Mangalore is the obvious day trip — it is 10 kilometres north and accessible by frequent bus (routes 44A, 44C, and 44D all connect the two). The city has the Mangaladevi Temple (the origin of its name), the St Aloysius Chapel known for its Jesuit frescoes, and a lively fish market. The Pilikula Nisargadhama lake complex at Vomanjoor, about 12 kilometres from Mangalore, has an animal safari and a water park.
Farther afield, the Jain temples at Moodubidri and Karkala are worth the drive — the thousand-pillar Basadi at Moodubidri is one of the finest examples of Jain temple architecture in Karnataka, and Karkala is known for its 42-foot granite monolith of the Jain saint Bahubali, reached by steps cut into a hillside.