The town of Gokarna literally meaning ‘Cow’s Ear’ is famous for its temples, rivers and not to forget, its beaches. Amongst all the beaches, the Om Beach is the most famous and so named due its appearance like the sanskrit ‘OM’. We got to Gokarna in the afternoon of the last day of our 2008 Ugaadi Ride . We were looking for a place to spend the day and a couple of phone calls later, we decided on Om Beach Resort. The resort is situated a few kilometers from Om Beach and around 10 kms from the town of Gokarna.
As the name suggests, Om Beach Resort has all the amenities that a resort would provide, from huge air-conditioned suites to Ayurvedic massages. The resort has twelve suites and is a joint venture between the Jungle Lodges, Govt. of Karnataka and the Kairali Group.
The cottage we stayed in was a spacious one with a huge bedroom and a living room overlooking the hills and the beach. The rooms were done up in white-blue combination and the bathroom looked pretty neat with all its modern fittings. Since we were starving we directly headed towards the dining area, only to be disappointed by the food. We really expected better food, given the nature of the resort and the initial impression we had as we entered. The only good part about lunch was cool breeze from the coast and a view of the sea.
After a brief rest, we rode to the beach in the evening. The ride to beach is around 4-5 kms and is scenic through a few hills, with a view of the Arabian sea. We parked the bike inside the Namaste cafe parking lot and walked through the property to the beach. We got a glimpse of a beautiful male Paradise Flycatcher on the way.
The beach itself was not very crowded, considering the fact that it was a long weekend. It had been a while since I had gone to a beach and it felt good to be there. There are boat rides, if one wants to take a tour of the beach. We walked around for a while and settled down on a rock formation to watch the sun set. A couple of beers with a huge serving of pepper prawns (highly recommended) at Namaste Cafe, it was time to head back to the resort.
Relaxed for a while watching TV and it was time for dinner at the resort. Again, it wasnt all that great and even the beer did not taste that good! Well, with all the English styled suites, location, and the tariff, the food was a major let down. We could not try the massages or visit the other beaches since we were staying at the resort for just a day.
Om Beach Resort is for those who are looking for a luxurious stay in the midst of the hills and the sea provided that you are not very particular about the price tag or the food.
Abhi says: We would not have been too concerned about a higher price, if the food had been good. Its amazing that Jungle Lodges, has allowed the quality level to drop this low. Since we’ve been to other places run by them and they do a pretty fine job with it. I’ve been here at this resort in 2004, while riding solo, running-in the then new Thunderbirdand the food was much better then. Time for Jungle Lodges to pull up who ever is responsible for this and apply some corrective measures.
Where’s It?
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