Bengaluru to Sringeri, Agumbe, Udupi & Malpe, Karnataka
This is the Malnad at its most generous: a temple town on the banks of the Tunga, a waterfall at the end of a forest path, a Jain shrine on a hilltop where the clouds pass at eye level, and Agumbe, the rainforest village that gets more rain than almost anywhere in south India.
Then the road tips over the edge of the Western Ghats in fourteen hairpin bends and drops you at the sea. Udupi and Malpe finish the weekend with salt air, the Krishna temple, basalt columns off the coast and a Karavali lunch that you will be thinking about all week.
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
Board on Friday night and wake to areca palms and river mist at Sringeri. The day moves from temples to a waterfall to a hilltop sunset, ending with dinner at a homestay deep in the Agumbe forest.
Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Yeshwanthpur Metro, Goraguntepalya and the Nelamangala toll on Tumkur Road. Pack a light rain jacket even outside the monsoon; Agumbe keeps its own weather.
Introductions on board. A quick round of names and stories with your trip captain before we head west past Kunigal and Hassan into coffee country.
Arrive Sringeri, freshen up. A halt to wash up and change. Cover shoulders and knees for the temples; you will leave footwear at the entrance.
Sharada temple and Vidyashankara temple. The Sharada shrine opens at 06:00. Next door, the carved 14th-century Vidyashankara temple has twelve zodiac pillars, and by the river steps large mahseer gather to be fed.
Breakfast in Sringeri. Hot idli, vada and Malnad coffee at a local eatery before we head into the forest.
Sirimane falls near Kigga. A short flight of steps leads through the forest to a wide, thundering fall that is easy to get close to. Rocks are slippery; wear sandals with grip.
Check in at the homestay, lunch. Settle in among the areca and pepper. Lunch is pay-as-you-go, often a simple Malnad meal at the homestay or nearby.On your own
Drive up Kundadri hill. A narrow road climbs to a small Jain basadi at the summit, about 800 metres up. The last stretch is on foot; carry water.
Sunset from Kundadri. Layer upon layer of forested ridges turning blue and gold. Sunset falls around 18:00 to 18:30 depending on the season.
Dinner at the homestay. A home-cooked Malnad dinner together, perhaps with akki rotti and a spicy kosambari. Listen for the frogs; the forest is loud at night.
Overnight near Agumbe. Keep a torch handy and your shoes indoors. Leeches appear after rain, so a pinch of salt in your pocket helps.
Day 2
A misty morning in Agumbe village and a walk to Jogigundi falls, then the hairpin descent to the coast. The afternoon and evening belong to Malpe's sand and sunset.
Breakfast at the homestay. Neer dosa or kotte kadubu with chutney, and coffee on the veranda while the mist lifts.
Agumbe village and Doddamane. A slow look at the tiled-roof village street and the old family home where the television series Malgudi Days was filmed.
Walk to Jogigundi falls. An easy forest path of about fifteen minutes to a small fall that drops into a deep pool at the source of the Malapahari. Swimming is not allowed.
Agumbe viewpoint and the ghat descent. A pause at the sunset point by daylight, then fourteen hairpin bends down to the coastal plain. Take motion-sickness tablets beforehand if you need them.
Check in at Udupi, lunch. Pay-as-you-go. Udupi is the home of the thali; try a traditional vegetarian meal on a banana leaf, or fish curry and rice nearer Malpe.On your own
St Mary's Island by ferry (optional). A half-hour boat ride to hexagonal basalt columns rising from the sand. The ferry runs roughly October to May and is paid on your own.On your own
Malpe beach and sunset. Wide sand, fishing boats and the sun going down over the Arabian Sea. Water sports on the beach are optional and self-paid.
Dinner on your own. Pay-as-you-go. Ghee roast, kori rotti or a plate of goli baje; the captain will point you to a few favourites.On your own
Overnight in Udupi. An early temple start tomorrow, so lay out clothes that cover shoulders and knees.
Day 3
The Krishna temple in the cool of the morning, the lighthouse at Kaup, an optional look at a heritage village, then the long drive back over the ghats.
Sri Krishna Matha. See the deity through the carved Kanakana Kindi window and walk past the chariots on Car Street. Men remove shirts inside the inner sanctum.
Breakfast and check-out. Breakfast at the hotel, then pack up. Pick up Udupi's famous banana chips and jackfruit papad before we leave.
Kaup beach and lighthouse. A white lighthouse on black rocks above a clean, quiet beach. Climb it for the view down the coast if it is open.
Heritage village in Manipal (optional). A collection of old Karnataka houses, temples and crafts rebuilt piece by piece. Entry is on your own; skip it for more beach time if you prefer.On your own
Lunch in Udupi. Pay-as-you-go. A last coastal meal before the ghats.On your own
Depart for Bengaluru. We climb back into the Ghats and cross the Malnad in the evening light.
Dinner stop en route. Pay-as-you-go dinner at a highway restaurant near Hassan.On your own
Day 4
We reach Bengaluru around midnight and drop you at the same pickup points.
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at Nelamangala, Goraguntepalya, Yeshwanthpur and RMZ Ecospace. Timing depends on ghat traffic and weather.
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