Excursion

Beaches
Maharashtra's 720 km long affair with the Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north up to Goa proceeding southwards. If you've got an inclination for sand, sea and surf, this state has great many interesting options in store. Any place you choose is conveniently linked to Mumbai which is a good starting point. All these places are well connected by State Buses. The coastal climate of Maharashtra makes travelling pleasant all round the year. Seas are rough only during the monsoon, which strikes between June and September. Discover the real Maharashtra while you soak up the sun on soft sands or explore appealing sights. Maharastra is the perfect place to start on an enlightening tour. No other coasting India offers you such a vast choice of majestic forts like khanderi, Undheri, Malvani, Goa, Murud, Sindhudurg and Suvarnadurg. Discover the real Maharastra while you soak up the soft sands.

[ Dahanu-Bordi | Ganapatipule | Mandwa And Kihim | Marve, Manori And Gorai |Shriwardhan-Harihareshwar | Tarkarli | Velneshwar | Vengurla - Malvan ]

Dahanu-Bordi
Dahanu, a quiet seaside town with a sprawling, uncluttered beach, is situated in Thane District. The Dahanu-Bordi stretch is 17 kms. This once-barren land thrived under Irani settlers, an earthy people. Dahanu is lined with fruit orchards and is famous for its chickoo fruit. Accessible from Dahanu is Udwada -- an important place of worship for the Zoroastrians -- with a large, beautiful temple that houses their sacred fire. An amazing fact but true, this fire has been kept alive for almost a thousand years.

Getting there Nearest airport is Mumbai, 145 kms. Nearest railhead is Gholwad, 2 kms. Also accessible from Dahanu Rly station 15 kms. Mumbai to Bordi is 145 kms. Dahanu to Bordi is 15 kms. State Transport buses ply regularly between Dahanu Road and Bordi

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Ganapatipule
The sun-kissed beach and lush green of Ganapatipule eventually draws tourists back, year after year. The added attraction is a 400-year old temple, which houses the Swayambhu Ganapati. Some interesting excursions are Malgund, the birthplace of Keshavsoot and the Marathi poet. Ratnagiri, the birthplace of Lokmanya Tilak, and Thebaw Place, where the deposed king of Burma was confined. Jaigad Fort and Swami Swarupanand's Ashram in Pawas are also worth a visit. Water Sport facility available (Except during monsoon).

Getting there Nearest airport is Mumbai. Convenient railhead is Ratnagiri, 50 kms on the Konkan Railway. Mumbai-Ganapatipule, 375kms via Mahad. Pune-Ganapatipule 331kms via Satara, Kolhapur-Ganapatipule, 144kms. StateTransport buses ply from Mumbai and Ratnagiri to Ganapatipule. MTDC bus plies between Mumbai & Ganapatipule.

(Seasonal) Accommodation: MTDC has a beach resort at Ganapatipule. It is a full-fledged resort with water sports, and other adventure sporting facilities.

Checkout time: 9.00 a.m. Reservation: Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Goa, Pune, Kolhapur and Ganapatipule

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Mandwa And Kihim
You will find these two beach front's 12 miles north of Alibag on the north coast and easily accessible from Mumbai. Mandwa is a beautiful, untrodden beach. On a clear day one can enjoy a long, breathtaking view across the bay, up to the Gateway of India. Mandwa village too, has a charm of its own -- with its beautiful groves of coconut palms.

You can plan an unusual tent holiday nearby at Kihim. Unspoiled and isolated, this beautiful place has a soothing effect on all city dwellers. For the nature lover, Kihim has a lot to offer: woods full with wild flowers and rare butterflies and birds.

Worth visiting is the Kolaba Fort, just a furlong away from the shore. 15 kms from Alibag is Chaul, an historic place with Portuguese ruins, Buddhist Caves, the Hamam Khana, a church, a temple and even a house of worship.

Getting there Nearest airport is Mumbai, 136kms. Nearest railhead is Panvel, 85 kms on Konkan Railway. Mumbai-Pen-Alibag-Kihim, 136kms. Alibag-Kihim, 12 kms,Panvel-Kihim 85kms. State Transport buses ply form mumbai to Alibag, and Alibag, Rewas to Kihim. By Sea: Nearest port is Rewas, 6 kms from Kihim. Regular ferry service between Mumbai Rewas (except during monosoon)

Accommodation: Privatized Resort of MTDC. Fully furnished tents (except during monosoon). Reservation: Mumbai

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Marve, Manori and Gorai
North of Mumbai and away from its bustling crowds and pollution, are these 3 gems that have become popular havens for Mumbai's beleaguered fun lovers. Marve, the closest and the quietest is a lovely little fishing village. There are some beautiful bungalows and up-scale homes belonging to the cities wealthy used mainly as weekend getaways. Low hills along the beach offer you extraordinary views of sunrise and sunset. Gorai and Manori, a little further away, are more crowded with revelers and are famous for all night beach parties.

Getting There: Marve is about 40 kms by car from Mumbai. You can alight at Malad railway station (a suburban station on the Western Railway line) and proceed by road. A 15-minute ferry ride from Marve or Borivali will take you to Manori or Gorai.

Accommodation: Some private hotels and shacks are available on the beachfronts.

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Shriwardhan-Harihareshwar
Gentle winds, soft sands and inviting waters make Shriwardhan Bay irresistible to beach lovers. And if one relishes seafood, there is no dearth of delicacies to sample here. Adventurers can even take a small boat to the north side of the bay and explore a land where the Peshwas or Prime ministers of the Maratha kingdom, originally resided. The Peshwa Smarak is of interest to most people who visit Shriwardhan.The town of Harihareshwar is known for its tranquil and picturesque beach and is also famous for the temple of Harihareshwar.

Getting there Nearst airport is Mumbai. 215 kms. Nearest railhead is Mangaon, 65 kms.on Konkan Rly. Mumbai-Harihareshwar, 230 kms. via Panvel-Mangaon-Goregaon Phata on Mumbai-Goa Highway. Shriwardhan-Harihareshwar, 20 kms. Bangmandala-Harihareshwar, 4 kms.

Accommodation: Self-contained rooms (4 blocks) Deluxe A/C/Non-A/C kokani house (10 blocks).Tents (seasonal). Restaurant with permit room is available.

Checkout time: 9.00 a.m.

Reservation: Mumbai and Harihareshwar.

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Tarkarli
Tarkarli Situated 6 kms south of Malvan and 546 kms away from Mumbai on the coast of Maharashtra is Tarkarli. The major attraction here is the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its pristine water. On a clear day, you can see the sea bed through a depth of 20 ft. Then, of course there are the forts, Singhudurg, one of Maharashtra's more popular and importance sea forts, built in the 17 Th century and the famous Padmagarh fort. While in Tarkarli, make sure to visit the restaurant for the delectable cuisine and experience something unusual-staying in MTDC's inviting Konkani Huts.

Getting there: Nearest airport is Dabolim (Goa). Nearest railhead is Kudal, 45kms. On konkan Railway. Mumbai-Tarkarli, 546 kms. Kolhapur-Tarkarli, 160 kms. Malvan-Tarkarli 7kms. State Transport buses ply from Mumbai, Kolhapur, Pune to Malvan and from Malvan to Tarkarli. Rickshaws are also available forms Malvan.

Accomadation: The MTDC resort at Tarkali includes 20 Konkani Huts.

Checkout time: 9.00 Hrs.

Reservation: Kolhapur, Mumbai.

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Velneshwar
North of the Shastri River lies the idyllic village of Velneshwar. The quiet, coconut-fringed beach offers the visitor the ideal opportunity for swimming or just relaxing. There is an old Shiva temple in the environs, which is often frequented by pilgrims. Velneshwar is the focus of attention once a year in March, when the Maha Shivratri Fair is held in honour of the god Shankar or Shiva.

Getting there: The nearest railhead is Chiplun on the Konkan Railway. By road, Mumbai via Chiplun and Guhagar is 370 kms away.

Accommodation: The resort, which MTDC plans to build here, will be ideally located on a hillock with the sea on both sides.

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Vengurla
With its long stretch of white sands, and hills covered with cashew, coconut, jackfruit and mango groves lies the pristine and beautiful town of Vengurla. It has two well-known temples: the Shri Devi Sateri temple and the Rameshwar Mandir.

Vengurla is often mentioned in history books as a trade settlement. Twice burned to the ground, it was the target of repetitive attacks and plunders between 1664 and 1812. To the west-north-west lie the Vengurla Rocks, also called Burnt Islands. On what was once an inner island, and is now part of the mainland, lies the old town of Malvan, almost hidden by palms.

The rocky terrain of Malvan holds 2 forts: Sindhudurg and Padmagad. It is said that there was an underground route joining them. Formerly a trading zone, Malvan is toady known for its salt pans, Chinese clay pottery and the special Malvani cuisine, which is quite distinct from Konkan food.

Getting there: The closest railhead is Kudal on the Konkan Railway. By road, Malvan is 514 kms away from Mumbai, 200 kms from Ratnagiri. Vengurla is 522 kms from Mumbai.

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