Nestled between two very famous tourist attractions in India Panaji

and Mangalore, is a rather obscure town called Honnavar, in Uttar Kannada.

Although it enjoyed a rich history as a major port destination in the Middle
Ages, this estuary has now undeservedly been dimmed out on the Indian
map.
Honnavar, the former Land of Gold serves a combined platter of
Goas beaches, Keralas backwaters, Pondicherrys mangroves and Ootys hill
stations, topped by the lush forests that permeates throughout Western
Ghats. Yet somehow, the tourism world has managed to ignore this place,
which does lend to better preservation of the lands pristine nature. But such
beauty should be acknowledged and promulgated, while preserving its true
spirit.
The Gersoppa Valley creates plenty opportunities for the nature
adventurers to hike through her lands. Deforested almost entirely during the
British rule, the original evergreen primary forests on this valley, that would
have been able to boast of the those slivers of sunlight slipping through thick
canopies of leaves on a dark ground, now has a mix of deciduous and
evergreen secondary forests.
The hydrophilic can relax at the Kasarkod or Om beach, whos yet
unpolluted waters makes it the clearest aqua body for scores of kilometers
around. The sandy beaches seclusion credits its shores as a relaxing place,
contrasting it from the usual hub-hub present on any current era tour-worthy
beach.
Existing as a facsimile of Andaman and Nicobars coral reefs, Nethrani
island is an hearth to coral formations, dolphins and, comparatively rarer,
whales. It enjoys the company of Nushikote Mangroves and is skirted by the
Sharavathi River in the south. The river nourishes the region before ending
its journey into the Arabian Sea, conjuring a flowing reverie during the right
seasons of winter and spring.
Sitting on the hillock next to Honnavars Apsarakonda Falls, one can
transcend into a pensive mood. There is a symphony of sounds created by
the gushing water, crashing against rocks; the hollow whistles of winds
rafting through crevices, with an overture of more than fifty species of birds
chirping.
Like any place with a history, Honnavar is not devoid of its remnants of
royalty and pious aspects. Constructed in 1690, Basavaraja Durga is an
island fort with a total size of 19 hectares. The strong fortifications on the
perimeter and the ruins within offer glimpses of history. The fort is topped by
the Karikanamma temple that lets one enjoy the red sunset taking place at
the edge of a never ending water body.

In the recent years, the forest department of this region with the
tourism department of Karnataka have begun promoting eco-tourism here.
Eco-tourism refers of travelling in a manner that conserves and uplifts the
environment and local people of that area. It aims striking the right balance
between regular un-trained humans interacting with nature without harming
it. This is the nascent step that has implanted the sapling which will one day
let Honnavar render a consummate enchanting experience for all.