Konkan region: Contact details

My Blog readers ask me to share contact information from Konkan Region to plan their vacation. In this blog post, I will share the contact details where I have stayed in the last 4-5 years.

Disclaimer:
1. There is no commercial bond with the property owner and Few of them knows me by name.
2. Contact Details might be changed
3. I will update this information based on my trip experience.
4. Overall experience with below hotels/Restaurants/Homestay was good.

Alibag (Blog link)
Business Name: Sanman hotel and restaurant
Owner Name: Mangesh Mhatre
Contact Details: 02141-222314, 02141-225086 and 9371643324.
Place: Alibag

Nagaon (Blog link)
Business Name: Vaishnavi cottage
Owner Name: Ravindra Risbudh
Contact Details 02141-245695, 02141-681279. 9850485194.
Place/Address: Nagaon

Kashid (Blog link)
Business Name: Picnic Park homestay
Contact Details: 9226279146
Kashid Beach

Business Name: Private Villas
Contact Details: 9420648856, 8805585541
Place: Kashid

Diveagar (Blog link)
Business Name: Sawali guest house (Homestay)
Owner Name: Madhukar Dhanawde
Contact Details: 95-2147-224713
Place: Diveagar

Business Name: Suhas Bapat (Veg meal)
Contact Details: 9423837967, 9271127337.
Place: Diveagar

Business Name: Ambiance Cottage
Contact Details: 02147-224091, 02147-225334, 02147-225335.
Place: Diveghar

Phansad Forest (Blog link)
Business Name: Phansad Forest
Owner Name: Madhujar Naik (Stay arrangement)
Contact Details: 9273682692.
Place: Phansad

Business Name: Phansad Forest
Owner Name: Mahila bachat gat
Contact Details: 9225566024.
Phansad

Business Name: Phansad Forest
Owner Name: Nilam (Forest officer)
Contact Details: 9221996284, 022-25402522 (Forest tent bookings)

Velas (Blog link)
Owner Name:: Mohan Upadhe
Contact Details 952350-220304.
Place/Address: Velas

Owner Name: Milind Nijsure
Contact Details: 02350-220629, 02350-695915, 9421188487.
Velas, Mandangad

Dapoli – Karde – Kelshi (Blog Link)
Business Name: Aamba shop
Owner Name: Barve family
Contact Details: 9422444086, 8408093595.
Jalgaon, Dapoli

Owner Name: Ravi Dabake (Homestay and food)
Contact Details: 02358-234895, 02358-688448, 9421232244.
Keshavraj, Dapoli

Business Name: Sagar sawali
Owner Name: Bapu More
Contact Details: 02358-234947, 9881061947, 9271313647.
Karde beach

Business Name: Spurti Niwas (Homestay)
Owner Name: Jaihind Nagvekar
Contact Details: 02358-693763, 02358-651081.
Karde Beach

Deepak Dedhia (Stay and Boat arrangement)
Contact Details: 9763330460.
Karde Beach

Owner Name: Rahila - Boat arrangement
Contact Details: 8605228141.
Karde 

Business Name: Sea Sahyadri
Contact Details: 9923485792, 9637695539, 02358-288239.
Ladghar beach

Owner Name: Bivalkar Family (Homestay and food)
Contact Details: 02358-287312, 9604790349.
Kelshi

Business Name: Noor Mill (For Mango)
Owner Name: Majid chogale
Contact Details: 02358-287324, 9922403246.
Kelshi

Business Name: Surabhi Home stay
Owner Name: Naresh Vartak
Contact Details: 9623113162, 9820441985, 02358-287240
Kelshi

Business Name: Konkan bhojnalay
Contact Details: 02358-287379, 9604104380, 9850398893.
Kelshi

Dilip Puri (Chandika Mata Temple pujari)
Contact Details: 9423295586, 02358-248698.
Dabhol

Guhagar (Blog link)
Business Name: Sagar lodge
Owner Name: Parag Sanwant
Contact Details: 9420152272, 02359-240347, 02359-240363.
www.sagarlodge.com
Guhagar

Business Name: Hotel Annapurna
Owner Name: Shamkant Khatu
Contact Details: 9423048165, 9689063165. 02359-240512, 02359-240412.
Guhagar

Business Name: Atithi Niwas
Owner Name: Yogesh khare
Contact Details: 9273650764, 9423802208.
Guhagar

Business Name: Hotel Vaintey
Owner Name: Sanjay savarkar
Contact Details: 9420722905, 8698907905, 02359-240515.
Guhagar

Business Name: Vasudha jog
Contact Details: 02359-240875, 9158158316.
Guhagar

Business Name: The Durga pearl Niwas
Owner Name: Sneha Khare
Contact Details: 9421705351, 9822784371
Guhagar

Business Name: Ravindra Damale (Homestay)
Contact Details: 9403148865, 9420475602, 02359-240042.
Guhagar

Owner Name: Naresh Kesarkar (Car mechanic)
Contact Details: 9673353517.
Guhagar

Velneshwar (Blog link)
Business Name: Chandrankant Gokhale (Home stay and food)
Contact Details: 02359-243307, 9421143322, 9921043730, 9922254042.
Velneshwar

Kolthare (Blog link)
Business Name: Garwa beach resort
Owner Name: Bhave Family
Contact Details: 02358-285232, 9764065810.
Kolthare

Business Name: Virgin wind resort
Contact Details: 9371011187
Kolthare

Amba Ghat
Business Name: Pawankhind Resort
www.pawankhindtours.com
Owner Name: Shirgaokar Family
Contact Details: 9422002231, 9423076167, 020-5439860
Amba ghat

Business Name: Kasturi resort
Owner Name: Madhura joshi
Contact Details: 9371923039, 9422513797
Kolhapur – Ratnagiri highway, Amba ghat

Ratnagiri (Blog link)
Business Name: Ratnasagar beach resort
Bhatye beach: 9604002661
Bhatye Beach

Veg Treat Restaurant
Contact Details: 9823071188.
Ratnagiri

Business Name: Joshi family (Homemade Konkani food product)
Contact Details: 02352-220952
Ratnagiri

Ganeshgule (Blog link)
Business Name: Oceano pearl
Contact Details: www.oceanopearl.com
Contact Details: 02352-237800, 8605599789, 9405340784.
Ganeshgule

Malvan - Tarkarli (Blog Link)
Business Name: Laxmi Vishnu (Cashew nuts factory and shop)
Contact Details: 02365-252159.
Malvan

Business Name: Anapurna Niwas
Owner Name: Gosavi Family
Contact Details: 02365-253537, 9404442990
Tarkali

Business Name: Atithi Bambo khanaval
Owner Name: Sanjay Gawadi
Contact Details: 9423304327.
Malvan

Business Name: Aapa Gosavi (Home Stay)
Contact Details: 9923641879.

Business Name: Anway Prabhu (Scuba diving in Malvan)
Contact Details: 9823857576.


Bhogave
Business Name: Samant
Contact Details: 9421261718, 9970431570.
Bhogave Beach

Devbag Beach
Business Name: Devbag water sports
Contact Details: 9403181196
Devbag

Shiroda Beach
Business Name: Dolphin Hotel
Contact Details: 9423511343.
Shiroda Beach

Vengurla
Business Name: Amruta Padagoankar (Stay near Vengurla)
Contact Details: 9422374277
Vengurla

Business Name: Dhuri Homestay resort
Contact Details: 9420740901, 9604165641.
Vengurla

Raigad Fort (Blog link)
Raigad fort (Guide and lunch arrangement)
Contact Details: 9011784795.

Raigad – Pappu guide
Contact Details: 9527758601.

Diva trek
Guide for Diva trek from Konkan side
Santhosh Sutar
Contact Details: 9420966029.

Tahmini (Blog link)
Business Name: Raigad In
Contact Details: 9423926857, 9270996025
Tahmini

Thanks for reading this Blog. Happy travelling.

 Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune

Trip to Guhagar-Hedvi-Velaneshwar-Bhudal & Kolthare

I have been to this place with wife 2 years back but wanted to visit this lovely place again with friends. We took advantage of Christmas vacation and planned a 4 day trip to Guhagar, Hedvi, Velneshwar, Bhudal and kolathare.

Guhagar Beach

About Guhagar and surrounding: 

               Guhagar is situated on west coast of Maharashtra, India. A word GUHAGAR means cave house in local language. Guhagar is a scenic town with hilly terrain. A perfect tropical paradise. It is even called a temple town. It is famous for Durga Devi temple and Vyadeshwar temple. Guhagar beach is one of the main tourist destinations, and is a unique place to enjoy Konkani culture.

Velneshwar and Hedvi are the two places near Guhagar, famous for the natural beauty and the temples. Dashbhuj Ganapati temple (Lord Ganesh with 10 hands) is major attraction of Hedvi.

Bhidhal is small village with beautiful beach. It is untouched area by tourist.

There are 2-3 ways (via Tamhini ghat OR via Varandha ghat OR via Kumbharali ghat) to reach Guhagar. Best way to reach at Guhagar from Pune is, Catch National highway 4 (Mumbai-Bangalore highway) towards Kolhapur/Bangalore direction – take right turn at Umbraj – Paatan village – Kumbharali ghat – Koyananagar – Chipalun – Take a left on National highway 17 for Guhagar (There are different ways from Chipalun for Guhagar which meet on one route after 3-5 km drive) – Pat Panhale village – Guhagar.

Travelers for this trip were me-wife Renuka, Friends Sanat, Himanshu-Ketki, Abhijit-Manasi, Vishal-Aarya with their 2 year old son Ved, Ashutosh-Sanjana with their son Aarush.

Guhagar...

Day 1: 24th Dec 2015 – Pune - Guhagar (Total Distance traveled: 285 km):

               We woke up early morning and left home at 6 AM. We wanted to avoid highway traffic and enjoy the morning breeze. We had our first break at Wai phata. Road condition till Guhagar was good except some small patches in Kumbharali ghat. Due to less traffic and smooth road condition, we reached at Chiplun by lunch time. Considering 2 children and group of 11 people, we took few breaks. We had lovely sea food lunch at Chiplun’s famous restaurant Abhishek. Food was excellent in taste, definitely not to miss for sea food lovers. From this point, we proceeded towards Guhagar. 

Abhishek Hotel, Chipalun

               We had booked our homestay for 3 nights at Mr. Damle. 2 years back, we had stayed here. As we reached by 4 PM, soon we moved into our room. We spent some time in the backyard where there were lots of coconut tree plantations and which in Marathi is called a “wadi”. Cool breeze, roaring sound of sea waves made us feel fresh. 

Damale's Wadi

               We headed straight to the beach in the evening. Surprisingly, even at 5.30 p.m., there were hardly any visitors. Guhagar beach is one of the cleanest and less polluted beaches in Maharashtra. This beach is assumed to be very safe. The beach slope was gentle and sea water was clean enough to see the sea bed. This beach is much better than any other famous beach from Konkan area. Unfortunately we didn’t get much time to witness sun set. We walked barefoot on the soft sandy beach and then played some games. It was a perfect evening for us.

Sunset time at Guhagar

Sunset at Guhagar

We had veg meal dinner at Mr. Ravindra Damle’s place. Day 1 was ended with a late night chatting with friends.

Expense:

• Car Petrol: INR 3600/- (Appox. 52 Lit)
• Toll on NH-4 (Khed-Shivapur): INR 80/- one way entry
• Toll on NH-4 (Anewadi-Satara): INR 55/- one way entry
• Breakfast: INR 80/- per person (Wada Pav, tea/coffee and Misal)
• Lunch at Abhishek, Chipalun: INR 2800/- for 9 people (Chiken meal 300/-, Surmai wadi Thali 350/-, Prawn wadi Thali 300/-, Rice, Dal and cold drinks)
• Tea/Coffee: INR 10/- to INR 20/-
• Dinner at Damale’s place: INR 120/- per person (Unlimited veg meal) 

Day 2: 25th Dec 2015 – Hedvi – Velaneshwar – Bhudhal (Total Distance traveled: around 100 km):
               We woke up in the morning by 8AM and went on beach for walk. We spent some time in the “wadi” and then returned for breakfast. We left Guhagar at around 10.30 AM. When we reached at Palshet village, we got stuck in traffic due minor accident between state transport bus and a SUV. After wasting an hour and a half in traffic, finally we reached at Hedvi.

Guhagar Beach

               Hedvi is a 30 min drive from Guhagar is also known for the beach and a temple. The temple houses the idol of lord Ganesh with ten hands. That is why he is known here as the Dashbhuja Ganesh. This temple dates back to age of Peshwa. Temple area was clean. Soon we went on Hedvi beach. Baman ghal is major attraction in Hedvi during high tide. There is unmarked rock patch route behind temple (Temple which is on right side of beach). It is unique landscape in its own way. This beautiful natural wonder is a gorge in the black rock patch and is around 20 feet deep, 35 feet long and 1-2 feet wide in dimensions. During the high tide, the sea water gushes in and splashes around. We went there during low tide so missed the water splash. I have seen huge water splashes around 3 years back and believe me, it’s fun to watch this wonder.

Hedvi Temple

Deepmal from Shiva temple at Velneshwar

We moved ahead for our next destination, Velneshwar. When we reached at Velneshwar, we were hungry. This small village has a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva and a beach at its backyard. We ordered lunch at Mr. Gokhale place where they arranged a delicious veg meal in 45 minutes. After lunch, we went to Shiv temple. The Velneshwar temple is one that gives a feel of the old houses with the sloping roofs. The temple is illuminated during the Mahashivratri festival with large crowd visiting the temple.

The temple has coconut trees at the backside, which joins to the beach directly. The sacred Nandi (bull of Shiva) is at the entrance of the temple along with the lamp post structures (Deepmal).

               After visiting the temple we went on the beach. This beach is not clean and not maintained properly. There are 2 restaurants on the beach which serve snacks, veg and non-veg meal. It was 4 PM in the clock and our group split into two. One went to Guhagar to enjoy the beach with kids and others (Me-Renuka, Himanshu-Ketki and Vishal) to explore an untouched beach name Budhal.

Velneshwar Beach

Velneshwar

Drive till Adur phata and take right if you’re travelling from Guhagar else left if travelling from Velneshwar. Budhal is small fishermen’s village with few typical konkani houses. This place is almost untouched, unnoticed beach near Guhagar. There is no direct road to beach; you need to cross local fisherman's houses to reach there. You won't get any facility for accommodation or food in Bhudal. It is the best location to view sunset and aerial view of Budhal beach. We enjoyed sunset and left this beautiful place.

Budhal Village and beach

Sunset from Budhal

Time to return home...At Budhal

              We had tasty dinner with Modak prepared by Damle family. After dinner, we visited Guhagar beach for campfire and to lit sky lanterns. It was perfect way to finish our hectic day.

Sky Lantern

Expense:

• Breakfast at Damale's House: INR 50/- per person (Upama and tea/Coffee)
• Veg Lunch at Velneshwar: INR 100/- per person
• Modak at Damale's house: INR 14/- per pice
• Dinner at Damle's house: INR 70/- (Dal khichadi and papad)

Day 3: 26th Dec 2015 – Guhagar - Kolthare:
              Today we decided to spend time in Guhagar and cover nearby places. In the morning, we went on beach for walk and to enjoy water waves. It was cold morning and cool breeze to make you feel fresh. After some photo shoot, we came back for breakfast. We left Guhagar at 10 AM.
            Our first destination was Anjanwel lighthouse. Lighthouse is open at 3PM for public till 5pM in the evening. We missed lighthouse, however I had seen it twice in my previous visits. There is a beautiful place near the light house where you can enjoy an amazing coastal view. Take a right just 10-15 m before the main entrance of the light house and walk down a small sloppy road, you will reach a fantastic spot that is nothing but a tip of the hill and it offers breathtaking views of sea and a high rock face entering the ocean. The tip is having a strong concrete bastion so it is very safe. We saw couple of dolphins from this point.

Our group...Manasi-Abhijit missing in Photo

Dolphins from Lighthouse point

               Our next destination was Gopalgad fort. It was built for the protection of Dabhol an ancient port city which also finds its mention by the famous geographer from ancient Greece Ptolemy. This fort is believed to be built at the start of 16th Century by the Siddi. It was captured by Shivaji Maharaj in 1660. In 1699, it was captured by Khairatkhan who was a Siddi ruler who ruled from Murud Janjira. Tulaji Angre then won this fort in 1744 and then later lost it to Peshwa in 1755. What remains today is only the ruins of this huge fort that spans 7 acres of land. Some cannon balls can be found in the fort. There is a private Mango orchard in the fort and due to ownership issues the entrance to fort was blocked. Now it is opened by owner. Food is also available inside fort but you have to place an order in advance or order a meal and visit fort till your snacks/meal is ready. 

Gopalgad fort wall

Water trench at Gopalgad

               As we wanted to visit Kolthare beach which is on other side of creek, we joined the queue for jetty. Jetty route is known as Dhabol-Dhopave jetty. The Vasishthi River meets the sea here at Dabhol and there is a Jetty service available to cross the creek. It is the shortest way to reach Dapoli from Guhagar. A single jetty runs from 6 am to 10 pm at a frequency of 45 mins.

Dhabol-Dhopave Jetty

                Next destination was village Kolthare. It is a very small village and not used to for any tourist. There is 1 resort in the village name “Garva beach resort”. Their house was typically Konkani style house with lot of greenery and with huge farms of different trees (Wadi in Marathi) like Coconuts, Alphonso, jackfruit and many more. They have built few rooms very close to beach in Wadi. We ordered veg and sea food meal. It was my second visit and now this place is totally changed into commercial. Somehow they have lost the quality and charm which I experienced 2 years back.
               Kolthare beach is very small beach which gives you a feel like an own private beach. White sand all over the beach and it was very neat and clean. Water was too clear that we were unable to stop ourselves from going into the water. We liked this place and it is one of the cleanest beach in Konkan. Overall atmosphere of resort and beach really refreshed us.

Kolthare beach

After Lunch, we left for our next destination i.e. Chandika Devi temple near Dabhol. It is believed to be from the Pandav era. The idol of Goddess Chandika here, believed to be have formed naturally on its own (Swayambhu) and the temple is underground in a natural cave. To reach the deity, you have to pass through a low darkened passage. No light is allowed inside except that of oil lamps. There is a live spring of fresh water nearby which has water all around the year. This temple is very ancient and used to be frequently visited by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja. Photography was not allowed inside the cave.

Chandika Mata Devi temple

We had planned to return Guhagar for sunset but we were running behind our schedule. We witness beautiful sunset from our jetty ride.

Sunset from Jetty

Sunset from Dhabol-Dhopave jetty

Expense:-

• Breakfast: INR 40/- (Thalipith and tea/coffee)
• Jetty ride for car: INR 90/- per car with driver
• Jetty ride: INR 10/- per person
• Lunch at Garava resort: INR 200 for fish meal + INR 100 for fry pic in Thali
• Veg Lunch at Garava resort: INR 140/-
• Jetty ride for car: INR 90/- per car with driver
• Jetty ride: INR 10/- per person
• Dinner at Damale's House: INR 120/- per person

Day 4: 27th Dec 2015 – Guhagar – Pune (Total Distance traveled: around 275 km):
               Early morning we went on beach for a walk and swimming. Clear weather and cool morning breeze from the sea made us feel fresh. We spend a lot time on beach and then came for breakfast. We left Guhagar by 10.30 AM.

iPhone photography....

               Guhagar is also famous for temples. We didn’t time to visit all. We went in Durga temple of Guhagar. There is temple pillar at the entrance of temple. Few hundreds year ago, temple was located in place of pillar. But to avoid attacks from pirates, it was moved new location where it is situated now. The temple premise is very clean and there is a medium sized man made pond next to the temple. Another temple in Guhagar is of lord Ganesh named Ufarata Ganapati temple. Lord Ganesh idol is facing the seashore i.e. towards west. Normally it should face in east direction. And hence name Ufarata (reversed) Ganpati. Vyadeshwar temple of Lord Shiva is just near the S.T. Depot, right in the middle of the bazaar. It is the Kuladaivat of a lot of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmins and major attraction/holy place from Guhagar.

Durga Devi temple

We decided to visit the Ancient Keshavraj temples from Dapoli during our return journey to Pune. We crossed Dabhol creek and reached to Dapoli for lunch. After lunch we reached at Ancient Keshavraj temples. The Keshavraj temple is in the midst of scenic hills. Way to Keshavraj is a small trail passing through coconut, betel nut, Mango, Jackfruit, White Jambu fruit (Jam in Marathi) and cashew trees. Keshavraj Temple is built by Pandavas meaning that it has its origin more than 1000 years ago. Temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu and its main attraction is the Goumukh from where water flows throughout the year. Origin of the fresh water is from a tree trunk. Meal is available in the village along with homemade products.

Trail to Keshavraj

Keshavraj Temple

At Keshavraj

               We left Dapoli by 4 PM. We decided to come via Mahabaleshwar. Main intention was to have dinner at Mapro garden. We reached Mapro garden by 8.30 PM. It was peak winter time and we enjoyed tasty pizza. After dinner, we came home safely by 11.30 PM.

 

Trip ends with Mapro's Ice cream

Expense:

• Damale's Stay chargers: INR 200/- per person per day
• Breakfast: INR 40/- per person (Poha + tea/coffee)
• Jetty ride for car: INR 90/- per car with driver
• Jetty ride: INR 10/- per person
• Lunch at Dapoli: INR 120/- per person
• Dinner at Mapro: approx INR 400/- (pizza and strawberry ice cream with cream) 
• Toll on NH-4 (Khed-Shivapur): INR 80/- one way entry

Contact numbers for your reference:

• Homestay at Ravindra Damle: - (02359) 240042, 9420475602.
• Homestay at Jog: - (02359) 240875.
• Atithi Niwas Homestay by Yogesh khare: -9273650764, 9423802208.
• Sagar lodge: - (02359) 240347, 9420152272 (located in market area)
• Hotel Vainateya: - (02359) 240515, 9420722905. (close to Bus Vyadeshwar temple)
• Gokhale Family (for stay and meal), Velneshwar:- (02359) 243307, 9421143322
• Keshavraj pratishtan:- (02357) 234895, 9028414848
• Ravi Dabake, Keshavraj:- (02358) 234895, (02357) 688448, 9421232244 (For stay and Home products)

Group on trip

Sand art by Abhijit joshi

Sunset....

I will try to upload more and more travel blogs. Thanks for reading this Travel Blog.

Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune

Kokan paradise: Guhagar and surrounding area

           After a long monsoon break, we were ready to explore Konkan region again. I have been to this place 2-3 times before my marriage but I wanted to visit this lovely place with the wife. We took advantage of post-Diwali festival vacation and planned 4 day trip to Guhagar, Hedvi, Velneshwar and Ganapatipule.

About Guhagar and surrounding:

           Guhagar is situated on west coast of Maharashtra, India. A word GUHAGAR means cave house in the local language.Guhagar is a scenic town with hilly terrain. A perfect tropical paradise. It is even called a temple town. It is famous for Durga Devi temple and Vyadeshwar temple.Guhagar beach is one of the main tourist destinations and is a unique place to enjoy Konkani culture.
           Velneshwar and Hedvi are the two places near Guhagar, famous for the natural beauty and the temples. Dashbhuj Ganapati temple (Lord Ganesh with 10 hands) is a major attraction of Hedvi.
          Ganapatipule is another holy place which is close to Guhagar. Due to Jaigad jetty, both the places came close now.

There are 2-3 ways (via Tamhini ghat OR via Varandha ghat OR via Kumbharali ghat) to reach Guhagar. Best way to reach Guhagar from Pune is, Catch National highway 4 (Mumbai-Bangalore highway) towards Kolhapur/Bangalore direction – take right turn at Umbraj – Paatan village – Kumbharali ghat – Koyananagar – Chipalun – Take a left on National highway 17 for Guhagar (There are different ways from Chipalun for Guhagar which meet on one route after 3-5 km drive) – Pat Panhale village – Guhagar.

Guhagar Beach

Travelers for this trip were me and my wife Renuka.

Day 1: 7th Nov 2013 – Pune - Guhagar (Total Distance travelled: 278 km):
           We woke up early morning and left home at 6 AM. We wanted to avoid highway traffic and enjoy the morning breeze. We had plenty of snacks with us so without any pit stop (Except at car fuel station) we drove towards Kumbharali ghat. Road condition till Guhagar was good except some small patches in Kumbharali ghat. Due to less traffic and smooth road condition, we reached Chipalun very quickly. By 9.45, we were in Chipalun for breakfast. We had south Indian breakfast at restaurant Shivsagar. Food was average in taste. From this point, my wife took charge of the car and we proceeded towards Guhagar.
          We gave a call to Mr Damale to spot his home, where we booked our homestay for 2 nights and last night in the tent which we brought along with us. Soon we moved into our room and took rest. By 1 PM, we came to the market area for Lunch. For this trip, we had decided to try a different restaurant for Veg meal. We went to a pure veg restaurant named “Vainateya” owned by Savarkar family. This was my favourite veg restaurant from Guhagar. We enjoyed a quality meal and came back to our rooms. We spend some time in Damale’s Konkani garden which was on back side of his home. In Marathi such Farm/tree plantation is called as Wadi. There was direct access to Guhagar beach from his plantation area. Cool breeze, roaring sound of sea waves makes us feel fresh. After spending an hour, we can in the room for rest.

Veg Thali (Sorry for bad Photo quality)

          

             After rest for a while, we planned to visit the beach in the evening. Surprisingly, even at 5.30 p.m., there were hardly any visitors. Guhagar beach is one of the cleanest and less polluted beaches in Maharashtra. This beach is assumed to be very safe. The beach slope was gentle and sea water was clean enough to see the seabed. This beach is much better than any other famous beach from Konkan area. Unfortunately, we were not able to witness the sunset. We had long walk on the soft sandy beach without wearing any foot wares. It was a perfect evening for us.

Typical Guhagar, Konkan road

           We had veg meal dinner at Mr Ravindra Damale’s place. After dinner, we went for walk towards market area. By 9 PM, all shops were shut down and peaceful environment with Diwali festival lighting.

• Car Petrol: INR 2500/- (approx. 32 Lit at average INR 78/lit)
• Toll on NH-4 (Khed-Shivapur): INR 75/- one-way entry
• Toll on NH-4 (Anewadi-Satara): INR 50/- one-way entry
• Breakfast at Shivsagar, Chipalun: INR 110/- for 2 people including coffee.
• Lunch at Vainateya restaurant: INR 80/- per person (Limited meal)
• Dinner at Damale’s place: INR 100/- per person (Unlimited veg meal) 

Day 2: 8th Nov 2013 – Guhagar – Ganapatipule (Total Distance travelled: around 190 km):
            We woke up early morning and plan was to have a 1 day trip to Ganapatipule. We wanted to spend evening time at Velneshwar beach watching the sunset. We skipped morning walk on the beach and left home after breakfast.My car was not in the mood to start the journey. I tried a lot of time and then I give up. We called a mechanic(Refereed by Damale) and then got to know that Car battery was dead. There was nothing which we kept ON for the whole night. It was happened due to end of battery life. I was too upset as I had done car servicing 1 month back and service engineer didn’t notify me about the battery.
              With the help of Jumper, car engine woke up for the journey. He gave some instruction to do, just in case it happens again during my day journey. To start the car on 2nd gear on the slope was the backup option. Mechanic helped us and didn't con. He told me not to believe on anyone as people might misguide you to earn money. He advised me to buy a new battery but in hometown to avoid rip-off in Konkan.
              After wasting an hour, we went towards our 1st destination, i.e. Hedvi temple. Hedvi is 30 min drive from Guhagar is also known as the Beach and a temple. The temple houses the idol of Lord Ganesh with ten hands. That is why he is known here as the Dashbhuj Ganesh. This temple dates back to the age of Peshwa. Temple area was clean. Soon we went to Hedvi beach. Baman ghal is a major attraction in Hedvi during high tide. There is unmarked rock patch route behind temple (Temple which is on the right side of the beach). It is unique landscape in its own way. This beautiful natural wonder is a gorge in the black rock patch and is around 20 feet deep, 35 feet long and 1-2 feet wide in dimensions. During the high tide, the sea water gushes in and splashes around. We went there during low tide so miss water splash. I have seen the huge water splash around 3 years back and believe me, it’s fun to watch this wonder.

Hedvi Temple - Dashbhuj Ganesh Temple

Beautiful Hedvi Temple

Unmarked route behind temple for Baman Ghal

Baman Ghal

            We move ahead for Ganapatipule via Jaigad jetty. Most of the time, the road is parallel to the seashore and gives you wonderful view. You can load your vehicle on the ferry and save time. Because of Jetty, we can save around 20-25 km. Bhatgaon Bridge is another route to avoid Ferry but road condition is pathetic. Better to go with Ferry option. First Ferry starts at 6.30 AM in morning and then ferry after every hour till 9.30 PM. After waiting for 45 min in the queue, we load our car on the ferry. 

Narvan Beach

             We reached Ganapatipule by 12.30 PM. I parked my car on a slope in the parking area. We joined the queue to enter the temple. There were too many tourists and we spent around 50 min in the queue. According to a local folklore, the Hindu god, Ganapati, taking umbrage by a remark made by a native lady, moved to Pulé (a few km ahead of the town) from his original abode of Gulé. Thus the region was named Ganpati-pulé.The temple is at the base of a hill and very close to the sea.The God is considered to be the Paschim Dwardevta (Western Sentinel God of India), and those who visit Ganapatipule, make it a point to pay their respects to this deity. 

Ganapatipule

              After visiting Temple, we took lunch in the restaurant. Again car was not ready to begin our return journey. I started car engine on 2nd gear with the help of slope. To avoid risk and ferry queue, we decided to come to Guhagar via National highway. Our Route was Ganapatipule – Nivali – National highway – Chipalun – Guhagar. We dropped Velneshwar beach and reached home by evening. We rested till it was dark outside.For dinner, we tried restaurant Shradha. It served tasty seafood. We had masala egg meal and veg meal. It was very hectic day due to day trip and car issue.

• Jaigad jetty, Car chargers with driver: INR 140/- (one way)
• Person chargers for ferry: INR 20/- (one way)
• Auto to Market (in Guhagar): INR 30/-
• Egg masala meal at hotel Shradha: INR 90/- 
• Veg meal at hotel Shradha: INR 80/-
• Auto from market till Room: IR 30/-

Day 3: 9th Nov 2013 – Guhagar:
             Today we decided to spend the entire time in Guhagar and cover nearby places. We went to Durga temple of Guhagar. There is temple pillar at the entrance of the temple. Few hundreds year ago, the temple was located in place of the pillar. But to avoid attacks from pirates, it was moved the new location where it is situated now. A Temple premise is very clean and there is a medium sized man-made pond next to the temple.We went to another temple of Lord Ganesh named Ufarata Ganapati temple.Lord Ganesh idol is facing sea shore i.e. directing west. Normally it should face direction east. And hence name Ufarata (reversed) Ganpati.We got to know the story behind Ufarata Ganapati. A few years ago, there was deadly high tide which destroyed most of the coastal homes. People started praying at Lord Ganapati to stop the disaster. At one night, Idol from temple changed his face direction from East to West and sea waves became a claim. Hence people started calling this Ganapati as Ufarata (reversed) Ganpati. Vyadeshwar temple of Lord Shiva is literally a stone's throw away from the S.T. Depot, right in the middle of the bazaar. It is the Kuladaivat of a lot of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmins and major attraction/holy place from Guhagar.

Temple Pillar

Towards Durga Devi temple

Durga Devi Temple

Vyadeshwar Temple

              

              We had our lunch at a famous hotel named Annapurna. Other nearby places to see is Gopalgad fort and Anjanwel lighthouse towards the north side of Guhagar. The car can reach right till entrance gate of Gopalgad. It was built for the protection of Dabhol an ancient port city which also finds its mention by the famous geographer from ancient Greece Ptolemy. This fort is believed to be built at the start of 16th Century by the Siddi. It was captured by Shivaji Maharaj in 1660. In 1699, it was captured by Khairatkhan who was a Siddi ruler who ruled from Murud Janjira. Tulaji Angre then won this fort in 1744 and then later lost it to Peshwa in 1755. What remains today are only the ruins of this huge fort that spans 7 Acres of land.Some cannon balls can be found in the fort. There is a private Mango orchard in the fort and due to ownership issues, the entrance to the fort is blocked. 

Fort Wall

              Anjanwel lighthouse is also close to Gopalgad fort. With the permission, you can see the entire lighthouse and its functionality. This entire area is located on a small hill and hence it is always very windy. One can view beautiful lush green landscapes around. Surrounded by the Sea on all three sides, Gopalgad and creek next to it offer picturesque scenery.

Lighthouse (Photography is not allowed hence took photo from outside with permission)

             In noontime, we set up our tent in Damale’s garden (Wadi). Location was amazing as we can see sea waves from Tent and area was covered by trees. We took rest for whole noon and went on the beach for swimming. After spending an hour we came back and went in the market area. There are some snacks stall close to the beach where you can enjoy chats (Type of snacks) and tea/coffee. We spend late evening time on the beach and then went for dinner. For dinner, we selected Restaurant Lagoon. It is restaurant and bar but they have a very nice family section where people can enjoy their meal without having any alcohol. Veg food was average but the seafood was tasty. We returned to our rooms and next morning we were supposed to leave for Pune. 

Our stay at last night

We! Mad travellers

• Lunch at Annapurna restaurant: INR 355/- for 2 people including Pomplet fry dish and veg meal)
• Auto (Room to market: INR 30/-
• Auto (Market to Room): INR 30/-
• Snacks on the beach: approx. INR 20 for chat plates like Bhel, panipuri etc
• Dinner at Lagoon restaurant: INR 250/- for 2 people

Day 4: 10th Nov 2013 – Guhagar – Pune (Total Distance travelled: around 275 km):
               Early morning we went to the beach for a walk and swimming. Clear weather and cool morning breeze from the sea made us feel fresh. We spend a lot of time on the beach and then came for breakfast. We left Guhagar by 10.30 AM. We came via Kumbharali ghat – National highway 4 to Pune safely by 5 PM.

Damale's House and My Uber cool machine

• Home-stay Rent for 3 days: INR 990/- (Room for 3 nights and 4 days)
• Toll on NH-4 (Anewadi-Satara): INR 50/- one-way entry
• Toll on NH-4 (Khed-Shivapur): INR 75/- one-way entry
• Car petrol near Wai phata: INR 700/- (approx. 9 Lit at average INR 78/lit)

Contact numbers for your reference:

1. Homestay at Ravindra Damale: - (02359)240042, 9420475602.
2. Homestay at Jog: - (02359) 240875.
3. Atithi Niwas Homestay by Yogeshkhare: -9273650764, 9423802208.
4. Sagar lodge: - (02359) 240347, 9420152272 (located in market area)
5. Hotel Vainateya: - (02359) 240515, 9420722905. (close to Bus Vyadeshwar temple)
6. Naresh Kesarkar (Car Mechanic): - 9673353517 (Very reliable person)

Visit Places which we miss due to lack of Time:

• Velneshwar Beach and temple
• Budhal beach (Not on tourist map but very clean and beautiful village and small beach) 

I will try to upload more and more travel blogs. Thanks for reading this Travel Blog.

Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune