Yatri Yadien

September 17, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.120: Kondivali Beach, Shrivardan, Raigad District, Maharashtra.

“Virgin Beauty amongst Konkan Beaches.”

Reviewed 16 September 2015NEW

This beautiful beach is not in Shrivardhan town, but about 5 km north as you drive along the coastal road towards Diveagar. After passing Aravi village the road emerges on to this exquisite strip of golden sand and literally takes your breath away!

The road lined with casuarina trees, and the virgin beach run parallel to each other for almost 2 km. You have to stop and admire the natural beauty and click a few snaps. It is an excellent beach to take a long walk or relax for a while.

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September 15, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.119: Rane Bandhu Khanaval, Diveagar, Konkan, Maharashtra.

“Excellent Konkani Seafood”

Reviewed 13 September 2015NEW

We had driven down from Harihareshwar to Diveagar along the beautiful coastal road and decided to stop for lunch before heading back. But there seemed to be a dearth of good stand-alone seafood restaurants, and most of the good hotels refused to serve walk-in guests. Finally one hotel manager suggested that we visit this place called ‘Rane Bandhu Khanaval’, for a meal.

We found the restaurant in a lane behind the Ganesh Mandir, and it looked like a shack by the roadside. However, unlike the nearby hotels, they were quite ready and willing to serve us without pre-ordering. The place was neat and clean inside, and they even had a good washroom behind.

We ordered the Surmai Plate which consisted of a big piece of fried Surmai fish, 3 chapattis, prawns curry, rice and papad. Rice and curry was available in unlimited quantities. The food was prepared in Konkani style and was very tasty. Their solkadi drink was tangy and refreshing too.

Service was quick and courteous, and the prices reasonable. I would definitely dine here again if I happen to pay another visit to Diveagar.

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September 12, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.118: Lord Shiva Temple, Harihareshwar, Raigad District, Konkan, Maharashtra.

“Holy Shiva Temple by the Sea.”

Reviewed 11 September 2015NEW

This temple is beautifully located at the edge of the Arabian Sea at the southern end of Raigad district in Maharashtra. The temple and the beach together make Harihareshwar a must visit for the spiritually inclined tourist. It is 18 km from Shrivardhan town.

There is a narrow road leading to the temple entrance, and there is a parking lot about 100 metres before the temple gates. The road is lined with a row of shops and eateries. One can buy temple offerings and souvenirs from some of the shops.

The temple has a simple construction with a tiled roof. There are actually two small buildings, one housing the Kal Bhairav mandir, and the other is the main Shiva temple with the stone Shivling. One has to enter the Kal Bhairav temple first and then the Shiva temple.

After a visit to the temple many of the pilgrims do a ‘pradakshina’ or circumambulation of the temple which takes them around the hill at the base of which this temple is located. One has to climb the hill till they reach a cleft in the hill, known as ‘Ganesh Gully’. Then there are steps leading down to the sea and it is believed that there is a Ganesh idol about 30 feet below sea level which can be seen during low tides. The ‘pradakshina’ is a small adventure by itself, and a good way to get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful beach and landscape around the temple. However it is a bit risky to do it during the monsoons and high tides.

Do visit the 2 km long beach after a darshan of the temple. There is also a viewing platform near the temple if the weather is too rough to venture onto the beach. It is fascinating to watch the approaching storm clouds from here during the monsoons.

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September 11, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.117: Harihareshwar Beach, Raigad District, Maharashtra.

“Two Beaches. Too Beautiful.”

Reviewed 10 September 2015NEW

Harihareshwar beach is about 18 km south of Shrivardhan town on the Konkan coast. It is actually two beaches divided by a hill in the centre. At the base of the hill is the famous Lord Shiva Temple from which this beach town gets its name.

The north beach next to the temple is a long straight stretch of blackish sand for about 2 km. This part is more crowded with stalls and activities like quad biking and pony buggy rides. You may see some holiday makers venturing for a swim into the sea, but it’s not very safe at low tide and especially during the monsoons. The temple end of the beach has a look out platform, and this end of the beach is rockier.

The L shaped south beach is more isolated and beautiful, but it is not safe to swim here too. In fact the authorities have put up a warning sign for swimmers to be wary of the rocks and quicksands. The MTDC Resort has direct access to the south beach.

Harihareshwar is a good place to visit for its temple and for long walks along the beautiful beach, but not for water sports or for a swim in the sea.

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September 10, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.116: Yash Inn, Ranjangaon, Pune Nagar Road.

“Affordable Luxury.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

Yash Inn is located just off the Pune Ahmednagar highway in the MIDC area of Ranjangaon. It is just 60 km from Pune, and is an ideal stop over for business as well as leisure travellers. They have rooms ranging from the standard non a/c to air conditioned deluxe suites. There is a fitness centre, a small swimming pool, a multi cuisine restaurant, conference hall, and ample underground parking.

We decided to stop here overnight when we were doing our Ashtavinayak pilgrimage of the eight holy Ganesh temples. We had visited the Ganesh temple at Ozar in the morning and had to visit the Ranjangaon Mahaganpati and Morgaon Mayureshwar temple the next morning. We didn’t have a booking, but were lucky to be offered a decent non a/c standard room. The manager even offered a discount when he found out that we were doing the Ashtavinayak trip. The room was neat and clean and quite comfortable and had an LCD TV with cable channels.

We visited the Mahaganpati Temple at 5.30 pm in the evening. It is about 6 km in the direction towards Pune. Later in the evening I took a pleasant walk around the Ranjangaon MIDC. It is very well planned and laid out, and caters to some of the large industries of Maharashtra, like Fiat, Apollo Tyres, LG, ITC and others. Hotel Yash Inn is strategically located to cater to the corporate travellers as well.

We had a Chinese dinner at their a/c restaurant ‘Daffodils’, and the food was very tasty and filling. After a refreshing night’s rest we had a South Indian breakfast at ‘Daffodils’ and then left for Morgaon Ganpati.

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September 9, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.115: The Fern Courtyard Resort, Ganpatipule, Konkan, Maharashtra.

“A Pleasing Resort in the Konkan Countryside.”

Reviewed todayNEW

This resort is not exactly on Ganpatipule beach but about 2 km away on the approach road from Nivli and Chaffe, which leads to the Mumbai Goa highway. Being at an elevation the views from the resort, of the Arabian Sea and the surrounding hills and forests, are excellent. One can sit in the private balcony and enjoy the scenery of the rolling waves and approaching clouds for hours on end.

This resort is a recent addition in the Club Mahindra stable, and is one of its only three resorts in the state of Maharashtra. It can also serve as a convenient mid-way stop over for travellers going to Goa from Mumbai or Pune by car. It is about 30 km off the Mumbai Goa highway from Nivli, near Ratnagiri.

The resort has excellent aircon rooms with tea/coffee maker, fridge, mini bar, wardrobe, hair dryer, but no microwave. There are good restaurants which serve buffet and ala-carte dishes, but the prices are on the higher side. They have a spa, gym, activity room, tennis and badminton courts, and a very good mid-size swimming pool as well. There is sufficient parking space available for more than 20 cars.

We had a pleasant stay here for 3 nights and 4 days. The famous Ganpatipule Temple and beach is about 2 km downhill from the resort. Walking to the beach early in the morning was a good experience but walking back uphill in the humid climate was quite tiring. The temple and the popular MTDC resort are next to the long and beautiful beach. There are many stalls selling snacks and temple offerings on the beach front. You will also find small restaurants, better known as ‘khanavals’, serving the typical Konkani meals (thalis) both veg and non-veg (including fish).

We enjoyed the beautiful and scenic drives along the Konkan coast. On one of the days we drove down to Ratnagiri and beyond (Pavas and Ganeshgule), along the coastal road. The next day we drove north past the picturesque fishing village of Malgund, and visited the seaside fort of Jaigad.

All in all we had a very relaxed and rejuvenating holiday at this seaside paradise. Its only drawback was that is not bang on the beach.

Room Tip: Rooms on the first floor have better views.

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September 8, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.114: Green Gate Resort, Harihareshwar, Konkan, Maharashtra.

“Like a Home Stay.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

We decided to visit the Lord Shiva Temple at Harihareshwar on a weekday towards the end of August 2015, so we were quite confident that we would get a room after reaching the beach and temple town on the Konkan coast. Rooms were available for the asking in any of the B&B and Inns listed on Trip Advisor. Green Gate Resort was at the top of our shortlist as it was offering aircon rooms at very reasonable rates. We just called Mrs. Jain while we were en route from Pune and asked her to keep lunch ready for us.

Green Gate Resort has a very nice ambience of a Konkani seaside cottage with a small plantation of coconut, banana, and betel nut trees. There’s a small playground for kids and sufficient parking space for about 8 to 10 cars. The Jain family, who own and manage the resort, stay in the adjoining building and have a common kitchen for themselves and their guests. We enjoyed the Maharashtrian thali dinners served up by Mrs. Jain in the separate dining area for the guests, next to her kitchen.

The aircon rooms were very comfortable. There are six rooms but the two corner rooms seemed more spacious. Power supply was erratic but they had an inverter which powered the fans and lights during short outages. Hot water for bathing was available from 7 am to 9.30 am.

The resort is located very close to the southern part of Harihareshwar beach, and the MTDC Resort. A 5 minute walk will bring you to the very beautiful and isolated beach, and I was told by the some local fishermen that one can observe dolphins from the nearby hill early in the morning, during high tides. The Shiva Temple and the northern part of the beach is about 2 km from Green Gate.

We decided to stay another night at Green Gate, and visited the beautiful beaches and temples at Shrivardhan and Diveagar the next day.

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September 2, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.113: Konkan, India.

“Beaches of Konkan.....Better than Goa.”

Reviewed 2 September 2015 NEW

I don’t know why people keep on raving about Goa when the beaches of Konkan are just as good, if not better than the beaches of Goa.

The Konkan region of Maharashtra stretches along the coastline from the north of Mumbai down to the south Maharashtra town of Sawantwadi, just north of the state of Goa. The coastline of Goa is just an extension of the Konkan coastline. The Konkan, in fact, is a narrow strip of fertile land in the state of Maharashtra, India, which lies between the Arabian Sea coast and the foothills of the Western Ghats (also known as the Sahyadri Mountains). The heavy rains in the monsoon season make the region look very green and beautiful.

Some of the better known beaches of the Konkan are Bordi, Palghar (north of Mumbai) and Alibag, Kashid, Murud-Janjira, Shrivardhan, Harihareshwar, Ganpatipule, Ratnagiri, Kunkeshwar, Malvan, Vengurla (south of Mumbai). Many of the smaller beaches around them are virgin beaches and you may not find a soul on some of the sandy stretches. They have not yet been developed as tourist destinations and it is their isolation and natural beauty that make them so attractive.

However many of the beaches are also well known for their fish markets. The Konkani fishermen venture into the Arabian Sea early in the morning and return to the shore by dawn. Their catch is immediately auctioned on the beach markets! It is an interesting spectacle to watch and partake in the beach towns like Shrivardhan, Harnai, Devgad and Vengurla.

There are a number of historic forts in the Konkan region but most of them are in a state of disrepair. Some of the more famous sea forts are the Janjira Fort at Murud-Janjira, Jaigad and Ratnadurga Forts in Ratnagiri district, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg Forts in Sindhudurg district.

Konkani food has its own unique piquant flavours. Good use is made of the local herbs and spices to make vegetarian and chicken or fish gravies. Rice, coconut and fish are the staples of the local diet. Solkadi, a spicy drink made from coconut milk, kokum, garlic and coriander leaves is very popular and helps to digest the spicy curries. Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, grow best in the Ratnagiri and Devgad regions of the Konkan.

The common languages spoken in the villages are Marathi, Konkani and Hindi.