much older than you...

P.S.: The first pages of my travel journal are written. Just need to proofread, and I’ll publish tomorrow. It’s midnight here, and I’m going to bed. Normally, I go to sleep at 9 PM since I wake up at 4 AM to start walking in the cool air at 6 AM. So, no walk tomorrow!

Today, it was 38°C in the apartment. The AC can’t keep up. And there was a power cut for almost two hours. I think it’s to save energy because all the ACs must be running full blast everywhere. Tough stuff!

Yes, I’m still in good shape, but I’ve given up some activities—or at least I do fewer of them. I hike much less in my beloved Pyrenees. Before, I’d overtake other hikers; now I lag behind, and I no longer trample the summits—I just look at them. For me, that’s a sign, but I still hike a little, and that’s what matters. When it comes to travel, it’ll be the same: I’ll settle for strolling along the sea. It’s just as nice, and the main thing is being able to enjoy it.

Wasn’t it too hot in Thailand? Because it’s tough to do long walks in that kind of heat. At the end of January in Gokarna, it was really hot, and we still went for walks... but with lots of breaks afterward! 😊