Malpe beach & St. Mary's Island, Udupi, Karnataka

Malpe beach & St. Mary's Island, Udupi, Karnataka





At the mouth of the Malpe river, about 6 kms. from Udupi in Karnataka is the natural harbour of Malpe, an important fishing centre that enriches Karnataka’s coastline with its fabulous beach. The endless stretch of golden sand, graciously swaying palm trees, clear blue sky and the gentle murmur of the sea set the perfect mood for an idyllic holiday.




St Mary’s island is a little slip of land about 30 minutes out into the sea from Malpe Beach in Udupi. The island is full of crystallised basalt rock, a unique rock formation found in very few places in the world, the most notable being the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. And, the sea between the island and the long curve of the beach at Malpe is placid and gentle.






Getting there
* The nearest railhead is Udupi, which is about 4 km from Malpe
* The nearest airport is Bajpe, Mangalore which is about 60 km from Malpe

The only way of getting to St. Mary's islands is by boat. Regular boats ply from the Malpe Harbour to these islands. The frequency of these boats may vary depending on the amount of tourists. available.

Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock

Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock







The Located in the Bay of Bengal about 900km from India, The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have some of the Best and picturesque Beaches. The coastal areas of these islands are still untouched and unspoilt, making it an ideal beach holiday destination.




Radha Nagar Beach also known as Beach No.7 on Havelock in the Andamans has been described as one of the Best Beaches you can get to in the World by Time Magazine. This Beach is one of the few undiscovered gems that have escaped the clutches of mass tourism and untouched by commercialism and modern intrusions.






Getting there
The quickest and most convenient way to get to the Andamans is to fly. Air Deccan, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet Lite (formerly Air Sahara), Spice Jet and Kingfisher all have daily regular flights to Port Blair from Calcutta & Chennai. Alternatively, you can choose to travel by ship which takes 60-72 hours and is only for the tough.
To get to Havelock from Port Blair, you have to take the ferry departing from the Phoenix Bay jetty. There are 2 departures daily - a daily boat at 0630 hrs, and a second boat at 1400 hrs.

Fantastic Floating Islands

The Uros people of Lake Titicaca have a unique way of life - they build their own islands, float them on the lake and then proceed to live on them. Here is a glimpse of their world, where their home made "islands" are truly "in the stream".





Like many unique cultures around the world, that of the Uros is under threat from assimilation. Most of the Uros speak Aymara - which is the language of a larger local tribe that is resolutely mainland. It is thought that they lost their own language around five hundred years ago. Whether the language was naturally lost or Aymara was forced upon the Uros is not known, but the relatively recent arrival of Europeans has been the greatest threat to their cultural identity - greater than that of the Inca Empire - to which the Uros had to pay taxes and give up many of their own people as slaves.



Traditionally there are around forty small islands on the lake with one - the largest - being the focal point of the community. The reed, as well as being - quite literally - the foundation of the community, is important to the Uros' economy and well being. Iodine is produced from the base of the reed and it is also used for general medicinal purposes. The reeds are wrapped around parts of the body that are hurting and, purportedly - cure it of its aches and pains! The flower of the reed is also used to brew up a cuppa

Pfeiffer Beach

Pfeiffer Beach








The hills surrounding Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California, are rich in Manganese Garnet. A result of this being washed down onto the beach is the colour scheme you can see above - the entire stretch of sand has become a shifting, pink and purple canvas. Although it's probably inedible, I can't help picturing a bowl of Raspberry Ripple ice-cream every time I see it.

Hyams Beach

Hyams Beach






You may need to wear your shades when visiting Hyams Beach in New South Wales, Australia, but not just due to the sun. It's not surprising after looking at photos but this sublime stretch of beach is home to the whitest sand in the world, an honour awarded by the Guinness Book of Records.