Before we headed home from Wild Wood Spa and Resort in Kundapur, we went to Maravanthe a tiny village and a beach close by, in Karnataka, India.Considered one of Karnataka's most beautiful beaches, it is about 55 kilometres from Udupi. The NH-66 runs right alongside the beach and the Suparnika River flows on the other side of the road, creating a memorable view and obviously this is geographically, only one of its kind in India. The river Souparnika, which almost touches Arabian Sea here, makes a U turn and goes eastward to join the Sea only after a journey of more than 10 kilometres inland.

Just 50 kms from Udupi, Maravanthe, is the small village which you will find as you drive up north along the coastal road. Let your eyes feast on this highway bordered on either side by the Arabian Sea and Sowparnika River, and with a backdrop of the Kodachadri Hills.

This makes the drive down the road a spectacular experience. Slowly as the sun begins to set,the sky is bathed in crimson at sunset and the golden rays are reflected both on the surface of the sea and the river. This changes the tiny nondescript village, into a breath taking view of scenic beauty.

A drive further up will take you to the Belekal Theertha Falls near Baindur.What is special is that the Maravanthe beach is a picturesque virgin beach with no tourists to spoil the miles and miles of white sand. To experience the beauty of this spectacular beach, which runs for a few kms, an early visit is a must before the sun makes it unbearable.One must witness the sunset either on the beach or take a drive along the stretch.

Maravanthe beach is one of the most picturesque locations in South Karnataka, and is situated 9 km east of Kundapur. Well known for the sunsets and sunrise, the beach is growing in popularity as a tourist destination in south Karnataka. There are many things one could do during a holiday in Maravanthe to make the trip memorable. Ofcourse the beach is naturally the main attraction in Maravanthe and we spent long hours building sand castles on the beach.

We found the huge black rocks which popped out on the beach here and there great to clamber up on but do take care of the limpets that cling firmly on places which can slice open an ankle if you are not careful. After the tsunami that frightened a lot of coastal India, large cement rocks are stacked up along the side of the highway to protect it during storms and high tides. So, the force of the waves are broken, by the cement blocks.

The Souparnika river, running parallel to the Maravanthe beach is believed to be medicinal in nature and a dip in it auspicious. Legend has it that Suparna; an eagle, performed penance on the banks of this river and attained salvation and the river was named after it.

We took a boat ride down the river and chugged along many homes which were built on the other bank. Seemed like an idyllic life, living alongside a fresh water river. After the ride we clambered out and went straight to a tender coconut seller and cooled our thirsty selves down with a long drink of fresh coconut water.

We hastily then clambered into the car to head home to Bangalore and cover the 450km, which finally got us into Bangalore, in the wee hours of the morning.