Suggestions for a weeks holiday in W Maharashtra

[Sawyer]

I plan to travel for a week in early November, just my wife and I in the new Gypsy, starting from Pune. Broadly, the idea is to get down to Dapoli, by the sea, using back roads that are scenic, and stay in the area for 4-5 days. On the way back, I am thinking of a couple of days in Mahabaleshwar. Because I know the ghat roads well, the idea is to get down using the Varandha ghat, and climb back to M'war via Poladpur.
By the coast, the idea is to chill out by the sea, and sample the great seafood that is available, supposedly.
Given this, any specific suggestions on places to visit along the coast and to stay? Would adding G'pule to the itinerary be too much of a stretch? Is Guhagar worth checking out? Any days of the week to avoid?
We don't need to stay in hotels/resorts, unless there is no alternative. What matters is that the rooms/loos are clean, service is good, and food is great! AC rooms not a must either. Places to stay must obviously be ok from a safety standpoint for the car and us - not in that order of course!
Recent visitor advice would be much appreciated.

[hvkumar]

H V Kumar - Driving Log Books - KUMAR'S DRIVING LOG BOOKS Maharashtra Coast, Nov 2005

Check out the above link, has log book for a coastal ride of Maharashtra starting from Dapoli (via Ambet) and going on to Ganapatipule via small coastal roads.

I am told that the Kinara Resort at Kelshi near Dapoli (check my log) is a great place for seafood.
Dabhol.
Guhagar is a small beach town and the beach is peaceful although I am sure weekends and holidays will be full of noisy crowds.

Remember that there is no bridge across River Vashishti, and you have to take a ferry across to

[Sawyer]

Tnank you Sir, very useful! Is there any part of India you have not surveyed?!! Pardon the ignorance, but what does RTO/LTO mean? I hear you re the weekend crowds, I intend to start from Pune on a Monday morning, after the schools reopen after Diwali. Should be a little cooler and less humid then - October is about the worst it can get in terms of humidity, worse than May even.

[hvkumar]

Explanation about the legends used in the log books:
RTO means Right Turn Off, the place where you must turn Right, and LTO means the place where you must turn left.
If you see R, L or S, that means at that point, the road to the Right, Left or Straight goes to the destination indicated. PP means petrol pump.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

i suggest,
rather than staying at dapoli, stay at either karde or murud harnai.
from dapoli toward dabhol, ladghar is the place of interest.
at dabhol, you can enter in guhagar taluka by ferry.
guhagar beach is worth to just visit and no swimming. you can stay at velneshwar or hedvi , @ 20 km after guhagar.
i had stayed at hedvi's lone basic resort, hotel swaruchi[ name may be slightly different] run by abhay bhatkar.
from hedvi, you can go to ganapatipule via rai-bhatgaon bridge.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

i suggest,

Thank you, Sir! Very useful input too. I know that MTDC has some decent resorts in these parts, but I believe one has to book in advance. I prefer to freewheel this time, and not have a fixed itinerary, staying longer/shorter depending on the appeal of the place.
At each of the places you recommend, can you also recommend places to stay? Non AC is fine, as long as the place is clean and safe. And quiet and close to the sea. With good seafood served. Home stays ok too. I will go in early November, from a Monday to a Saturday, so I expect there should not be an issue in getting places to stay without booking them in advance, given we are just two people.
Appreciate any further input/advise.

[Volt]

Sawyer, since you are open to homestays, may I suggest Culture Aangan : Home Stays, they have homestays in the Sindhudurg district (I am not sure if you plan to travel that far). Unfortunately I havent stayed there, wife had already made the bookings at MTDC in Tarkarli before I began my research.

[frequentflyer]

IN Dapoli there is a place named Sagar Savali that is highly recommended. it is at Burde...

I think u can also take a boat ride to see the Janjira fort, which was invincible in its age.

MTDC bkg is available online so do try and book before hand.

[Sawyer]

@Volt, yes, I was notified of the culture angan site, and it looks very interesting, just the kind of stays we are looking at. I am tempted to go that far just to check out the one close to the beach...and since we are marathi, it should be that much easier too, the home stays. Never ever explored the konkan and it is high time we made more use of nh17 than to use it to just go to goa!
@ff, janjira would be the other murud, so we will probably leave that exploration for another drive to that area. I want to be able to meander without fixed dates, which means no mtdc, I guess.
Is there much of a difference in the taste of the cooking between malvan and say, murud? Or is it all malvani style all along?
I hope to take lots of pictures.

[naren_gs1]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I plan to travel for a week in early November, just my wife and I in the new Gypsy, starting from Pune.

Hello,
I saw this thread a bit late. If you stretch yourself a bit more - Malavan (400 kms from Pune) can be an option too. Relevant parameters are:

1) If you intend to stay at beach for 4-5 days, then you might need variety. Options at this place are:
a) Sindudurg fort
b) Tarkarli beach. I have not been to all the beaches on west coast - but this beach has clear water.
c) Snorkelling - I did this in May and I was told winter is the best time to view sea-life.
d) Dolphins
e) Backwaters in Deobag

2) Malavani food is probably most known in all of Konkan?

3) You can still have you Mahabaleshwar covered

4) You get to see two more ghat routes to Konkan - Gaganbawda and Phonda ghat - both between Kolhapur & Kankawli

Regards

[Sawyer]

Thanks, Naren. I do know the Gaganbawda road and I love that one too, but this itinerary will give me a chance to see Radhanagari/Phonda which is just as scenic, I am told. Maybe I will start at Tarkarli, and then travel northwards back home. Along the coast till Poladpur. Where did you stay when you were there in May?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I know that MTDC has some decent resorts in these parts, but I believe one has to book in advance.
At each of the places you recommend, can you also recommend places to stay? Non AC is fine, as long as the place is clean and safe. And quiet and close to the sea. With good seafood served. Home stays ok too.

no, mtdc has not any resort in this area except ganapatipule.
mtdc site claims that there is resort at velneshwar but still i am not sure.


i recommend..

1] at karde beach, hotel kinara, 02358234633, ac/non ac rooms, good seafood, bang on beach, tariff 1000 onwards.

2] at hedvi, hotel suruchi corner, owner abhay bhatkar, 02359243209/243616, basic hotel/resort, beautiful place at seashore, homely food, tariff 600 onwards, prebooking must.


3] ganapatipule, only and only mtdc resort.

4] for food, have nice seafood at hotel annapurna in guhagar.

[naren_gs1]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Where did you stay when you were there in May?

I stayed at Siddhivinayak,Devbag (02365 248407 - Manoj). Pls note following about this place:
1) This is right on the beach. You walk 20 feet from your room and you are on the beach.
2) Devbag is a fishing town - so you might not have 100% privacy all the times while swimming on the beach.
3) Rooms are clean but primitive, service is very good through the day inlcuding food (Though I can comment only the VEG food)
4) This place is around 10-12 kms from Malvan town and raods are narrow all through Trakarli & to Devbag. And some stretches between Tarkarli & Devbag are too narrow to let two vehicles pass through - hence either one must back up for ten(s) of meters to make way!

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Itinerary will give me a chance to see Radhanagari/Phonda which is just as scenic, I am told.

Yes, this stretch is beautiful and there is very less traffic, and this strecthes for I think 40-60 kms. Pls note I drove around noon time. I am not sure, but driving during night time would be better if avoided. Some ghat turns are very steep, must have been 25-35 degrees.

Hope this helps
Regards

[Sawyer]

Thanks for all the responses - as of now the itinerary is shaping up to get to Malvan via Kolhapur, Radhanagari, Phonda after a 6 am start from Pune, and stay at Chivala beach at a home for three days, to enjoy the cuisine and explore the area from there. What I have to now decide is whether the drive north should have a stopover at Ganapatipule or at Karde beach. For the former, MTDC I guess, and if Karde, Hotel Kinara seems to be the place to stay. Couple of days there, and then head up to Mahabaleshwar for a day.
Is there any other place enroute on the way back where an extra day/night may be well spent? If that be the case, we may even give M'war a miss and drive back straight via Tamhini.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Is there any other place enroute on the way back where an extra day/night may be well spent?

Amboli! It's heaven just after the rains; am sure you will be tempted to spend more than a day/night there

Cheers,
Vikram