Devbagh Beach, Karwar, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka

Karwar is on the northern most side of coastal Karnataka. Bordering Goa just a few kilometers away, Karwar has what Goa has to offer. Be it the Konkani language or the Konkan cuisine, Karwar resembles Goa in all ways. Only the Portuguese influence is absent here, as it is part of Karnataka state.

Western Ghats embrace Karwar beach on the eastern side and the Arabian sea on the west. Karwar beach has all the making to inspire anyone. In Karwar, it is like mountains are rising out of the sea. The Western Ghats emerge out in the Arabian Sea. The river Kali joins the sea at Karwar. The backwaters here are beautiful and the landscape is dotted with hill ranges, forests and deep valleys.

Karwar is a small town with one side of the road the narrow coastline hugging the Arabian Sea and the other side with dark thick forest of the Western Ghats. Karwar is sandwiched in between both mountain and sea, with its unique coastal beauty. It is rich in flora and fauna.

There are many beautiful places in Karwar. Some of them are Karwar beach, Devbagh beach, Binaga beach, Tilmatti beach & Majali beach.

The bay near Binaga, where the Indian Navy has its new base is called INS Kadamba as a part of Project Seabird. The Casurina beach, now called the Kamat Bay, Agra Beach, Anjidiv island are all occupied by the Indian Navy.

There are 5 islands off the coast of Karwar of which Devbagh is the largest and the most beautiful.

Devbagh Beach is famous for the golden sands and cool breeze, and it also provides a variety of water sports such as fishing, sailing, and dolphin hunting. The Devbagh Beach is an island beach that faces towards the vast Arabian Sea on one side and the dense Western Ghats on the other. One can enjoy the beauty of dense forests and the rough Sea at the same time. Taking a dip in the beautiful lakes, which are formed by the little springs belonging to the Western Ghats, is worth experiencing.

Devbagh beach resort property is beautiful. The resort is in a casuarinas grove, and the scenery of the resort from a boat in the sea is beautiful. There is transfer to the Devbagh Resort by a ferry which is about 15 minutes. Behind the resort is a forest. It is very safe and is home to Indian foxes and the 2nd largest butterfly in India which is called Southern Bird Wing. One can walk for about 3 kms into the forest behind, and can reach the other end of the island. The island attaches itself to the mainland during low tide.

In the mornings, the waves are rough and in the evening, during the low tide, the waves disappear and the beach becomes like a shallow lake. Patches of sand appear in the water, as the sea level is low. Once can keep walking into the sea, and you will still find yourself standing in just knee deep water. This is great place to learn swimming. As this is an estuary, the salinity is also low.

Karwar beach is said to have inspired the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore to pen his first play.

 "The sea beach of Karwar is certainly a fit place in which to realize that the  beauty of nature is not a mirage of imagination but reflects joy of the infinite and thus draws us to lose ourselves in it." - Rabindranath Tagore

The Karwar beach is famous for its seafood and is prepared in different styles with coconut and spice. This beach is inside the city and in close proximity to the highway.

Binaga Beach

The beach is located 5 kilometers from Karwar and a mile away from Anjidiv Island near the Goa-Karnataka border. The famous ‘Our Lady of St Anne’s Church’ lies on the Binaga Beach, which was built by the Portuguese. A naval base has been set up by the Indian navy for its operations and is called the Project Seabird.

Tilmatti Beach

The beach has a unique stretch of black sand and offers a range of tourist delights such as dolphin watching, rock climbing, river cruises, and visiting a ship wreck. There are a lot of resorts and tourism organizations that offer you the opportunity to take part in these activities

Honey Beach, Honnebail, Ankola, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka

Ankola is a small town which is 37 km away from Kumata towards Karwar on NH-66. In Ankola, temples are famous and often Ankola is called as Town Of Temples. Some of them are AryaaDurga temple, Mahamaya Temple, Honnaraka Temple and Venkataramana Temple.

Ankola also have famous beaches like Belekeri Beach, Honnebail Beach(Honey Beach) Nadibag Beach and Keni beach. Vibhuti Falls(Mabagi Falls) is about 30 km from Ankola town which is situated at foothills of Yana.

The Honey beach is very popular not only among Indian tourists but also with foreign tourists. Honey beach resort lies majestically at the beach.

Tiger and Lion Safari, Tyavarekoppa, Shivamogga, India

The Tiger and lion safari is located at Tyavarekoppa village on the outskirts of Shivamogga. It is 10 kms from the city on the way to Sagar on NH 206. (Bangalore - Honnavar road)

                                                           Sambar

The safari was set up in 200 hectare area of natural forest in 1988 and managed by the Forest Department. It is quite known for the blend of natural beauty and a rich mix of bird and animals including rare migratory birds, leopards, lions, tigers, deer, sambar and Sloth bears. 

The safari is conducted by a bus driving into the jungle where lion and tigers roam freely inside the fenced forest. The ticket for the safari is Rs 70 for adults, Rs 30 for kids and Rs 50 for camera.

Timings : 10 am to 5 pm. Tuesday is holiday. There is a museum with information about animals and birds.


Play area for children is very well maintained. Restaurant with basic snacks is inside the safari.

Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, Shivamogga

Mandagadde bird sanctuary is 30 kms from Shimoga on the highway to Mangalore. The backwaters of the river tunga dam  in the dense forest of the western ghats attract birds from far away countries.

 The river forms a little island, which is famous for the migratory birds sighted there.

The birds that can be seen here are the Median Egret, Little Cormonant, Darter, and the Snake Bird. The sanctuary is a bird watcher’s delight, with the island being a perfect heaven for bird nesting.

The best time to visit the bird sanctuary is August to September. Birds come here to lay eggs and go back after hatching them.

Sakrebailu Elephant Camp, Shivamogga

Sakrebailu means land of sugar. This place was once full of sugarcane fields. Elephants love sugarcane and this place attracted them. This place is now a elephant camp maintained by the forest department. 

Wild elephants are trained here in the camp. Wild and rogue elephants are tamed by other trained elephants. Elephants are brought early morning to the camp everyday from the forests by the mahuts. They are given bath and massage in camp. Food is also served to the elephants. They are sent to the forests afternoon. So, visitors have to be in the camp early morning to watch the elephants. A attendance register is maintained in the camp for the elephants. All elephants are given a name.

Sakrebyle camp is 14 kms from Shivamogga city. It is situated 1 km from Ganjanur dam and right
on the highway. This camp is on the sprawling backwaters of the dam.

Elephant ride is available for the tourists. A visit to the tunga dam in Gajanur will make a perfect holiday.

Bekal Beach, Kasargod, Kerala

Jog Falls, Shivamogga

The river Sharavathi jumps down a steep hillock nearby a village called Jog, creating the most beautiful falls in the world. Welcome to Jog Falls ! 

The beauty of the falls are in four distinct cascades called as, Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket. 

Jog falls located on National Highway  206 connecting Honnavar to Bengaluru (B.H Road) and is well connected by road. Jog falls is 372 KM from Bengaluru. From Shivamogga, Jog falls is 100 Kms and is nearly 30 kms from Sagar. Shivamogga is well connected by road and rail from Mysuru and Bengaluru.

Best time to visit to see water falls is when sufficient water is available in the river. Usually from June to September is the best time as monsoon remains active during this time of the year. But, avoid days when it is raining heavily, as the clouds cover and falls making it invisible.

The falls is best viewed when the sunrays fall on it. An ideal time for photography too.

A staircase here with more than a 1400 steps leads to the bottom of the falls. The falls is 990 ft tall. The view from the bottom of the falls is majestic.

Before reaching Jog, a bridge is constructed across the river Sharavathi. It is worth to get down here to see the river which plunges into the falls a few meters away. 

Jog Falls is formed by the Sharavathi River dropping here, making it the second-highest plunge waterfall in India after the Nohkalikai water fall with a drop of 335 m (1100 ft) in Meghalaya.

The rear view of Jog falls is equally enchanting. This place is popularly known as British Bungalow by the locals, due to a guest house constructed here during the British period.

The majestic bungalow exists even today which can be seen behind the falls from the front view. A new guest house is built now next to the old British bungalow.

A view point at this place provides a good view of the rear view of the falls. It’s better to view the water fall from the front side and then come to the rear side, as one can gauge the height of the fall. Be careful at this place, as the rocks on the edge of the fall are 830 feet deep.

Musical fountain and laser show is displayed in the evening at the water fall. An excellent view of the Western Ghats can be seen walking across the footpath constructed at the edge of the cliff near the falls.

A minute walk here leads to a breath taking view of the Mahatma Gandhi hydro power generating station and a small dam downstream.

Entrance fee is payable to view the water fall. There is ample space for parking expect during peak season, when vehicles pile up for a mile.

Basic snacks and food is available at the restaurants here. Guest houses here have good accommodation facility.

A tiny village comprising mainly of KPC employees lies near Jog Falls. A lake near the water fall is ideal for boating and picnic. A hanging cable bridge is built across the lake.