Tuesday 7 December, 2010

Beaches of Ratnagiri

“The Sky looms red during evenings; oceanic waves splurge on the sea shores creating a symphony of unheard music and thus every moment fades away with such quirkiness, that you won’t even remember when the day descended into a dark night”.

Nestled on the Konkan Coast of Maharashtra, Western India, the port of Ratnagiri is more than halfway to Goa. Ratnagiri is the miniature model of 19th century Mumbai. The gently rolling hills, the gloomy palm trees and the shimmering white sand on the beaches are genuinely the eye stealing views for which every discerning traveler craves for.

The first noticeable thing about Ratnagiri is that every way you look; your gaze will stop at a mango tree. If you are here in early summer, you will find the trees hanging with extreme respite, unable to bear the weight of the ‘hapus’. Most of the great tourist magnets lie near the Thibaw Point. It’s not really difficult to figure out all the destinations with the naked eyes, as there are no obstructions while scanning the picturesque over all view of the beckoning landscapes. Entrenched in complete aloofness, the travelers while on a way can also make a visit to Thibaw’s Palace which shares a strong Burmese connection, veering back to the year 1885. This palace is slightly odd in its structure and it doesn’t looks affable to Indian environs. The story connected to this palace says that the king of Burma was sent to spend his last years in true exile, gazing at the sea. Apart from all, followed by the trail of beaches, if you really love to stroll on the glitzy sand strewn sea shores in sheer aloofness, then you can of course praise your decision for being here. Closest to town is ‘Pandre Samudra’—a long stretch of sand whose name means ‘white sea’. In comparison to the above stated beach, Mandavi beach bears the shades of black sand and its bit filthy. For some reasons this beach is famous and it is known as the ‘Gateway to Ratnagiri’. At Mandavi Beach you can most probably satiate your tongues with the spicy and peppy flavors of ‘Chaat’ and ‘Soft Drinks around’. For better options, you can hop to Bhatye beach which starts soon after ‘Bhatye Bridge’. It’s a 15 minutes drive from the city. Ganeshghule being 20 KMS from Ratnagiri is the third alternative and is considered the most beautiful beach by the locals. The sand here is almost different and it is possible to spend a few hours in complete loneliness. To get here, take the Pawas Coastal Higfhway after Bhatye.


Besides this, you also have an option to drive up to Ratnadurg Fort and Bhagwati Temple overlooking the seamless horizons of the ‘Blue Sea’. The Lokmanya Tilak’s birth place now turned into bustling museum is ensconced with murals and photographs of this walrus mustachioed freedom fighter. His home is a cherished example of old Konkani architecture which could definitely leave you spell bounded for a few seconds. Moving around Ratnagiri, the travelers will fall in adrenaline rush to visit Ganpatitpule which is 390 Kilometers to South of Mumbai and 45 KMS from Ratnagiri would lead you at the beach down the winding road and strolling right, you will reach Swayambhu Ganpati Temple. Along the temple side there is a Ganpatipule Beach which remains crowded by heavy rush of locals and tourists respectively. Moreover, you can also enjoy a backwater cruise at Sangamaeshwar-Jaigad canal—perched 50 KMS from Ganpatipule respectively. There is also a Chopper service from Mumbai at 8: 00AM and from there you can witness the birds’ eye view of many other beaches like Alibaug, Nandgaon, Muhud, Harnai and Guhagar before landing into Ganapatipule.

After getting the deep insight of Ratnagiri and Ganpatipule, the main question that must be quelling your senses must be about a reach ability option and accommodation. You can reach Ratnagiri by boarding train from Mumbai; Konkan Kanya Express, whose departure time from Mumbai is 10:50 PM and later, would reach Ratnagiri by 5:41AM. From Ratnagiri, the departure time is 10:20 PM. If you are going from road then you can hire taxi or bus which will take you from NH-17all the way to Hathkhamba junction via Pen, Mahad and Chiplun. From Hathkhamba, Ratnagiri is just 13 Kms on SH204, which also connects Ratnagiri to Kolhapur. Mangaon is the main mile stone mark which is halfway from Ratnagiri. Ordinary and Semi Deluxe ST buses leave from opposite Mumbai Central, Borivili and Parel bus stations. Now the most vital part is accommodation; which here by affirms the fact to provide the aspiring travelers with the excellent stay options at Hotels in Ratnagiri. There are good numbers of budget Hotels in Ganapatipule which provides the travelers with an accommodation, carrying a reasonable price tag. Fittingly, there are good numbers of premium hotels in Ratnagiri which are fortified with perfect state of hospitality. The Kohinoor Samudra Resort, Hotel Landmark, Hotel Shree Vihar are some of the hotels in Ratnagiri which can be booked in advance by the travelers, seeking for a peaceful sojourn. The air/non air conditioned rooms, beckoning interiors, caring staff, wifi connectivity, cable Tv, finest dine meals are some of faculties which could definitely be a cliché for the people to chose the best hotels in Ratnagiri for holidaying respectively. The Hotels in India covering all the facets of excellent hospitality standards can be inviting for every one seeking for complete comfort and rejuvenation.

Knowingly Ratnagiri can only be the place about which the revelers can think of planning a peaceful holiday, all together binding to make it a part of souvenir; that can always be cherished by you, especially when you spent some of the most cozy moments of life with some one really special.