Why stay outside Murudeshwar
Murudeshwar is a temple town built on a small headland, and almost everything in it faces the temple. On weekends, school holidays and festival days it fills with tour buses, and the lodges near the beach are busy from early morning. For a visit of two or three hours it is wonderful. For two or three nights, many families find it loud.
Honnavar is 28 km to the north on NH-66, which is four-laned all the way, so the drive takes about forty minutes. It is a small river town rather than a pilgrim centre, and the evenings are quiet.
What you get in Honnavar that Murudeshwar does not have
The two places complement each other, which is why combining them works.
- The Sharavathi backwaters: calm mangrove channels explored by private boat, ₹1,500 per boat for an hour, from a jetty 100 metres from the homestay.
- Kasarkod Eco Beach: a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards and a clean park, about 4 km away and far less crowded than Murudeshwar's.
- Apsarakonda Falls and sunset point, about 7 km away, and the Kandla mangrove boardwalk.
- A family home instead of a lodge: home-cooked food, a campfire in the yard on request, and a host who arranges the car.
A plan that works
Leave the homestay by 7:30 AM and you are at the temple before the heat and the crowds. See the temple, take the lift up the gopura for the view of the 37-metre Shiva statue, and walk the beach. You are back in Honnavar for a late lunch. Rest, then take the sunset boat ride. The next day is free for the beach and Apsarakonda, or for Gokarna in the other direction.
Murudeshwar from Honnavar: what to see A 2-day Honnavar itinerary Honnavar as a base near Gokarna Where to stay in Honnavar, area by area Best homestay in Honnavar, compared honestly
Getting between the two
By car it is forty minutes each way, and we can arrange a car with a local driver. Buses between Bhatkal and Kumta run along the highway through both towns all day. Both also have stations on the Konkan Railway, so if you arrive by train at Murudeshwar you can continue to Honnavar by local train, bus or taxi.
Rooms and prices
Single rooms, AC or non-AC, are ₹1,500 a night with an attached bathroom, hot water, WiFi and TV. The family room for four to six guests is ₹2,500 to ₹3,000. Check-in is at 12 noon and check-out at 11 AM, with parking for cars and bikes.
See the rooms Family and group stays Photos of the rooms and the jetty
When you should stay in Murudeshwar instead
If you want to be at the temple for the early morning puja, or you have booked a dawn scuba or snorkelling trip to Netrani Island, stay in Murudeshwar for that night. For everything else, a forty-minute drive is a small price for a quiet base.
Quick answers
How far is Honnavar from Murudeshwar?
About 28 km north on NH-66, a four-lane highway. The drive takes around forty minutes.
Is there a homestay near Murudeshwar with boating?
Yes. De antique Pauli's Homestay in Honnavar is run by the family behind Pauli's backwater boats, with the jetty 100 metres from the rooms.
Can I visit Murudeshwar as a half-day trip from Honnavar?
Yes. Leave by 7:30 AM, see the temple, the gopura and the statue, and be back in Honnavar for lunch.
What does the homestay cost?
Single rooms are ₹1,500 a night and the family room is ₹2,500 to ₹3,000, with meals cooked at home on request.
More from Honnavar
- Honnavar Homestay with Backwater BoatingDe antique Pauli's is a Honnavar homestay with boating built in: one family runs the house and the boats, so the room and the ride are booked together instead of arranged with two different people. Sleep a hundred metres from the jetty and take the first ride of the morning or the last one of the evening.
- A Homestay near Gokarna: Honnavar as Your BaseHonnavar is not Gokarna, and that is the point. Here is an honest look at when it makes the better base, and when it does not.
- Homestay near Honnavar Railway Station and Bus StandMost of our guests arrive on the overnight train or bus from Bengaluru. Here is exactly how the first and last hours of your trip work.
- Family and Group Stay in HonnavarA family room for four to six, the whole house for bigger groups, food cooked for everyone and boats large enough to keep the group together.
- Places to visit in HonnavarNine places from the backwaters next door to Jog Falls, with distances from the homestay.
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