Team-BHP > Travelogues


Reply
  Search this Thread
12,301 views
Old 1st February 2012, 11:43   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

As a matter of habit I have never felt like spending the New Year sitting at home glued to the Idiot Box and watch strangers shout out the New Year countdown in my face.

This year since we had a mega trip from Bombay to Vizag to Bombay planned exactly 7 days from the 1st of Jan, taking a long and extended trip over the New Year Weekend was out of the question but then where to go??

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-043.jpg

Eventually me and the wifey decided to just drive down the coast south of Bombay to visit the Korlai Fort and Light House, since we had always been missing this on our rides earlier.

So, there we were..

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-084.jpg

However we decided to things a "little" differently this new year!!
PGNarain is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 1st February 2012, 12:30   #2
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

I had often heard of being able to go from South Mumbai to Mandwa and Rewas near Alibaug by a ferry, with a bike in tow.

However when i started to inquire about details concerning the same there was hardly any information to go on and what info was available, was very fragmented and rather unconvincing. But since I was really charged up about this trip, we decided to head out and take our chances.

Since the 31st was a working day for the both of us we headed down to the office on the bike to attend the half day on Saturday, planning to leave directly from our office.

Everyone was in the holiday mood at the office and there was hardly any work as well, also I was raring to go. As soon as the clock struck 1330 we were out and on the road to Ferry Wharf or Bhauchhe Dhakka as it is called to catch our boat to Rewas.

We got to Ferry Wharf within a few minutes but it seems a lot of people had the same idea as us. The place was crowded and before my bullet there were at least 15 bikes waiting to be loaded onto ferries as they came.

The published fare for each passenger was Rs. 38/- but the clerk at the Ticket Window was charging everyone Rs.40/- with all fares being one-way direct to Rewas. The bikes were charged separately while being loaded and not at the Ticket Window. We had to pay Rs 50/- at Ferry Wharf, at the time of loading and Rs 70/- when we got off at Rewas after unloading, irrespective of size/cc.

While we were waiting for the ferry, we talked to a few shopkeepers and they told us that usually ferries run to a schedule that gets published 2 days in advance and it seems the ferries usually run more or less empty but at least adhere to the time table.

Seeing the New Year rush ferries were running to capacity and not following any time table. Each time a ferry would come the ticket window would open and only tickets for waiting ferry would be sold. If you were late (which we were) you had to wait till the next ferry arrived, which was about 25-30mins and then the mad rush for tickets would begin again.

Eventually we boarded and headed out for Rewas.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-009.jpg

The boat crew were lashing all the bikes as well, which i thought was a very good idea.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-004.jpg

My bike enjoying her first trip out at sea.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-006.jpg

Seagulls seemed to be very interested in my bullet!!

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-014.jpg

More seagulls, people were feeding them scarps of popcorn and the birds were having a ball of a time.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-015.jpg

The boat was packed to capacity on both the decks with holiday revelers.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-016.jpg

The boat ride was about 1hr 30mins and at first I could hardly make out the small Rewas Jetty in the distance.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-017.jpg

Things became clearer as we neared the jetty.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-018.jpg

And nearer still, you can just about make out the beeline of people waiting for our ferry to get back to Mumbai.

Last edited by PGNarain : 1st February 2012 at 14:24.
PGNarain is offline  
Old 1st February 2012, 13:00   #3
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Till the bikes were not unloaded and firmly on dry land, my heart was constantly in my mouth.

It is one thing to unload a Discover or Pulsar across a 2 feet plank of wood but another thing for a 200kg bullet. But the boat crew were very experienced if not professional and there really was nothing to worry about ..

Finally on dry land..

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-023.jpg

time to pose or some pictures..

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-020.jpg

The Rewas jetty in the background.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-022.jpg

The way out, Revdanda here we come!!

Last edited by PGNarain : 1st February 2012 at 14:18.
PGNarain is offline  
Old 1st February 2012, 14:10   #4
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

After getting off at Rewas we drove straight to the Vikram Vatika Resort at Revdanda where we had already booked rooms.

Thank god for that bit of foresight, as by the time we reached the resort it was evening and well past sunset. All rooms at the resort were occupied and with nowhere else to stay nearby, being without accommodation would have meant that we would have had to probably head back to our home at Navi Mumbai.

Our rooms were east facing and we caught the first rays of the new year sun streaming into our rooms.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-024.jpg

Good morning sunshine!!

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-025.jpg

The first sunrise of the New Year.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-031.jpg

After checking out of the Resort we went to the adjoining Birla Temple, since the night before it was way too crowded. Early morning it was empty and very pleasant.

Headed straight to Korlai after breakfast. It seems that "Korlai" has derived it's name from a particular dialect of Portuguese "Creole" language that is spoken nowhere else but here in this small forgotten fishing village near the fort.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-032.jpg

The road to Korlai Light house is a dirt road and good enough for one car at a time only. It hugs the mountain and runs alongside the Korlai beach. We thoroughly enjoyed driving down this small but scenic road.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-038.jpg

My wife and my bike

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-039.jpg

The road ahead with my trusty bullet.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-041.jpg

Went for a small guided tour to the top of the lighthouse and enjoyed the view, posed for a few snaps and headed out to the Fort to which there is a broken stone staircase that runs just behind the Light House.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-054.jpg

Going up to the Fort.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-056.jpg

A view of the Lighthouse and the bay during the ascent.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-066.jpg

Exploring the fort but the wifey is too busy checking new year msgs from all her well wishers!!

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-067.jpg

A view of the Revdanda Port barely visible covered in morning mist from the ramparts of Korlai fort.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-069.jpg

The revdanda bay stretching out from the ramparts of the fort.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-077.jpg

Just outside the ramparts which also has the remains of a disused wharf that was used during Portuguese times.

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-079.jpg

After we were done exploring the Fort, we headed out to the Kashid Beach for lunch and then from there it was back to home to office the next day and to prepare for our upcoming west coast to east coast and back trip..

A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea-new-year-2012-085.jpg

Last edited by PGNarain : 1st February 2012 at 14:18.
PGNarain is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 3rd February 2012, 10:18   #5
GTO
Team-BHP Support
 
GTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bombay
Posts: 70,337
Thanked: 298,736 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues forum. Thanks for sharing!
GTO is offline  
Old 3rd February 2012, 10:50   #6
Senior - BHPian
 
Fordmanchau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 1,666
Thanked: 340 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Thanks for sharing Narain!!
Looks like a offbeat place,that's well known to the Mumbai Junta.
But should be a nice place for some quiet time during the off season's.
Nice photographs too.
Fordmanchau is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 3rd February 2012, 11:11   #7
Senior - BHPian
 
parsh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bombay
Posts: 1,611
Thanked: 1,298 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Nice cute little travelogue there to nice out of the way place. Thanks for sharing. Visit to Alibaug seems to be becoming stronger now seeing your travelogue.

Had heard and seen of Bike Boat-rides to Alibaug and always thought it must be quite a fun to do. But Bhaucha Dhakka has started becoming totally unkept dumping and stinking ground (can't help stinking due to fish but atleast better upkeep can be done by govt) as experienced once again when we visited there in Dec 2011 just to check out and show it to kids. Had to literally keep kids locked in car.
parsh is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 3rd February 2012, 11:15   #8
Senior - BHPian
 
harishnayak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: DELHI
Posts: 1,396
Thanked: 125 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

looks like a short and sweet fun trip with the 2 loves of your life.
harishnayak is offline  
Old 3rd February 2012, 11:49   #9
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordmanchau View Post
Thanks for sharing Narain!!
Looks like a offbeat place,that's well known to the Mumbai Junta.
But should be a nice place for some quiet time during the off season's.
Nice photographs too.
thanks Fordmanchu, yes the place is close to Mumbai, easy to get to and a good place for a quick weekend getaway.

Quote:
Originally Posted by parsh View Post
Nice cute little travelogue there to nice out of the way place. Thanks for sharing. Visit to Alibaug seems to be becoming stronger now seeing your travelogue.

Had heard and seen of Bike Boat-rides to Alibaug and always thought it must be quite a fun to do. But Bhaucha Dhakka has started becoming totally unkept dumping and stinking ground (can't help stinking due to fish but atleast better upkeep can be done by govt) as experienced once again when we visited there in Dec 2011 just to check out and show it to kids. Had to literally keep kids locked in car.
Thanks parsh, hope you get to visit alibaug soon. We actually didn't stop at Alibaug, it was way to crowded owing to the New Year rush.

Ferry Wharf, as you mentioned, smells badly, sometime overpoweringly so of fish. My wife is a strict vegetarian and cannot tolerate the smell of drying fish. Fortunately, when we were at Bhaucche Dhakka, at least the passenger/vehicle terminal was well removed and not smelling of fish, which is just as well, becoz we had to wait for about 30-40mins for the tickets.

Quote:
Originally Posted by harishnayak View Post
looks like a short and sweet fun trip with the 2 loves of your life.
Thanks Harish, you hit the nail on the head. My wife oftens refers to my bullet as - "your girlfriend"
PGNarain is offline  
Old 3rd February 2012, 15:10   #10
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Pune
Posts: 1,251
Thanked: 343 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Nice crisp TL. Loved it.

Many years ago i had taken a ferry from Mumbai to go to Uran. Now don't remember if that was from Bhaucha Dhakka. Do ferries to Uran also leave from that place?

Also can you share the contact details of the place you stayed in?
amitwlele is offline  
Old 3rd February 2012, 16:41   #11
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 408
Thanked: 610 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Quote:
Originally Posted by amitwlele View Post
Nice crisp TL. Loved it.

Many years ago i had taken a ferry from Mumbai to go to Uran. Now don't remember if that was from Bhaucha Dhakka. Do ferries to Uran also leave from that place?

Also can you share the contact details of the place you stayed in?
Thanks Amit.

The Jetty serving Uran is the Mora Dhakka on the Northern shore of Uran and yes there are regular ferry services connecting Ferry Wharf to Mora Jetty (for Uran), Rewas and Mandwa (for Alibaug).

I have heard that ferries leave from Gateway for Karanja Jetty, which lies on the southern shore on Uran as well but can't substantiate this.

The direct ferry services to Alibaug (Rewas and Mandwa) are suspended during the monsoon owing to rough seas, but the ferry services to Mora Dhakka run during the monsoons as well, however they are subject to cancellation in case of inclement weather. From Mora you can travel south over land to Karanja Jetty to catch another ferry to Alibaug.

Mora is about 30-35kms from Belapur and about 70km to Alibaug.

I am unfortunately not aware about the costs of tickets for people/bikes since we were tooo preoccupied buying our own tickets but should not more than Rs.30-50 per person in any case.

During our stay at Revdanda we put up at Vikram Vatika Resorts, pls see the link below

Vikram Vatika, Revdanda, Raigad, Maharashtra

You will be unable to contact them directly and will have to book through Nivalink Services, as I did, who will make the reservations on your behalf.

The Resort is sandwiched between the Birla Temple and Welspun Colony sharing a common boundary wall with either of them. To the best of my knowledge it is the only place to stay in Revdanda, the other hotels/resorts come up only as you approach Kashid.

On a personal note, Vikram Vatika is not a great place to stay for more than one night. The restaurant is passable in taste and hygiene. Rooms are strictly ok-ok and big in size. They look like they have seen far-better days. In my opinion the place will be rather unliveable during the monsoons when damp will take over and the best season should be in winters.

Hope this helps.
PGNarain is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 5th February 2012, 10:08   #12
Senior - BHPian
 
harishnayak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: DELHI
Posts: 1,396
Thanked: 125 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Quote:
Originally Posted by PGNarain View Post
thanks Fordmanchu, yes the place is close to Mumbai, easy to get to and a good place for a quick weekend getaway.



Thanks parsh, hope you get to visit alibaug soon. We actually didn't stop at Alibaug, it was way to crowded owing to the New Year rush.

Ferry Wharf, as you mentioned, smells badly, sometime overpoweringly so of fish. My wife is a strict vegetarian and cannot tolerate the smell of drying fish. Fortunately, when we were at Bhaucche Dhakka, at least the passenger/vehicle terminal was well removed and not smelling of fish, which is just as well, becoz we had to wait for about 30-40mins for the tickets.



Thanks Harish, you hit the nail on the head. My wife oftens refers to my bullet as - "your girlfriend"
Haha..Situation is worse here. My wife considers my Birdie as my wife .

See my Albums and you would know. Harish Nayak | Facebook
harishnayak is offline  
Old 14th February 2012, 13:43   #13
Senior - BHPian
 
pjbiju's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Pune
Posts: 1,357
Thanked: 1,088 Times
Re: A Short New Year Trip with my Bullet over Land and Sea

Quote:
Originally Posted by PGNarain View Post
...

On a personal note, Vikram Vatika is not a great place to stay for more than one night. The restaurant is passable in taste and hygiene. Rooms are strictly ok-ok and big in size. They look like they have seen far-better days. In my opinion the place will be rather unliveable during the monsoons when damp will take over and the best season should be in winters.

Hope this helps.
Good to have come across this travelogue PGNarain. So I have this fort and light house to look forward to during my next trip. From what the security guard at the temple told me, the Vikram Vatika was initially meant to provide free food/lodging to the people coming to the temple. Later on it was converted to a hotel.
pjbiju is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks