If you are looking for a complete package from beaches to hill stations, religious places to historical monuments, wildlife to adventure activities in one itinerary then don't dishearten, Karnataka state has it all and will give you pocket full of memories that you will love all over your life.
Still you are scratching your head and thinking that travelling to Karnataka is worth your time, so don't worries, lets have a look on small and user-friendly travel guide of Karnataka by Visit India that will make you reach to click button to book Karnataka holiday packages right away!
Karnataka culture is a fusion of different cultures. Here you will find all religion type of peoples; hence you called this state as the dynamic cosmopolitan or multicultural land. Despite its cosmopolitan features or characters, Karnataka gives the expansion to southern classical Carnatic Music, classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi and particularly rich culture of folk theatre named “Yakshagana”.
Kannada is the official language of Karnataka, so almost 70 per cent of population speak Kannada, but due to the extent of high literacy rate and cosmopolitan feature here other languages like Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu, English and Hindi are also spoken by handful of peoples. For more, festivals are a part of the live for local peoples. They celebrate festivals like:Ugadi, Kali Poldu, Mysore Dasara, Kambala, Banashankari Devi Fair, Sri Vithappa Fair, Yellamma Devi Fair and many other festivals with full zeal, fanfare, enthusiasm and lot of excitement forgetting all caste and language biases.
If you are thinking what to buy in Karnataka, so don't worry this diversified land amazed you with variety of things like Mysore ittra, sandalwood and rosewood statuettes, paperknives, bookmarks, furniture,luscious silks, slippery chiffons,crepe, trinkets, durries,lacquer ware and ceramics.
Last but not least, shopping in Karnataka is not complete without buying “Bidriware”(blackened white metal with silver inlay), which are Karnataka’s famous thing at India stalls in any fair.
Karnataka food is hugely rich in variety. From the absolute vegetarian delicacies of Udipi to the non-vegetarian gourmets of Kodava, food in Karnataka has something that brings water in everybody's mouth. As Rice is the main food of Karnataka, so here you find the huge varieties of rice-based delicacies like red grain rice, sannas, rice rotis, pancakes, paper thin akki rotis called talipattus, dosa, idli, and many more. For sweet taste, don’t forget to try its desserts like payasas, pedas of different types, kesari bhath and chiroti which are simplymouth-watering.
Wildlife Wonders:
Adored with over 5 National Parks, 18 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 9 Bird Sanctuaries, wildlife in Karnataka has its own appeal. Either its rare/ common species of animals or other animals of the jungles, watching them at their natural habitats has always been a delightful or speculator experience. So to witness the striking beauty of the forests and their never-ending range of wildlife
Popular Wildlife : Bandipur National Park, Anshi National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Kudremukh National Park, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagarhole National Park, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Nisargadhama, Dubare Elephant Camp and Kabini National Park.
Nature Wonders :
Sanctified with splendid Western Ghats, the state Karnataka offers some of the picturesque and pure hilly retreats to nature lovers. Scenic, unpolluted, coffee plantation lands/clear green paddy fields; hill stations of Karnataka hold beautiful waterfalls in their heart and serve as perfect spots for photography. So if you are in Karnataka don't forget to explore these scenic
Ideal Hill Stations :
BR Hills, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Agumbe, Horsley Hills, Yelagiri Hills, Yercaud, Kolli Hills, Ooty, Wayanad, Kodaikanal and Munnar
In addition to the hilly retreats, with 320 km coastline bordering Karnataka has mesmerising beaches formed by the Arabian Sea. A tour through five of the most captivating beach destinations in Karnataka named Malpe beach, Maravanthe, Kaup, Om and Murudeshwar beach will no doubt rejuvenate all your senses.
Historical Wonders :
Karnataka which is home to a number of heritage sites includes historical places, monuments and temples is fifth most popular place in India for heritage tourism. With 3600 protected monuments,ancient sculptured temples,World heritage centres and impressively architecture allures everyone to take heritage cultural tour of Karnataka. To discover the hidden gateways to timeless art and architecture must visit
Historical Places :
“Hampi Group of Monuments, Hampi”, “Pattadakal Group of monuments, Pattadakal”, “Bidar Fort City, Bidar”, “Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu”, “Aihole Historic Temples, Bagalkot”, “Mahakuta Group of Temples, Mahakuta”, “Basavakalyan Fort Monuments, Bidar” , “Lakshmeshwara Trading Town, Gadag”, “Badami Cave Temples, Badami”, “Somanathapura Heritage Site, Somanathapura”, “Chennakesava Temple, Belur” and “Lakkundi Ruined Temples, Gadag”
Skydiving:
Have your adventure-loving heart always desired for the dive from 10,000 feet above in the sky with nothing but only a parachute strapped on or best skydiving experience? then don't wait,“Mysore” in Karnataka is recorded among the top destination in India to experience skydiving, offering not just finest facilities and amenities but here skydiving camps provide the choices of tandem jumps (9,000 Ft - 10,000ft), static jumps(3,500 Ft- 4,500 Ft) and accelerated free-falls (10,000 Ft - 15,000ft) former to professional with training for 2 – 3 days assure all kinds of safety.
Microlight Flying:
Experience Karnataka like never before, then don't forget to try its Microlight Flying activity; Microlight or Ultra-light is a lightweight airplane that looks like hand gliders attached to the very big tricycles with a huge powered fan on the back carries 1-2 people at the same time, thrill of flying at a height of 5,000 feet and get a bird’s eye view of dreamy places Bengaluru (Jakkur airfield), Coorg and Mysore in a 10 or 30 minutes ride is simply mesmerizing.
White Water Rafting:
From easy rapids at Bheemeshwari to the violent tides at Kodagu, there are enough of white water rafting options in Karnataka.So if you want to challenge crashing rapids that go from mild to wild (range from 4 to 5 rapids in upper section & about 6 to 7 rapids in lowersection), Karnataka offer many places where one can experience the flows and thrills of this adventurous sports named Bheemeshwari, Sitanadi, Kemphole, Netravati, Honnemaradu, Dandeli, Gokarna, Marawanthe beach, Karwar,Devbagh, Madikeri and Kali River at Dandeli National Park.
For more there are many rafting schools and rental outlets in Karnataka which have started training and helping people enjoy the sport of river rafting.
Scuba Diving:
Bestowed with intense marine life, clean and deep water, “Murudeshwar”in Karnataka is one of the best dazzling places to explore the underwater life of Karnataka. From the hard coral fringing reef to coral bommies (type of diving) offers an option to scuba divers to spot exotic species like Whales, Turtles, Napoleon Wrasse, Great Barracuda, Cobia, Stingrays and Stonefish while diving around Netrani Island(Murdeshwar).
Rock Climbing:
When talking about best rock climbing destinations in India, it's difficult to ignore Karnataka. Its peaks like Ramanagara, Savanaduga, Turahalli and Madhugiri that adorned with rocky landscapes and huge slabs make them the perfect rock climbing places for adventurers and experts alike.
Trekking:
With more than 200 trekking trails in and around Karnataka, this state is slowly becoming a favourite destination for trekkers. The treks that grades from easy to moderate at Kudremukh,Kumara Parvata,Narasimha Parvatha, Kanoor Fort, Kodachadri, Baba Budanagiri Hills,Coorg Plantation Hikes and Talathmane Circuit not only offer adventure at every turn, but its picturesque views and pleasant weather can be enjoyed by formers to professionals.
Aquatic Parasailing:
Adored with bright dreamlands, pristine beaches, and an amazing crowd, Karnataka is gradually becoming a hot spot for parasailers. Aquatic Parasailing in Malpe and Gokarna Beach of Karnataka on which the parasail would be attached to a speed boat (which is controlled by helpers, who alter the speed to enable the rider float in the parachute in an elevated distance) offer maximum thrill of this sport.
Apart from these activities, tourists can also indulge in fishing/angling, boating, hiking, bungee jumping, camping,motor biking, cycling, kayaking and Jet Ski ride in Karnataka.
Karnataka has distinct land features in varied seasons. So let’s have a look how Karnataka is on varied climatic conditions:
In summer season, the coastal, north central and south central, three zones of Karnataka experience maximum temperature of almost 47°C, but due to the slighter traffic of travellers/ low crowds and hill stations makes it a good retreat center or best land for peaceful vacation/ enjoying water activities.
Monsoon Season (July to September):Due to medium to heavy rainfall every year, it is recommended not to visit Karnataka during monsoon as the roads are wet, slippery and prone to flooding. But if you would like to catch the best sights of waterfalls then monsoon is the best time to visit as this time waterfalls flow down with huge force and offering a wonderful view.
Winter Season (October to February):
The best time to visit Karnataka is October to February as this time the climate is usually pleasant /cool and ideal for sightseeing or enjoying various electrifying activities such as rock climbing, parasailing, snorkelling, scuba diving, coracle rafting, canoeing, windsurfing, trekking, angling and river rafting without getting dehydrated or feeling the discomforts of heat. For more during this time you can also being a part of grand Dussehra and the Makar Sankranthi festival celebration.
Reach by: You can reach by Air, Train and Bus.
Air:
Having one of the best six airports, Karnataka is well connected to every corner of India and rest of the world by airways. “Bangalore (Kempegowda International Airport)” and “Mangalore International Airport” are considered to be the main gateway of Karnataka, as it handles all the domestic flights/operations and international flights to and from Karnataka.Apart from these, other functional airports which are located at Bellary, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwar, Mysore, Hampi and Toranagallu make the airways of Karnataka an unavoidable transportation choice of all the citizens as well as the travellers of the place.
Bus:
Karnataka which share his border with Maharashtra and Goa in north, Andhra Pradesh in northeast, Tamil Nadu in southeast and Kerala to southwest is no doubt blessed with a good/well-maintained network of roadways that connects the state to all the major cities of south India and the country. Beside these its connectivity to Government-owned bus operators(Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), NEKRTC (North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation), NWKRTC (North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) and or other private operators make travelling in the state easier.
Train:
Enclosed with more than 3000 sq. km track area, the railways in Karnataka offers an extensive chain of railway facilities or a well-connected series of trains that links the state with all the other cities of India in easiest way. For more the main railway landmark of Karnataka lies in “Bangalore”. Being connected to all parts of India, the railhead in this city offers maximum number of train’s every day. Apart from Bangalore, other famous railway stations in Karnataka are Mysore, Belgaum, Bellary, Mangalore, Tumkur, Harihar, Dhār wad, Gulbarga and Bijapu.
Karnataka offers various options to visitors: buses, auto rickshaws, taxis and cabs.