Best time
October to March is the season: dry days, calm sea and cool evenings on the beach. April and May are hot but quiet; June to September is the monsoon, when the beaches are rough and most water activities stop, though Jog Falls and Dandeli are at their fullest.
- October to March, 20 to 32°C: The season: clear skies, a calm sea, water sports open at Om and the beach trek at its best. Christmas to New Year is the busiest and dearest fortnight.
- April and May, 26 to 35°C: Hot and humid by midday; beaches in the morning and evening, and the quietest stays of the year.
- June to September, 24 to 30°C: The monsoon: heavy rain, a rough sea and swimming unsafe on every beach, but the Western Ghats waterfalls and the Dandeli river are at their fullest.
What to pack
Light cotton, a hat and sunscreen for the beaches; shoes with grip for the cliff path between Om, Half Moon and Paradise, where flip-flops slip on the laterite; a dhoti, saree or salwar if you want to go inside the Mahabaleshwar temple; a torch for the unlit beach paths after dark, and a rain shell from June to September.
Getting there
Gokarna is about 700 km from Hyderabad, an overnight road journey of 12 to 13 hours. That is why the fixed-date group trips leave from Hyderabad on Friday night and are back by Monday morning: you sleep on the bus and wake up on the coast. There is no direct train; the nearest convenient rail route runs via Hubli.
Gokarna is about 480 km from Bangalore, a 9 to 10 hour overnight bus ride, which is how the Bangalore group departures travel. By train the Karwar Express from Yesvantpur reaches Gokarna Road station in the morning; a self-drive along NH48 and NH63 via Hubli takes about nine hours.
Chennai to Gokarna is about 900 km, so most travellers from Chennai either take the train to Mangalore or Madgaon and continue on the Konkan line to Gokarna Road, or fly to Goa and drive about three hours down the coast. A private trip can start with a pick-up at Gokarna Road, Kumta or Goa airport.
