Feb 13, 2009 05:53 PM
13897 Views
(Updated Feb 17, 2009 11:06 PM)
There is no better combination than luxury amidst nature…and with this glorious image in my mind I had started my search for a luxurious& ‘different’ place near a beach.
Kelva Beach Resort, as depicted by its website, seemed to be a more than perfect match for my imagination. After trying for several weeks to book the ‘Log hut’ (best room of the lot) there and being unsuccessful, finally I managed to get it. The icing on the cake was that it was just few days from my anniversary & could be a perfect precursor to the celebrations.
We (my wife & I) drove 130 kms from our Santacruz residence and reached there in about 3 hrs with 1 stop at KAMATS (almost midway) for breakfast. The way is simple, take the western expressway, follow on to NH8 viz. Ahmedabad highway.
Then turn left towards Manor & Palghar.After reaching palghar, ask anyone for Kelve village or Kelva beach and there you are. Mind you, finding the resort in the last 500 metres is a challenge.Slow down on reaching Sitladevi temple and take right going next to it and keep asking for directions to the resort. Roads are great throughout the way !
The resort is built 200 metres from the sea but you can barely see the sea from any part on the resort. The beach is one of cleanest beaches I’ve ever seen in our country. The resort has log huts, wooden huts, cement cottages and tents. Prices are Rs.3500, 3000, 2500 and 2000 respectively for a couple per night on weekends.
The package includes 3 meals and morning-evening tea & snacks. We stayed in the log huts- made completely out of wood on a raised platform- something like stilts. Comfortable and clean room and bathroom, well maintained as well. Every room has its own sit out which is the best thing about it. The resort has facilities like badminton, swimming pool, table tennis, pool, bicycles.
All of the above must have given a very rosy picture of the entire setup to readers. Well there are certain shortcomings. The food is BAD.Buffet is served with 2-3 dishes that taste okay… anything we ordered for snacks was really badddd.
The rooms don’t have intercom and for every smallest thing you have to walk upto the reception. The swimming pool is very small, pool and bicycles are charged @ Rs.100 per hour. Many people come there for day trip that the resort offers for just Rs.400 per person inclusive of meals.These people are given the ‘common room’ for changing, resting, etc and incidentally this room is same where TT, pool, carom can be played. Highly irritating!
The staff is less in number and just about okay. The fan was not working and wasn’t repaired until 8 pm. There is no Television at the resort. Rooms have some foreign magazines that are several years old editions. Its not really a couple place- more of a ‘group of booze friends’ place. The prices are not really worth especially the log huts, should have been priced around 2000 level.
The food is the biggest turn off and there aren’t many decent options outside. There are certain other resorts there like Samudra that seemed decent and full, so you might want to consider it as an option. So my overall verdict would be that Kelva Beach Resort is definitely a‘different’ place and located at a nice clean beach, but far from LUXURY. My last trip has strengthened my belief that there are only 2 good tourist places in & around Maharashtra- Mahabaleshwar & Goa.
