The house and the boats are the same family
Most visitors book a boat ride in Honnavar with one operator and a room with another, and then spend the evening working out how to get between them. At De antique Pauli's there is nothing to coordinate. Paul D'souza's family has lived in this 1960 laterite house in Tari-Bagel for three generations and has run boats on the Sharavathi backwaters for years. The boarding point is on the family's own site, about a hundred metres from your room.
You tell us once, on WhatsApp, which days you are here and whether you prefer sunrise or sunset. The room, the boat, the meals and the pick-up are arranged together.
What staying here changes about the boat ride
Day visitors from Gokarna and Murudeshwar arrive mid-morning and leave by late afternoon, which is exactly when the light is flat and the water is busiest. Staying overnight gives you the two slots they cannot reach.
- Sunrise, around 6:00 AM: mist on the water, fishermen setting out, kingfishers and egrets feeding. You walk to the jetty in two minutes and are back for breakfast.
- Sunset, from about 5:15 PM: the ride finishes on the open west-facing stretch as the sun goes down, and dinner is waiting when you step off.
- A second chance: if wind or rain cancels your slot, the ride is rescheduled free, and because you are staying, the next morning is usually possible.
Boat rates
Boating rates in Honnavar are fixed by the district water sports committee, so every licensed operator charges the same: ₹1,500 per private boat for one hour and ₹2,500 for two hours. The price is for the boat, not per person. The one-hour boat carries up to four guests, and larger boats for eight to ten run on the two-hour ride.
The one-hour ride covers the coconut channels known as the Kerala Spot and the mangrove tunnel. The two-hour ride adds Lotus Point, the quieter stretch the boatmen call Madhuvana, and the wide estuary. There is no advance payment for boating. You pay at the jetty by UPI or cash, and life jackets are provided for everyone.
Routes and photos on Pauli's Boating The backwaters from the homestay
Rooms
Single rooms, AC or non-AC, are ₹1,500 a night with an attached bathroom, hot water, WiFi and TV. The family room takes four to six guests at ₹2,500 to ₹3,000. Meals are cooked at home on request, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and there is parking for cars and bikes.
A typical one or two night stay
Check-in is at 12 noon and check-out at 11 AM, so even a single night fits a full boat ride without feeling rushed. Arrive by early afternoon, settle in, and take the sunset ride from about 5:15 PM, with dinner ready when you step off the boat.
Stay two nights and you get both slots: the sunset ride on the evening you arrive, and the sunrise ride, around 6:00 AM, on your last morning, with time to pack and still check out by 11. Between the two rides, Kasarkod Eco Beach and the Kandla mangrove boardwalk are about 4 km away and Apsarakonda Falls about 7 km, close enough to fill the hours without needing your own car; we can arrange an auto for either.
Packages that include boating
These are starting points, and any of them can be changed.
- Backwater Weekend, 2 nights: single room, breakfast, a Sharavathi boat ride and a campfire night.
- Coastal Explorer, 3 nights: single room, breakfast, a boat ride and a car day trip to Murudeshwar and Gokarna.
- Group Getaway, custom: all rooms, catering, party boating, campfire and decorations for birthdays and reunions.
Who this suits, and who it does not
It suits couples, families and small groups who are coming to Honnavar mainly for the backwaters and want a simple, clean room and home food without arranging anything. It does not suit you if you want a swimming pool, a river view from the bed or a resort restaurant. The house is on a village lane near the river, not on the water's edge, and the rooms are plain heritage rooms rather than luxury suites.
Other areas to stay in Honnavar Best homestay in Honnavar, compared honestly Honnavar 2 day itinerary
Quick answers
Which homestay here has its own boating?
De antique Pauli's Homestay in Tari-Bagel is run by the same family as Pauli's Boating. The boarding point is on the family's site, about 100 metres from the rooms.
How much is a boat ride if I stay at the homestay?
The government-fixed rate that every operator charges: ₹1,500 per private boat for one hour and ₹2,500 for two hours. It is per boat, not per person.
Can I take a sunrise boat ride?
Yes. Rides start around 6:00 AM. Staying overnight is the practical way to do it, since the jetty is a two-minute walk from the rooms.
What happens if it rains?
The ride is rescheduled free of charge. Because nothing is paid in advance for boating, you lose nothing.
How do I book the room and the boat together?
Send your dates, group size and preferred slot on WhatsApp to +91 88280 91411. A small UPI advance holds the room, and the boat is paid for at the jetty.
Can I book just the boat ride without staying at the homestay?
Yes. Day visitors book the ride through Pauli's Boating on its own. Staying overnight additionally gets you the sunrise or sunset slot, the two times of day most day trips from Gokarna or Murudeshwar cannot reach.
Can the boat ride be combined with a day trip to Murudeshwar or Gokarna?
Yes. Murudeshwar is 28 km away, about forty minutes by road, and Gokarna is about 55 km, around ninety minutes. A two- or three-night stay comfortably fits a boat ride at one end of the day and a day trip at the other.
What about Mirjan Fort or Jog Falls?
Mirjan Fort is 31 km away and Jog Falls 60 km. Both work as a half-day or full-day trip paired with a boat ride if you are staying more than one night.
Can we bring a pet on the stay?
Yes, on request. Tell us when you book so we can plan the room and the yard for your pet, alongside the boat ride.
What is in the family room, for a group staying together?
The family room sleeps four to six with bunk beds plus an extra bed and its own attached bathroom, so a group can take one room and one boat ride together.
Is there anything to see on land near the jetty, between boat rides?
Idagunji Ganapati temple is about fifteen minutes away by road, a quiet stop on a morning when you are not out on the water.
Can we swim at the beach on the same trip as the boat ride?
Kasarkod Eco Beach, about 4 km away, is a Blue Flag beach with calm water for swimming from October to May. Pair an afternoon there with a sunrise or sunset boat ride from the jetty.
More from Honnavar
- A Quiet Homestay near Murudeshwar, in HonnavarMurudeshwar is forty minutes down a four-lane highway. Visit the temple in the morning and spend the rest of your trip somewhere quieter.
- 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.
Book on WhatsApp
We take bookings and questions only on WhatsApp. Tell us your dates, number of guests and what you'd like to do.