Gokharna

A sleepy Brahmin town, lodged somewhere between a conservative society and a faithful hippy fan following, Gokarna is a dream destination for so many different reasons. Its refusal to fall into a certain type-casted slot is just one of them. Open beaches, undiscovered coves, epiphanic sunsets, jagged cliffs, quaint temples and an evasive culture that makes Gokarna whatever you want it to be. Sun, sand and surf is what you go to Gokarna for, and the solitude it offers is like a bonus track on a great music album. The Om Beach, with its Om-shaped shoreline is a scramble down a rocky cliff - just like every other beach in Gokarna. Cliffs separate each of Gokarana's five beaches from the others and offer spectacular views far out into the Arabian Sea. You can either take a boat ride to other beaches or walk it down. But either way the Kudle Beach, the Paradise Beach, the Half-moon Beach and the Gokarna Beach are worth a visit.
With beach shacks aplenty, you can either idle away your time in sun-soaked bliss - the Half-moon in its quaint smallness is as secluded as a private beach - or you can go for an action-packed beach holiday. Fishing trips, jet-skiing, boating trips to spot dolphins off the coast, banana boat rides and good food at the end of it all. And yes, just as Gokarna becomes whatever you want it to be, for the few days you're there, it also lets you be whoever you want to be.