Travel writing: A solo traveller recalls a Christmas Eve spent camping on a beach in Karnataka

Today’s plan was simple and sorted: hike to Paradise Beach, pitch my tent there and spend Christmas Eve camping solo!

Anyone who has been to Gokarna cannot stop going gaga over Paradise Beach. They say it is so secluded that at night glowing phytoplankton make the shore look exactly like the starry sky. Covered with forested hills on all three sides, Paradise Beach is cut off from the nearby villages, Gokarna and Belekan, by dense shrubs. This makes the beach inaccessible by vehicles, and the only way to get there is to either hike all the way through the woods over the hills or take a boat from any of the adjoining beaches.

Hiring a boat was out of question as it would eat up a good chunk of my given budget, so the only option left was to hike. Buckling up my backpack with high enthusiasm, I filled my water bottle and stocked up on four bananas for dinner. I first hitchhiked my way to Om Beach and then started hiking at around 5 pm. My aim was to reach there before it got dark. Acting all cool, I would occasionally track my route on Google Maps as the trail appeared...

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