Night in Mangalore en route to Mysore?

Hi all,

We will be traveling from Gokarna to Mysore. I understand that the train route is Gokarna to Mangalore and Mangalore to Mysore. Is this correct? If so, would you recommend a night or two in Mangalore? We will be with small kids so thought that breaking up the trip would be wise. Any suggestions or alternate routes would be very helpful. We are not too limited on time as will be spending 3-4 months in the South. thanks!
-L

Hi again Larue. I stayed 2 nights in Mangalore before heading to Mysore and it was enough for me. There was plenty I didnt see but looked at a few places. I caught the 7.45pm train, the Yesvantpur Express from Mangalore to Mysore, overnighter, but the downside is it arrives in Mysore at 4am in the morning. In Mangalore I stayed at the Poonja International in the middle of town about 1km from the station. In Mysore I stayed at Desprakash Hotel and wouldnt recommend it. I would/will stay at Parklane hotel next time I visit. A bit to see in Mangalore, nice beaches, a huge fish market, a big modern shopping centre not far from the hotel. I really liked Mysore. A lot to see and do. Will definately go back. Try and catch the palace lights on a sunday evening (free by the way), stunning. Enjoy. Zamba.

Larue,

Unless you venture out of Mangalore, there is very little to see, apart from the temples and the beaches, which in the present weather (this being the monsoons), I wouldn`t recommend. I would suggest you visit the Kadri Manjunatha temple and Kudroli temple ( both within the city) and the Aloysious chapel. Also, if you are a foodie open to experimenting with food, I would suggest a visit to the Maharaja restaurant to sample the traditional Kori-rotti and the simply delicious chicken ghee roast ( my mouth waters as I type this :-)). Round it off with a gudbud ( an ice cream with three flavours of toppings and a generous sprinkling of cashewnuts) at Pabbas. As for the accommodation,If you prefer to stay in some degree of comfort, you could try the Ocean Pearl or Goldfinch hotels, both with really comfortable rooms. Regarding the trains, there is the yeshwantpur express that leaves Mangalore central at 19:20 hours, but as Zamba pointed out, reaches Mysore at an ungodly 4:00 AM. However, considering the pathetic condition of the highway between Mangalore and Mysore, I would still recommend the train, as long as you remember to set the alarm for 4:00 AM. Have a good trip.

Regards,
Ashok

Thanks Zamba and Ashok! Great advice. Maybe we will do a night there....what does one do at 4 am? Are there rickshaws then to go to a hotel?

Larue, There were plenty of rickshaws waiting. If you werent aware of the time it could be 8pm. A lot of people around at that early hour. Be cautious as the rickshaw driver I got wanted me to stay at a "better" hotel than the one I had booked. Maybe he's the smart one as the hotel I stayed at was ordinary. cheers. Zamba.

Thanks Zamba! Your advice all around is much appreciated.

Zamba,
Re Mysore; yes I agree about the Desprakash, it didn't float my boat either. The Parklane is a good place for a little touch of luxury along the way.

What is the tariff at Parklane in February Kieth? I couldnt book this on line before I left last time. Cheers. Zamba.

From memory it was $30+ or thereabouts for a double.
We stayed at the SCVDS (just next door, I think)for a couple of nights first but my wife was insisting on a more comfortable room as we were to be in Mysore for a few days. And she was right - it was very nice.
We'd definitely stay there again if in town.

If you are with kids then Jungle Lodges resort inside Pilikula Zoo is a good place to stay in Mangalore.

Hey Larue, I would recommend you one more itinerary if you are OK with it.

Instead of taking a night train, would recommend to board a day train from Mangalore to Hassan (train number 16516 which leaves Mangalore at 10:55 AM and reaches Hassan by 04:30 PM. The operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). You can enjoy the serene beauty of western ghats, where the train passes in midst of deep forest where you can see lot of tunnels and streams, especially from Subramanya road to Shakleshpur. If you are lucky, you can also sight some animals and birds too.

In Hassan, you can stay overnight and the next day morning, you hire a cab and visit places like Belur, Halebeedu and Shravanabelagola and return to Mysore with the same cab.

With respect to Autorickshaws in Mysore, please approach the Pre-Paid Auto counter to book an auto, which operates 24/7.

Hope this works!

Abhigna, I caught the overnight train and it was pitch black outside. Apart from cheap accomodation, the day train would be preferable to see the countryside as you said. Landing in Mysore at 4am, the last thing I thought of was to look for a prepaid auto counter. My mistake. Didn't even think of it. Zamba.

You can always try next time!