Mangalore is covered with palm-fringed beaches and lush green forests. Western ghats shelter the place in the east and Arabian Sea roares at the western shores. The city is a major commercial centre and sports a major port. National Highway No 17 runs parallel to the sea and is the lifeline of the city.
Despite being developed as a business and commercial centre, Mangalore still maintains its old look with tile-roofed buildings surrounded by coconut groves. The city offers a wide range of interesting places for the tourists and pilgrimages.
Best For:
Pilgrimage locations like Dharmasthala, Subramanya, Kollur, Udupi, Karkala, Venoor and Moodabidri.
Mangalore has a tropical climate. Both summer and winter is pleasant and the temperature ranges from 27 to 34 degrees. Humidity level is high with an average of 78% round the year. Best time to travel to Mangalore is between September and May.
One can find all the major banks and ATMs around the city. Hotels accept credit cards and money can be exchanged from several facilities located at markets and business places.
All visitors who come to india are required to have a valid passports for at least next 6 months. However there are a few exemptions like:
1. Natives of Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives staying for less than 3 months
2. Transit Passengers with an onward ticket within 3 days of arrival as long as they are not going to leave the airport.
Also some extra restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghani Nationals, so it would be better for them to check updated visa requirements before travelling.
By plane About 30 km from the city, Mangalore has its international airport at Bajpe. It is connected with daily flights to Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai for domestic service. In international segment one can get weekly / bi-weekly flights to Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat and Bahrain. Air Deccan, Alliance Air, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet airways and other major airlines have regular flights to Mangalore.
By train Mangalore sports two major railway stations. Hampankatta in the middle of the city is a terminus. Kankanady is 5 to 10 km away from the centre. It is on Konkan railway track and connects the city to Goa and Mumbai toward North and to Kerala in the south. There is another station in the suburbs of Mangalore-Surathkal which is about 20km away from the city centre. It is close to the bus stand and often passengers prefer to alight at Surathkal and take a bus to the city
By bus Mangalore has two long-distance bus services. KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Service) bus station at Bejai in the North of the city, is not too far from the center. They have scheduled buses to Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Goa, Hubli-Dharwad and many other areas within and around Karnataka. Another bus stand is situated behind the town hall also known as ‘State Bank’ stand. Most of the private buses in Mangalore end at this station. There is an alighting point for passengers at Milagres Church where many private tour and bus operators have their offices. Tourists can take deluxe, semi-deluxe or Volvo buses to several destinations such as Mumbai, Hubli-Dharwad, Bangalore, Goa, Thrissur etc.
Kasargod: Don’t miss the Fort Bekal and the adjoining beach.
Dharmasthala: This is a Temple of Sri Manjunathaswamy and a favorite spot for devotees.
Surathkal Beach and Lighthouse: The beach here is a popular hangout. The sun setting in the Arabian sea is bound to amaze you. There is a temple on a rock next to the beach. It is quite wonderful to sit behind the temple on a cement bench and watch the sunset.
Krishnapura Matha is 3 km from Surathkal and is known for its wood carvings pillars and structures.
Dr TMA Pai International convention centre: It is the second largest convention centre in India second only to Hyderabad’s.
There is no dearth of shopping complexes and malls in Mangalore . There are many new Malls coming up on the MG Road Area besides the usual ones in Balmatta, Hampankatta, posh Falnir and kankannady.
Where to Eat: Udupi Restaurants if one is particularly a fan of South Indian food, you can get low-priced food with wide choices in Mangalore. Udipi type Restaurants are very common and would serve variations in idlis, wadas and dosas. You can savour them with their locally grown filter coffee or with tea. ‘Woodlands’ is a popular restaurant at Bunts Hotel Road known for its quality and standards. Also try a Coffee at Taj Mahal Restaurant situated at three places Car Street, Hampankatta & Town hall. The coffee served there is believed to be the best and the ingredients are kept as a secret. Besides coffee they have a variety of dishes. For genuine Mangalorian food try Hotel Ayodhya. You would love their ghee dosa, parota, appam and vastad roti. There are several small Malayali eateries serving cuisine from Kerala. They also have a variety of non-vegetarian food. Kairali Restaurant is famous and situated near the Railway Station behind Milagres Church. Seafood: Mangalore has several attractions for the seafood lovers as well. Narayana Hotel at Bunder, Maharaja, King’s Court, Madhuvan Village, Phalki serve delicious Mangalore styled seafood. Try special ‘Kane Rava fry’, ‘Anjal Masala fry’ and ‘Manji Masala fry’ which are popular in this region
Where To Stay:
Mangalore has accommodation facilities for all budgets. Here are some good hotels: Vimlesh International, Hotel Maurya Netravati , Summer Sand Beach Hotel, and Hotel Navarathna Palace. There is no dearth for budget hotels either. Tourists on a smaller budget can try them as they provide good facilities at reasonable price.
Malaria is dreaded in Mangalore so, carry mosquito repellants and creams. If you show slightest symptoms of fever and chills, rush to a doctor nearby for a quick check.
