Bengaluru to Udupi and Malpe, Karnataka
Udupi is a temple town with a fishing harbour at its door. Mornings smell of camphor and filter coffee around the Sri Krishna Matha; a few kilometres west, Malpe's boats come in loaded with the night's catch and the beach runs long and golden towards the Arabian Sea.
We drive through Friday night down the Western Ghats and arrive in time for the temple's early hours. Saturday is Malpe: time on the water, the crossing to St Mary's Island and its strange columns of basalt, and sunset from the sea walk. Sunday goes south to Kaup's lighthouse on its rocks and the clean sand of Padubidri before we turn for home.
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
Arrive in Udupi at dawn for the temple's quiet early hours, then spend the day by the sea at Malpe with an island crossing and sunset over the water.
Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Yeshwanthpur, Goraguntepalya and Nelamangala; exact spots go on the trip WhatsApp group. Pack swimwear and a change of clothes in a separate dry bag.
Arrive Udupi, freshen up at the stay. The road drops through the ghats into coconut and paddy country. Drop bags, wash up and change into modest clothes for the temple.
Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi. The small, busy temple where devotees view Krishna through the latticed Kanakana Kindi window. Men may be asked to remove shirts in inner areas; leave footwear outside.
Breakfast in Udupi. Udupi's own breakfast: crisp dosa, idli, goli baje and strong coffee.
Kayaking and water sports at Malpe. Paddle the calm stretch near the harbour or try a banana boat or jet ski off the beach. All optional and paid on the spot; runs only when the sea is safe.On your own
Lunch by the harbour. Pay-as-you-go. Try a fish thali, kane rava fry or ghee roast; vegetarian meals are easy to find.On your own
Boat to St Mary's Island. A short, bouncy crossing to an island of hexagonal basalt columns and shell-strewn coves. Boats run roughly mid-September to May; tickets are paid on your own.On your own
Malpe beach and the sea walk at sunset. Walk the long beach or out along the sea walk as the sun drops into the Arabian Sea. Swim only between the flags.
Dinner and overnight. Pay-as-you-go dinner in Udupi, then back to the stay for a proper night's sleep.
Day 2
Breakfast, then south down the coast to Kaup's lighthouse and the clean, quiet sands of Padubidri before the drive back over the ghats.
Breakfast and check out. An unhurried breakfast, then pack up and load the vehicle.
Kaup beach and lighthouse. A white lighthouse on a mound of black boulders, with the beach curving away either side. You can scramble the rocks anytime; the lighthouse itself opens to visitors only in the late afternoon.
Padubidri beach. One of India's Blue Flag beaches: clean sand, lifeguards and a quiet estuary at one end. Time for a last swim or a nap under the casuarinas.
Lunch on the coast. Pay-as-you-go. A final plate of coastal food before the ghats.On your own
Depart for Bengaluru. Back up the Western Ghats towards Hassan, with a tea break on the way.
Dinner stop en route. Pay-as-you-go dinner at a highway restaurant.On your own
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drops at Nelamangala, Goraguntepalya, Yeshwanthpur and RMZ Ecospace. Ghat traffic on Sunday evening can shift this by an hour.
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