Walking amidst quaint villages and paddy fields, island hopping on boats, lunching by the riverside, beach trekking, sleeping by the beach under a starry sky, having a whole island to yourself for a day, watching the full moon set late in the night, waking up to a beautiful sunrise on the beach. jealous? Well, if you are a nature lover, you ought to be! Last week a few colleagues and I participated in the Island expedition organized by Youth hostels Association, Udupi unit and had an amazing time.
A quaint house at Barkur
The trek started at Barkur, 20km from Udupi where we finished the registration and started walking 2-3 kms towards the coast passing Bennekudru where we got to spend time at sugarcane fields and a jaggery making unit. It was humid, but we took breaks at regular intervals under nice and shady coconut groves. Needless to say, my camera and i had an absolutely wonderful time shooting the picturesque landscapes in many possible arty angles, much to the frustration of the rest of the gang 
Paddy fields at Bennekudru
About 80 other people joined us from various parts of the country, most of them being Kannadigas. It was nice to mingle with other experienced campers, trekkers, photographers and nature lovers. There were 60-70 year olds also who participated in this trip with as much enthusiasm and energy as the rest of us. All afternoon we went boating visiting a couple of very beautiful river islands, one of which was uninhabited and will soon be taken over by Malya-the island will never be the same again i guess.
A tributary of river Sita, near Bennekudru
By evening we reached the Padukere beach after walking for 5-6kms amidst lovely paddy fields and small villages.
Paddy fields on the way to Padukere beach
The local people were absolutely amazing and generous, helping us with drinking water and other facilities. This beach is connected to the NH-17 but the experience of reaching this place through the water route was marvelous. This being the fishing season, it would normally be difficult to get fishermen provide people with boats, but YHA made it possible with the connections they have made over years.
Laughing Ryot
The planning and scheduling was immaculate as we reached the camp site on the beach right on time to watch the sunset into the ocean. Everyone had an amazing time in their own way despite being tired from the trek, some spent time with their partners,some went crazy with their cameras (me included),some had boisterous fun in the sea.
Sunset by the Padukere beach
We spent the night there on the island in tents provided by YHA. The local fishermen performed Yakshagana and a local dance called Houndarayana Kunitha which they perform specifically on thulsi puja. Attending concerts is one experience, but getting treated as guests and witnessing their performance in the open air, sitting by the beach is something else altogether. The song was in Kannada or a local dialect which I could not understand, but was enjoyable nevertheless. The lyrics to the song sung while dancing are said to be extempore, which makes the dance form all the more interesting.
Folk dance of the local fishermen(on the Padukere beach)
This was my first time camping outdoors and I have to admit, it was a very interesting experience, the good and the bad
We woke up by sunrise(yeah, something we dont really get to see with our lifestyles , ok, i know i should be the last one to lecture on this!). We started the beach trek by 8 after breakfast, with our backpacks.
Good Morning, sunshine!
This being my first time as a camper,i made a few mistakes with what i should and should not have carried on this trip. For starters, do not pack heavy clothes like jeans for beach treks!take light cottons only. Also, beg,borrow or steal a sunscreen lotion if you don’t have one! Why? just drop in to see my lovely patchy face Some of us had some nasty shoe bites too, so its really important to pack the right kind of footwear, its even worth it to pack extra footwear, as some of the others who lost or broke their footwear will vouch for. The beach walk was for about 17km and the heavy bags you need to carry only add to the troubles. If you have good company or music to keep you going, it will seem much easier. I met a few guys who were cracking sardarji jokes for quite some distance 
! We trekked to coastal villages called Hangarakatte, Kodi and Hoodi. We then took a boat to the St Mary’s island by sunset time. Again, needless to say, was beautiful!
Sunset at St Mary's
St Mary’s island or locally called the Aasare Thota, lies to the north of the Malpe town, and is known for its basalt rocks crystallized into hexagonal columns. Perhaps,this is the only spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formations.
Waves splashing against the basalt rocks at St Mary's island
It is a major tourist attraction on this side, but visitors are not allowed more than 2 hrs or so on the island. We were the lucky ones who got to spend an entire night there! We spent the night in the open without tents just lying near the beach. It was almost a full-moon day and by 3 or 4am, the moon had an orange tinge and was about to go down. Some of us woke up at the right time to catch a glimpse of it…it was mind blowing, something you cannot capture with a camera or explain in words, you have to experience it. The next day, we woke up to yet another beautiful sunrise. We had a lot of time to go trekking on rocks around the island…it was total fun.
Rise and Shine, St Mary's island
St Mary's Island
By afternoon we had a small valedictory function after which we took a boat back to Malpe. There are buses from Malpe towards Udipi every 10mins, so it is very well connected by road. We reached hyderabad by bus on the 2nd afternoon. People who cannot take long bus journeys can opt for a flight back home from Mangalore too. Overall, an awesome experience, there were inconveniences too, but i realize that they are part and parcel of camping and trekking. I hope i made you guys jealous enough to wish that you were there too
Route Map of the Expedition
