The southwest monsoon does not visit Karnataka; it reclaims it. To experience its true scale, we embarked on a journey through the scenic ghats of Karnataka - Shiradi and Charmadi. The destination was Kapu, about 18 kms south of Udupi, a peaceful town with a heavenly seafront and a century-old lighthouse.
Bengaluru, with its slate-grey skies, whispers promises of rain and flood through its gulmohar trees. But our hearts were yearning for adventure. With the desire to drive through the evergreen forests in the storm, our Western Ghats trip began before dawn at 3 am from Bengaluru. Considering the mid-week low traffic on National Highway 75, we calculated that by sunrise, we would traverse Sakaleshpura, the gateway to the Western Ghats. After a three-hour non-stop journey to Sakaleshpura, we made a quick detour from the bypass into the town for breakfast before hitting the Shiradi to Mangaluru stretch. We rolled down the windows — the air was fresher and colder. The fog was getting thicker by the minute. Most of the town was still asleep — people washing store fronts, dogs still curled up trying to stay warm. We stopped at Hotel Srinivasa, beside the Sakaleshpura taluk panchayat office, for steaming, fluffy idlis, crispy vadas dipped in a thick and sweet sambar and piping hot tea.
If you start your journey from Bengaluru later in the day and want to break the journey, Sakaleshpura has a few nice options. Badami Lodge, opposite the town police station, offers simple non-AC rooms at around ₹1,600 a night, while more expensive options like Neervana Resort for ₹5,500 and more fancy resorts like Yohstay are priced at ₹17,000 a night.
By 7 am, we were back on the road. Though the sunrise was scheduled for 6.30 am, the rays were eclipsed by the clouds. We entered the Shiradi Ghat section, a eleven-kilometre ribbon of wet asphalt carved into the spine of the hills here. Here, the monsoon abandons all subtlety. We experienced the first cloudburst. The valley came alive again. Heavy drops of rain were drumming the roof of our car.
Mangaluru was a two hour drive from here. The air thickened, turned warm and distinctly salty. Driving through the bustling port roads and navigating between the massive trucks, we reached Shetty Lunch Home in Mangaluru for a fiery plate of spicy-tangy Pulimunchi cooked with local, seasonal fish. We also ordered steaming hot naans, chicken keema and egg ghee roast and it cost us about ₹500 per person.
Kapu is about 45 minutes north of Mangaluru. An old town, popular for its panoramic view of the Arabian Sea. The iconic 27-metre Kapu Lighthouse, that defines the town, stands on a massive outcrop of black basalt rock. It was constructed in 1901 by the British to assist navigation along the coastline. We went to the beach in Kapu before we even checked in. The waves were larger than usual, smashing into the boulders and spitting sea spray into the air. The Government of India has issued a red alert as the sea is rough because of the monsoon. The entire stretch of the Indian west coast is closed to the public for a swim. But, one can still sit along the coast on the beach and listen to the Arabian Sea roar.
The lighthouse is open from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm with an entry fee of `10. There are stalls for quick eats, but it is best to avoid any temptation as they are a little overpriced. There are nice restaurants and hotels in the town and along the highway. Hotel Mandara offers a vegetarian restaurant, a separate coastal restaurant with a bar; and accommodation too. It is 2 kms from the beach and 1 km from the town. We checked into Lighthouse Resort near the beach and decided to call it a day. It costs ₹2,000 for a two-bed room, ₹4,000 for a family room and is pet-friendly. There are beachside resorts like Villa Vara and The Blue Matsya nearby too and are ₹15,000 onwards per night.