Surathkal Voyage Tips and guide

Surathkal is a suburb of Mangalore city in Karnataka state of India. Surathkal used to be a separate town, but is now merged to Mangalore city corporation. Surathkal lies in revenue district of Dakshina Kannada. Most of land within Surathkal was once paddy fields, coconut gardens, arecanut plantations and evergreen forests, but today most of land is filled with houses, residential apartments and shopping complexes.

Surathkal is on the shore of the Arabian Sea. It is part of Tulunadu also called Karavali in Kannada, meaning coastal region of Karnataka state.

• Mangalooru
• Udupi
• Manipal

Surathkal is an educational and industrial centre, which has the finest beaches. There are very good educational institutions like National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NIT-K), Govindadasa college and Vidyadayinee High School. There are many factories like Mangalore petroleum refinery, Mangalore Fertilizers, and BASF in and around Surathkal.

Surathkal town has connectivity by air, sea, road and railway. Mangalore International Airport is 15 km from Suratkal. New Mangalore sea port at Panamburu is 6 km from Surathkal. Surathkal railway station (Station Code:SL) lies on the Konkan railway route which connects Mangaluru to Mumbai city.

National Highway 66 (NH 66), formerly numbered as NH 17, runs from Panvel near Mumbai to Ernakulam (Kochi) and goes via Surathkal. There is also a Karnataka state highway 101 starting from Surathkal to Kaikamba via Bajpe. This road used to be known as Bajpe road is now known as MRPL road.

Various modes of transportation are available to roam around Suratkal like autorickshaws which are three wheel passenger vehicles, car taxis and buses. Buses generally run along predetermined routes fixed by Road Transport Office (RTO) on approved fares for different stages of the journey. autorickshaws ("autos") or taxis can be hired to get to your destinations. Even though autorickshaws are supposed to charge distance covered as per the meter fare fixed by RTO this is hardly followed by auto drivers.

• Visit the beach in front of NIT-K, and also Sadashiva Ganapathi Temple nearby.
• There many Hindu temples in and around Surathkal, including Iddya Mahalingeshwara, Marigudi, Sri Durgaamba, Kashi Mutt and Shri Virabhadra.
• Visit Krishnapura Matha (Krishnapur Mutt) a Hindu monastery belonging to the Ashta Mathas of Sanatana philosopher Jagadguru Shree Madhva Acharya's lineage.

• Hotel Sadanand (boarding and lodging)
• Hotel Maharaja International (boarding and lodging)
• Panjabi Dhaba (non-vegetarian restaurant)
• City Lunch Home (vegetarian food and snacks)
• Hotel Woodlands (vegetarian food and snacks)
• Hotel Lalit (boarding and lodging)
• Samudra Darshan (for vadas, lassi and juice)

• Garuda Bar
• Kalash
• Ruchita Bar
• Akshaya Bar provide for great alcoholic ventures

For classy ambience, Sadanand has an air conditioned bar attached The shady coffee shop Krishna at the gates of NITK serves amazing coffee and Lassi.

During rains water logging and floods occur due to unplanned, rapid construction of houses, apartments (flats) and commercial complexes with beginning of the 21st century. It is advisable to take help of a known guide or person when venturing out for first time. Do not go far away from the beaches onto Arabian Sea as the sea bed suddenly plunges deep in Suratkal. Also do not sit on the rocks near sea shore as high waves may wash you off.

• Udupi
• Kudremukh National Park
• Murdeshwar
• Gokarna
• Sirsi
• Karwar
• Shringeri
• Dharwad
• Anshi National Park