Mangalore India – Your Quick Travel Guide

In a nutshell

Situated between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Mangalore – the principal port in the state of Karnataka – is a dynamic and multicultural city, known for its beautiful setting and pristine beaches as well as its lavish festivals, exciting nightlife, numerous shopping malls and fiery seafood specialties.

Why go to Mangalore

Mangalore sits at the estuaries of the beautiful Netravathi and Gurupur Rivers and is characterised by a scenic hilly terrain with winding streets full of excellent pubs and restaurants. The city has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel and a laid-back atmosphere, which makes for a relaxing stay.

As well as being a commercial and cultural hub, Mangalore also has numerous golden-sand beaches, impressive cathedrals and temples, green spaces and historic sites with panoramic views of the sea.

It is also a city that’s famed for its fantastic cuisine, which comprises influences from various ethnic groups who inhabit it. The city itself is relatively small and has most of its hotels and restaurants, the bus stand and the train station located in the centre of town, which makes it very easy to get around. Mangalore is a great transit point for those heading either north (to Goa), or south (to Kerala). Highly developed and socially progressive, Mangalore has been subject to extensive modernisation yet still retains much of its rustic charm and appeal.

When to go to Mangalore

Summers in the city are hot and humid, with temperatures reaching as high as 39°C. The monsoon brings pretty heavy rains, therefore, the best time to visit Mangalore is between December and February as the winter season is most pleasant with temperatures ranging from about 20°C to 34°C.

Where to stay in Mangalore

A vast majority of hotels in Mangalore are clustered on Balmatta Road near the central railway station, a mere 8 miles away from Mangalore International Airport. Many of the hotels there are purpose-built, clean, efficiently run and offer high-speed Wi-fi, room service, air conditioning, hot water and 24-hour security. The area is close to various restaurants, bars, and shopping centres as well as some tourist attractions such as the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, St Aloysius Chapel, Shri Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple and Someshwar Beach.

The city’s coastline is also dotted with places to stay, including some serviced apartments, luxury beach resorts, and upmarket hotels. Most of these are very cosy and comfortable and offer excellent sea views and service, free Wi-fi, parking, breakfast, in-house dining, spa and swimming pool facilities, room service, laundry and a 24-hour front desk.

Where and what to eat in Mangalore

When in Mangalore, we heartily recommend you try some Mangalorean coastal dishes such as manji masala fry, anjal masala and kane rave, which can be found in most local eateries and hotel restaurants.

The city is also famous for its bounteous breakfast servings, delectable idlis, neer dosas, pav bajis and wadas.

Car Street is a great place to seek out some local specialties and delicious snacks such as fruit chat, gadbad, hot bajis, biscuit rottis, chattambade and pathrode.

In Mangalore you will also find plenty of restaurants serving meat, some of the local delicacies include chicken ghee roast, chicken indaz, pork bafat, sorpotel and the mutton biryani. The city’s food scene is as diverse and exciting as its multicultural demographic, therefore, you’ll be spoiled for choice when dining out.

How to get around Mangalore

Mangalore is very well connected by local buses, which cover the entire city and beyond. They are efficient and cheap with ticket prices starting from INR20. Express and service buses venture out further afield to various localities and villages and Volvo buses will get you to Bangalore for about INR400, Mysore (INR350), Hubli (INR500), Hyderabad (INR1500), Pune (INR1000) and even Mumbai (INR1500).

Another way to get about Mangalore is by rickshaw; they are widely available and cost about INR15 per kilometer. Do keep in mind, however, that not all rickshaw drivers adhere to this parameter. It is, therefore, best to agree on a price before you set off.

There are many local taxi operators in the city, most of which work on a prepaid basis. They are considerably more expensive than other means of transport but are a far more comfortable way to travel to neighbouring localities, towns, cities, and villages.

How to get to and from Mangalore

By train

There are two railway stations in the city – Mangalore Central and Mangalore Junction – which have direct Southern Railway trains to Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Puducherry, and Nagercoil.

The Konkan Railway connects Mangalore to Mumbai, Bhatkal, Karwar, and Goa. The Rajdhani Express goes to New Delhi, and the Navyug Express train heads straight from Mangalore to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir.

The city of Mangalore is very well connected to the rest of the country via trains, which are a relatively inexpensive way to travel. A 2AC class ticket from Mangalore to Mumbai costs about INR2600 and takes 16 hours. A train from Mangalore to Margao (Goa) takes approximate 6 hours and will set you back a mere INR800 (2AC). Another popular tourist destination is Thiruvananthapuram, which takes about 15 hours and costs in the region of INR1300 (2AC). An 18 hour train journey to Chennai in a 2AC carriage will set you back around INR1700 (2AC); one to Puducherry which takes about 17 hours costs approximately INR1600 (2AC). A 40 hour train ride from Mangalore to New Delhi costs around INR3300 (2AC); and one to Katra, which takes over 70 hours, will set you back around INR4000 (2AC). The price of train tickets depends on your choice of class as well as the type of train you board. It is worth keeping in mind that Express trains tend to be more expensive. Sleeper class tickets are considerably cheaper than 2AC class ones, but it is definitely worth splashing out to ensure you get to your desired destination comfortably and safely.

By air

Mangalore International Airport is located about 8 miles North-East of the city and has a number of flights to domestic as well as international destinations. You can get to the airport by taking buses 47B or 47C from the city bus stand, which cost INR100; a taxi to the airport will set you back INR500.

The airport has regular flights from Mangalore to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. You can get some great deals from Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet if you book your tickets in advance. All of the aforementioned airlines have regular flights to Mumbai, which take about 1 hour and 40 minutes and will set you back around INR3000. Jet Airways, IndiGo, and SpiceJet also have regular flights to Bangalore, which take about an hour and normally cost around INR2000.

Other popular destinations include Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and Patna. A flight from Mangalore to Delhi is just over 3 hours and can cost as low as INR3000. Tickets to Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and Patna will set you back around INR1700, INR1900, INR2900 and INR3500 respectively.

International flights from Mangalore are limited to the following destinations Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. An airfare to one of these destinations costs in excess of INR15000.

Is Mangalore a safe place to visit?

Mangalore is considered one of the safest cities in India. It is also one of the most literate, well educated and least populated cities in the country with a thriving industry, great health care and plenty of activities and attraction to keep you entertained. We do suggest, however, that as a traveller you keep your wits about you at all times.