My TripAdvisor Review No.130: Mapro Garden, Mahabaleshwar - Panchgani Road, Maharashtra.

“Excellent Picnic Spot, Without Having to Carry a Picnic Basket.”

Reviewed 12 October 2015NEW

Earlier we would never stop at Mapro Garden while travelling between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar because of the traffic jams caused by the cars and buses parked on the road. But this time I was in for a surprise when I found out that they have developed a huge free parking lot, off the main road, where the tourists can park their vehicles.

So this time we did visit Mapro Garden, and we were not even troubled by a single ‘Jyotishi’ (Fortune Teller) who could make us a ‘lakhpati’ before entering, to have money to buy whatever jams, juices, chocolates and squashes and other products which Mapro manufactures here.

As you enter you are greeted by a giant strawberry and their chocolate factory. They make arrangements for a guided tour of their jam and squash factory, and their well spread out strawberry plantation. There is a small garden with a rockery and fountain, and a playground with colourful three wheelers, where small children can play around. The garden overlooks the Krishna Valley, and if it’s not cloudy you can clearly see the 'Elephant’s Head' near Kate’s Point in Mahabaleshwar. It is a good place for photography enthusiasts too.

After spending some time strolling in the gardens and enjoying the natural beauty of their plantation, we decided to have our picnic lunch. No, not from a picnic basket, but from their large alfresco restaurant which serves excellent wood fired oven pizzas, grilled sandwiches, soups, juices, milkshakes and ice-creams. You can, however, bring an empty hamper to fill up with your shopping of jams, crushes and squashes to carry home with you!

They have good, clean washrooms too, so travellers coming from faraway places generally take a break at Mapro Garden for a quick bite, and get refreshed for the last leg of their journey to Mahabaleshwar or Panchgani. Do keep in mind that this place is so popular that it is always overcrowded on weekends.

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Visited October 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.129: Kaas Lake, Satara District, Maharashtra.

“Serene Waters.”

Reviewed 9 October 2015NEW

The Kaas Lake is about 2 km further down the road which takes you to the Kaas Plateau. At times you may find the Plateau overcrowded with people mesmerised by the beauty of the flowers on the Kaas Patthar. Then the better alternative would be to drive down to the Lake.

You can get a bird’s eye view of the lake as you are descending down from the Plateau, and you would want to stop and take a few snaps from up here. As you descend further you will find the car park to the right amongst some buildings where you can stop for a cup of tea and some refreshments.

Park your car and walk down to the lake to enjoy the pristine beauty of the cool blue waters of this serene lake. You can even bathe in these waters, but do remember that this lake also supplies water to the city of Satara. If you missed the flowers on the plateau you can also find many of them here. You can even sit down with your picnic basket amongst the bushes and trees near the lake, but do remember to clear your trash, and some more which other thoughtless picnickers would have left behind.

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Visited September 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.128: Kaas Plateau, Satara District, Maharashtra.

“Kingdom of Flowers.”

Reviewed 8 October 2015NEW

The Kaas Plateau is gaining in popularity as a tourist attraction day by day. In 2012, Unesco recognised Western Ghats (Sahyadri Mountains) of India as a World Heritage Site, and Kaas is one of the 39 sites in the mountain chain that was given this status.

Flowers start blooming on the rocky plateau after the onset of the monsoons from July to early October, and the plateau becomes a riot of colours. You can see purple, yellow, pink and blue flowers spread out as far as the eye can see. The sight is indeed beautiful and mesmerising.

We took a day trip starting at 10 am from Mahabaleshwar and going down the Medha Satara ghat route to Kaas. We reached Kaas at 12 noon, after covering a distance of about 80 km. We did it on a week day because we had already heard that the narrow road near the plateau gets jammed due to the weekend crowds from Mumbai and Pune. The route itself was very scenic affording beautiful views of the hills, valleys and lakes in the hilly areas. Even though there were sparse flowers this year we quite enjoyed the drive.

There are plans to restrict the entry of visitors to the plateau on a daily basis. In future you may have to pre-book your trip through the website maintained by the Forest Department. But as of now you can pay for your entry on arrival, at Rs.10 per visitor and Rs.40 for your car. Once you arrive on the plateau you have to step down and walk past the fenced enclosures to the open areas beyond. People are advised not to litter and trample on the flowers or you may soon have some floral names on the list of the endangered species of living things!

One can easily spend an hour or two walking along the laid out pathways leading into the bushes and small trees, admiring the natural beauty of the flowers and greenery. The Kaas Lake and the nearby hills covered with mist and cloud on a rainy day add to the magical surroundings. All in all it is a place worth visiting at least once, on a weekday in the months of July to October.

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Visited September 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.127: Ganeshghule Beach, Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra.

“Isolated Beach Paradise.”

Reviewed 27 September 2015 NEW

This beautiful beach is in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It is about 20 km south of Ratnagiri town along the Konkan coastline. About 1.5 km after passing Pawas there is a right turn and you have to travel through a narrow village road, passing some green fields and farms with cow sheds, for about 4 km till you reach this pristine uninhabited paradise of a beach.

The tree lined crescent shaped beach is very beautiful with golden yellow sand, bounded by small hills at both ends. There was not a single shack or stall on the beach, and the only signs of life was a stray dog and some crabs. Since we visited in the monsoons we did not venture into the sea, but the clear blue water looked very inviting indeed. The long stretch of sand is a jogger’s paradise.

After taking a leisurely stroll on the beach we walked back to the nearby ‘Ocean-o-Pearl’ Resort for lunch.

You need your own transport to visit this jewel of a beach.

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Visited August 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.126: Jaigad Fort, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

“The Fort is in Ruins, but it's Worth a Visit.”

Reviewed 24 September 2015 NEW

The Jaigad Fort is about 20 km north of Ganpatipule on the coastal road. The drive along the Arabian Sea is very scenic and beautiful. We passed a couple of quaint fishing villages, and the huge industrial estate and township of JSW Energy, till we arrived at a dead end after the Jaigad village.

The Fort is right at the edge of a cliff overlooking the estuary of the Shastri River flowing into the Arabian Sea. The place was deserted, but as you enter between the bastions guarding the gate you get the aura of the erstwhile majesty of this fort. There were some steep steps leading up to the ramparts. I climbed up and walked along the wall for a while, feeling like a Maratha King. There was not a soul in sight, but the view was awesome, stretching over the sea to the horizon. But when I looked backwards the sights were not so beautiful, because then I could only see a tall chimney and an ugly industrial township. The Jaigad port and jetty were to my right.

There is a small temple in the centre of the fort. Due to the rains the floor of the fort was carpeted with green grass. The whole scene with the grass, rugged ramparts, deep blue sea and fluffy clouds in the background was indeed very enchanting.

I would say that Jaigad Fort is worth a visit during the monsoons, especially if you staying at Ganpatipule or Malgund.

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Visited August 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.125: Mehendales Swaad Dining, Malgund, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

“Simple but Wholesome Vegetarian Food.”

Reviewed 21 September 2015 NEW

We stopped at ‘Swaad’ in Malgund village for lunch, on the way back from a visit to the Jaigad Fort. Malgund is about 4 km north of Ganpatipule. It was a neat and clean cottage style restaurant serving simple and authentic Konkani vegetarian fare. It has a simple layout of dining tables and chairs in a well ventilated cottage, no bar and no aircon, but quite comfortable.

We ordered their vegetarian thali, which consisted of a finely chopped bhindi (okra) sabji, black gram gravy, dal, chapatti, rice, and finely chopped salad (koshimbir), papad, pickle and curd. The preparation in the Konkani style masalas was delicious and tasty. Their sol-kadi was spicy and tangy and very refreshing. We quite enjoyed our lunch.

The only difficulty we had was that they have very limited parking space and we had to park our car at some distance away on the narrow road passing through the village.

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• Visited August 2015
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My TripAdvisor Review No.123: Ganpatipule Beach.

“Very Famous and Favorite among Konkan Beaches.”

Reviewed 19 September 2015NEW

This beautiful beach is in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It is about 20 km north of Ratnagiri town along the Konkan coastline. It is also about mid-way between Mumbai and Goa. You have to turn off the Mumbai – Goa highway at Nivli (near Sangameshwar) and travel 30km along a state highway towards the coast to reach the scenic, quaint, seaside village of Ganpatipule.

The beach and village get their name from the famous Lord Ganesha temple located just next to the beach, and most of the visitors to the beach are devotees of this deity.

However, the beach itself is a very long and beautiful one, lined with swaying coconut palms and Casuarina trees and is a sight to behold. The sand is soft and light yellow in color. It is a gently sloping beach making it suitable for swimming in calm weather. It is good for long walks in the evenings and early mornings. One can view some spectacular sunsets over the Arabian Sea.

The state run MTDC resort is located right next to the beach, and the guests have direct access to the north end of the beach. They also arrange some water sports activities during the summer and winter seasons. There are many other good stay options also nearby, in Ganpatipule and Malgund villages, for those who want to have a longer beach vacation.

There are many shops and food stalls near the temple end of the beach, and one can sample the local Konkani food preparations, both vegetarian and seafood. Don’t forget to take home a crate-full of the famous Alphonso mangoes if you come here in the summer season.

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Visited August 2015

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My TripAdvisor Review No.124: 'Konkan Spice' at The Fern Courtyard Resort, Ganpatipule.

“Good Multicuisine Restaurant.”

Reviewed 20 September 2015NEW

Konkan Spice is a good multicuisine restaurant serving Indian, Tandoori and Oriental dishes. We decided to try it out when we were staying at The Fern Courtyard Resort where this restaurant is located.

We ordered Russian Salad and Chicken Biryani. The Russian salad was so-so, but the chicken biryani, served with cucumber raitha, was delicious. Portion size was generous and quite filling for the two of us.

The service was efficient and courteous. We quite enjoyed our dinner.

• Visited August 2015
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My TripAdvisor Review No.122: Ganpatipule Temple, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

“Sentinel God of the West.”

Reviewed 18 September 2015NEW

This 400 year old temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha is beautifully located at the edge of the Arabian Sea at the temple town by the same name. Lord Ganesha is also lovingly known as ‘Ganpati’, and ‘pule’ is the local word for sand dunes, so the temple and the village where it is located have acquired the name ‘Ganpatipule’.

The Ganesha idol here has been formed by nature, hence it is also known as a ‘Swayambhu’ Ganpati. The idol faces west towards the sea, so the local people refer to it as the ‘Paschim Dwar Devta’ or the Sentinel God of the West.

The temple is wedged in between a hill and a lovely beach, and is beautifully decorated with wall carvings of the gods. As you enter you will be greeted by two brightly painted elephants and a brass mouse. The mouse is the ‘mushak-vahan’ or the riding companion of Lord Ganesha. After a darshan people generally do a ‘parikrama’ or circumambulation of the temple structure.

The road leading to the temple is lined with shops where you can buy offerings to the Lord. There are some restaurants serving the local cuisine. One can also walk directly on to the beach from the temple and enjoy a walk on the beach.

Ganpatipule temple is one of the most beautiful Ganesha temples in the Konkan.

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Visited August 2015

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