Dec 15, 2005 11:24 AM
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(Updated Dec 15, 2005 11:24 AM)
Its holiday time, but where do we go? The big question that Gauri and myself were contemplating for a few weeks. We had decided earlier that we would go on holiday every year around our wedding anniversary time in December. With Gauri expecting, North India was ruled out since it involved a lot of travel and Doctor had strictly advised against long distance travel. So, we had to look at a place nearby. After much contemplation we zeroed in on TARKARLI, a beach on the Malvan Coast which is around 550 Kms from Mumbai, 7 Kms from Malvan Town.
How to reach:
We took the overnight train from Mumbai to Kudal, the nearest rail head to reach Tarkarli. Trains going to Madgoan on Konkan Railway stop over at Kudal. From Kudal one can hire an Auto rickshaw to reach Tarkarli. It’s a good hour and half journey thru wonderful landscape. The roads in certain pockets are bad, but the sheer excitement of going on a holiday made us forget all these. Gauri started chatting with the Auto driver who had so much to say about local people, local culture, and local politics that it made the journey even more interesting. The Auto rickshaw charges vary from Rs. 250 to Rs.350 depending on how good u bargain. Understand State Transport also operates buses from Kudal to Malvan, but we were in no mood to try it.
Where to Stay:
We had booked at the MTDC resort on the Tarkarli beach through a local travel agent in Mumbai. After our experience at Matheran, we were a little worried on the type of accommodation. But this resort exceeded our expectations multi fold. The MTDC resort is around 6 Kms from Malvan Town, on the Tarkarli beach, itself. There are around 20 cottages (10 ac and 10 non ac). We opted for a non-ac Cottage. The reception is in form of a house boat which goes well with the local landscape. The cottages are located in between tall trees (Locals call it “SURU”)…giving it a classy look. The rooms are spacious with all modern amenities. There are hammocks all around the place giving a holiday feel. There is a makeshift restaurant that prepares very limited variety, but excellent, food. The dining tables are facing the sea and it is wonderful experience having food watching the sea. The permanent structure is coming up nearby and we were told it wud be ready in the next 3 months. Hope the new structure give the same look and feel as the make shift one.
The rates are season based, we paid Rs. 950/- per night (Plus luxury tax) for a non ac cottage. We went in the medium peak season (First week of December).
What to see / What to do:
Sindhudurg Fort: The fort is located 5 to 6 kms from the resort. One can take a auto rickshaw which charges you Rs. 50/- one way. Just inform the hotel manager that u want to see the fort, he will arrange for the auto rickshaw.
The Fort is located in the middle of the Sea. From the harbour, the fort is a 10 minute boat ride. There is a co-operative society which controls these boat rides. They charge a fixed fee of Rs. 27 per head for a return trip to the Fort. The boat carries a batch of 20 persons per trip. So if there are not many people, u will have to wait till the number is 20.
On reaching the Fort, u r given an hour time to look around the Fort. The Fort is a massive structure but most of it is in ruins. Thanks to Archeological survey of India some restoration works have happened. We hired a guide, who charged us Rs. 60/- and gave a detailed explanation of the Fort. The view of the nearby fishing villages from the watchtowers of the Fort is fantastic. The sun disappearing behind the Fort is a sight to watch.
Boat ride into the Sea, Dolphin Watch & Deo bagh Beach: The next morning we went on a boat ride deep into the sea. The first major spot that we see is “Sangam” the place where the Karli River meets the Sea. After an hour into the sea, we reached the place where Dolphins are normally spotted. We were so excited; this is the first time we would be seeing Dolphins live. Luckily we didn’t have to wait long before we spotted two dolphins. After a while we saw more Dolphins this time a group of 4. Watching them at their playful best is such a pleasant site and something which we will never forget for life.
The next stop was “Deo Bagh” beach. According to a local, the story behind the name is that long time ago when there were massive floods in the area and all the islands were devastated, except for “Deo Bagh”. Hence the name “Deo Bagh” or “Abode of Gods”. The beach is very clean and very beautiful. This beach does deserve a place in one of the top ten beaches in India. We lazed around in the beach while some tea was arranged for us. The water is so clean that one can easily see the sea bed from about 5 feet. The rocks are red in color and have a rough feel because of sea water constantly splashing on them. The whole place is very colorful. The blue sea, the green trees, red rocks & white sand is a Photographers paradise. We didn’t realize that we had spent an hour there…
On the way back we stopped over at a small sand island which must be less than 300 meters in diameter. The island was infested with Sea gulls. This is the first time we had seen Sea gulls. It brought back memories of book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach. With water all around, it makes u wonder “what if u are marooned in an island like this?”
That whole trip lasted for around 3 hours. We did not want it to end…
The boat ride costs Rs. 300/- per couple if there are 2 couples or Rs. 500/- if u want to go on your own.
Lazing around and do nothing: After every meal, we would just sit in the makeshift restaurant and stare at the sea. Trust me; it’s such a nice feeling away from the hush bush of City Life. On Sunday evening there were a lot of local people who come to the beach just to play around. That’s the only time one sees so many people around.
Suggested Itenary:
We felt 2 Nights / 3 Days stay was ideal.
Day One: Check in and Visit to Fort in the Afternoon / Evening.
Day Two: Boat Ride early in the morning. Laze around in the beach in afternoon/Evening
Day Three: Check out.
Interesting people:
There were few interesting people we met, who are worth a mention:
The Auto rickshaw driver: A very friendly chap had so many things to say ranging for materials used for construction to local politics. He took us thru various shortcuts which made the journey to the resort an adventure tour in itself. He insisted that we stop over a temple at Dhamapur to take blessing of the Goddess and enjoy the beautiful view of the lake just behind the temple. He even offered to pick us up from the resort while we were leaving.
“Kaka” – at the restaurant at MTDC: An old bearer at restaurant in MTDC is a curious cat. He makes it a point to converse with everybody whoever comes there. He suggests the places to see and how to get there etc., he is a unofficial travel guide there. He has stories to tell about how about 15 people died a few years back while swimming in the sea.
