How to plan your central Konkan trip - Impromptu version!
When you are in one of the best lush green landscapes amidst monsoons our country has to offer - you must realise you have to explore all four corners of the state and sometimes along the boundaries as well. One such memorable trip happened in September 2016 where we covered the Konkan coastline and satisfied our craving of sea and long drives.
The Itinerary
So there was no specific itinerary for the trip and we travelled from south to north along the coast where the road took us - Murud Beach in Dapoli, Harnai , Anjarle, Kelshi and Harihareshwar - all in a 3 day trip!
So we had the pleasant weather of mid September and a long weekend ahead, giving us an opportunity to plan a long drive all the down way south to Ganapatipule. We started off from Mumbai just fine in the early morning. Being a photography enthusiast and a beginner, I didn't miss any opportunity to click as we sped by the highways or small towns of Maharashtra. Our one such stop was a village near Mahad where we chirpily got off to enjoy the idyllic scene of a small water stream against the backdrop of a thriving green hills and stretch our legs a bit. And thanks to my absent mindedness, I left the car keys inside the ignition - only to realise 10-15 minutes later when we got locked out of the car ! :D
It was 4 in the evening and apart from the camera in hand, we both didn't have any other accessory to support us at this time. Our wallets, mobile phones everything inside the car. First 5 mins, we just looked at each other and stupidly laughed at my foolishness. We got an aluminium scale from the local village store on rent and tried the old trick of opening the jammed door lock from outside. For another 15 mins. This nifty inspiration from Bollywood didn't help. We started panicking as it began to rain and the clouds set the environment for the dusky evening and the night fall.
Seeking help from passing by cars didn't seem to be working either. For next 15-20 mins , none of the cars stopped. :(. And to our bad luck, the local mechanic in the village was equipped for two wheeler only and the nearby town was 20 kms away. Phew! We were in for some adventure it looked. Finally, by God's grace a vehicle stopped by and the people inside tried to help us in all possible ways they could. So after all the wasted efforts of 2 hours, we finally had to break a window to access the door lock from inside! The crudest way fit. Of course, we broke the smallest window in the car at the rear for minimum damage costs later. We thanked our stars and our saviours who stuck with us in the entire ordeal. Learning from this - Never ever forget to pull out your car keys when stepping out (even for a minute)!
By this time, the sun had already set and our destination was still very far. We, not being a very big fan of overnight driving, decided to alter our destination and head to the nearest available beach now - Murud beach which was about 2 hours drive from there. And we also pulled in some local villagers going back after day's long work to their homes! It was an interesting drive - We trying to converse in a very broken Mumbai versed Marathi , they speaking in a different village Marathi dialect, not getting what the other was saying - the smiles post the conversation seemed to dissolve the differences!
This little deviation in our route landed us to the beautiful beach of Murud in the pitch darkness (even by 8 pm) and I didn't get to appreciate its beauty and serenity until sunrise the next morning. We spend the night at the beach side local resort. The morning view of the beach is at its full glory and is justifiable in the picture below -
Murud
Where to stay? - There are couple of decent resorts on the Murud beach and you can take your pick. We stayed at Dreamland resorts which offered simple Maharashtrian food and games for involvement like carom, table tennis and a hammock for sky gazing !
Harnai, Anjarle and Kelshi - All these are small villages on the Konkan coastline thriving majorly on fishing. These places offer the real Konkan rustic charm. The drive along the coast is splendid with few stunning view of the sea, the greenery around and glimpse of the life of the locals here.
Where to stay?- Since these are not tourists destinations, you might not get many places to stay. Anjarle has few resorts though - Ketki beach resort is one I recall. Nevertheless, planning to drive along these places is best recommended to enjoy the beauty they offer.
Harihareshwar - We took a detour again after reaching Mahad to Harihareshwar since we had another day remaining of our long weekend and we weren't disappointed as well. The lonely drive to Harihareshwar offers you some resplendent views amidst the thick abundant forests and is indeed very refreshing.
Harihareshwar is famous for the temple of lord Harihareshwar and is situated right at the beach.
The beach has a long stretch of sand for walks in low tides and also a rocky cliff where you can stand and enjoy wave splashes - you just need to be careful of the moss and shells though.
Where to stay? - There is a very beautiful MTDC resort near the beach but needs to be pre-booked especially in the case of long and public holidays. Needless to say, we couldn't get any accommodation there and chose the first available local hotel stay at the beach.
The change of viewing the life through simple lens and slowing down even for a day or 2 gives a fresh perspective! If you are looking for a tranquil vacation with just relaxing on the beach and savouring simple Maharashtrian delicacies, this Konkan drive might do wonders as your next trip!
The Itinerary
So there was no specific itinerary for the trip and we travelled from south to north along the coast where the road took us - Murud Beach in Dapoli, Harnai , Anjarle, Kelshi and Harihareshwar - all in a 3 day trip!
So we had the pleasant weather of mid September and a long weekend ahead, giving us an opportunity to plan a long drive all the down way south to Ganapatipule. We started off from Mumbai just fine in the early morning. Being a photography enthusiast and a beginner, I didn't miss any opportunity to click as we sped by the highways or small towns of Maharashtra. Our one such stop was a village near Mahad where we chirpily got off to enjoy the idyllic scene of a small water stream against the backdrop of a thriving green hills and stretch our legs a bit. And thanks to my absent mindedness, I left the car keys inside the ignition - only to realise 10-15 minutes later when we got locked out of the car ! :D
It was 4 in the evening and apart from the camera in hand, we both didn't have any other accessory to support us at this time. Our wallets, mobile phones everything inside the car. First 5 mins, we just looked at each other and stupidly laughed at my foolishness. We got an aluminium scale from the local village store on rent and tried the old trick of opening the jammed door lock from outside. For another 15 mins. This nifty inspiration from Bollywood didn't help. We started panicking as it began to rain and the clouds set the environment for the dusky evening and the night fall.
Seeking help from passing by cars didn't seem to be working either. For next 15-20 mins , none of the cars stopped. :(. And to our bad luck, the local mechanic in the village was equipped for two wheeler only and the nearby town was 20 kms away. Phew! We were in for some adventure it looked. Finally, by God's grace a vehicle stopped by and the people inside tried to help us in all possible ways they could. So after all the wasted efforts of 2 hours, we finally had to break a window to access the door lock from inside! The crudest way fit. Of course, we broke the smallest window in the car at the rear for minimum damage costs later. We thanked our stars and our saviours who stuck with us in the entire ordeal. Learning from this - Never ever forget to pull out your car keys when stepping out (even for a minute)!
By this time, the sun had already set and our destination was still very far. We, not being a very big fan of overnight driving, decided to alter our destination and head to the nearest available beach now - Murud beach which was about 2 hours drive from there. And we also pulled in some local villagers going back after day's long work to their homes! It was an interesting drive - We trying to converse in a very broken Mumbai versed Marathi , they speaking in a different village Marathi dialect, not getting what the other was saying - the smiles post the conversation seemed to dissolve the differences!
This little deviation in our route landed us to the beautiful beach of Murud in the pitch darkness (even by 8 pm) and I didn't get to appreciate its beauty and serenity until sunrise the next morning. We spend the night at the beach side local resort. The morning view of the beach is at its full glory and is justifiable in the picture below -
Murud
Where to stay? - There are couple of decent resorts on the Murud beach and you can take your pick. We stayed at Dreamland resorts which offered simple Maharashtrian food and games for involvement like carom, table tennis and a hammock for sky gazing !
Harnai, Anjarle and Kelshi - All these are small villages on the Konkan coastline thriving majorly on fishing. These places offer the real Konkan rustic charm. The drive along the coast is splendid with few stunning view of the sea, the greenery around and glimpse of the life of the locals here.
Where to stay?- Since these are not tourists destinations, you might not get many places to stay. Anjarle has few resorts though - Ketki beach resort is one I recall. Nevertheless, planning to drive along these places is best recommended to enjoy the beauty they offer.
Harihareshwar - We took a detour again after reaching Mahad to Harihareshwar since we had another day remaining of our long weekend and we weren't disappointed as well. The lonely drive to Harihareshwar offers you some resplendent views amidst the thick abundant forests and is indeed very refreshing.
Harihareshwar is famous for the temple of lord Harihareshwar and is situated right at the beach.
The beach has a long stretch of sand for walks in low tides and also a rocky cliff where you can stand and enjoy wave splashes - you just need to be careful of the moss and shells though.
Where to stay? - There is a very beautiful MTDC resort near the beach but needs to be pre-booked especially in the case of long and public holidays. Needless to say, we couldn't get any accommodation there and chose the first available local hotel stay at the beach.
The change of viewing the life through simple lens and slowing down even for a day or 2 gives a fresh perspective! If you are looking for a tranquil vacation with just relaxing on the beach and savouring simple Maharashtrian delicacies, this Konkan drive might do wonders as your next trip!
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