South of maharashtra

My recent visit to south of maharashtra gave me a suitcase of memories which i have with me . Sun kissed beaches, swaying palm trees and thatched roofs add up to make an awesome landscape. Dash of history and spicy seafoods builds up the glory.

South of maharashtra also called kokan side is famous for its beaches and forts. As we are talking about kokan ,fish food is something no one want to miss. everyone must try a coconut drink .This side of maharashtra is far different from the part where i stay.  Kokan, name itself gives us feeling of beach and calm side of nature.

arabian sea

away from chaotic life in mumbai to konkan we started our journey. . We reached mangaon ,which can be called as base point to visit many famous places around. South maharashtra is all away from busy rushes, man crowd , chaos .It has a calming,soothing and quite atmosphere. All you can hear will be rushes of waves (if you on beach side). people of konkan called konkani  are very helpful in guiding .The 60 km drive from Mangaon to Harihareshwar took around 2 hours . The 30 km diversion from Mhasala to Harihareshwar was not up to the mark. As you go deep inside the konkan , the roads get comparitively good and scenic beauty one can see outside is so beautiful that you may get fainted !! hahaha,kidding. but the beauty of konkan can give a challenge to gigantic kashmir . i reached harihareshwar junction at 2 pm . i was confused a lot as from this junction where to go . confusion was all about which place to go. on our right we had shrivardhan and to left we had harihareshwar and to be honest both are excellent places. after taking local people’s help we headed towards shrivardhan and had lunch in famous ‘PRASAD’ hotel. this hotel provide quality food to their guest’s adn also rate are reasonable. the time was 4.00 pm and we started to move towards the ‘shrivardhan beach’

                                           scenic beauty of shrivardhan beach

It was hot there but huge trees provided us some sheltere and also we enjoyed horse riding . visitors can enjoy a horse riding, jet ride and also boat rides. every visitor should use the golden skills of ‘BARGAINING’ . we moved on to peshwa memorial which is just few minutes far from the beach. we were done with this by 630 and it was getting dark and also we were tired very much due to a long car journey. so we decided to rest in harihareshwar  by crossing the same junction once again . As we entered harihareshwar , we saw everything was getting darker and cold . with help of locals out there we came to know about best lodging which was exactly in front of harihareshwar beach. the best beach you can say but also the most dangerous beach . we had our lodging at 7:20pm and decided to go on beach for some time as crowd was still  there . the hotel was big with reasonable rate and big rooms. we all had rest that night.

”  Morning ” said some voice outside our cottage. it was 4 in the morning . yes, we have to go to the temple and also play on lovely beaches. we all were ready by 5:25 am and visite temple . after taking blessings from lord ganpati we decided a trek . this trek was as small as about a half hour . the below picture will tell you the amount of happiness we had .

can you believe ?

 

we did fun on the beach . something which surprised me that there were some fishes lying on the sand. you know what? they died. i dont know the reason and went to ask on the locals . the fishes were lying beacuse of the seagulls who eat them and probably this fish was a incomplete breakfast for them.

breakfast for seagulls

the shopping strolls in harihareshwar is good . we dont even have to bargain as price for each product is perfect. some must buy things for visitors are as follows :

1. coastal photoframe ( starts from 300 rs )
2. coastal lockets and chains ( minimum price 100rs- maximum 550 rs)
3. lord ganesha statue made from shells ( these are not cheap and their rates vary

we did the checkout from the lodge boss at 11:30am .our car’s engine roared and we headed to diveagar beach. on the way to the ghat we were stoppe by nature to see the end of the arabian sea .the end point can only be visualized .

wow right?

 

 

The splendid  places and history over here can make anyone love this place.

Now its time for you to visit the southern maharashtra. so have you done with your packing stuffs?

The Fall Of Magic

Pandavkada,a different level energy waterfall which is also one of the jewel of Navimumbai. Pandavkada is a waterfall which can be seen from far but to reach the spot you need to do a small trek,a trek with not much altitude but path made by travel enthusiasts just like us !

Pandavkada is the best option for oneday picnic as you can pack some snacks to enjoy with such an incredible view around you .It can also be a exploring place for wanderers because it has a lot of places which is not know yet by majority !

WHY PANDAVKADA ?

Celebrating monsoon at this waterfall is something which you want to taste someday and then keep visiting everytime. The greenary sourrounding this place is enough to break your mundane stress and give you enough relief to have a positive outlook.It was one of the ‘hidden gem’ on navimumbai but due to it’s heavy attractiveness, people are attracted towards this magnet(the waterfall)  .Also who wouldn’t visit a place which is called a dangerous place too !

adrenaline feelings yet?

HOW TO REACH?

Nearest railway station is ‘Kharghar railway station’ which is  7km(~30mins) away .You can opt for auto from the station .You can also take your lovely car to the nearest point and park beside the Gurudwara (beside the entrance of the pandavkada).If you stay nearby,cycling is also a option as area is easily covered by cycle but i recommend you to take a walk and let your feet feel happy !

 

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE GOING?

This waterfall is attractive but with some extra properties ,comes a fatal part too.The waterfall has many slippery rocks and even some points where people fall off- causing several deaths and accidents in past few years. It is a banned site(by CIDCO) and mostly guarded by policemens.

HOW TO TAKECARE IF VISITING?

The waterfall is dangerous but with utmost pracautions one can stay safe.Try going with a steady & slow speed while trekking and climbing the rocks so that you don’t injure yourself. When you reach the final point,don’t be in a hurry to swim  but takecare of your footsteps as this is the point where many acidents happen.One cannot control their emotions when such a view is in front,so precautions and safety measures needs to be taken .Also avoid taking ‘selfies’ around the rock corners !

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR !

Having an ancient & historical view, it becomes more interesting visiting this .There is Buddhist cave at top which has a specific route (quiet risky in heavy rainfall) from where one can get breathtaking view of the outskirts of kharghar city with greenery beneath your feet .

also, if lucky you can see a beautiful rainbow .

Watch out for crabs as they can sometime knock you out (if big).The silence here is the thing which you will love the most if you visited in perfect time. Also a fish pedicure is waiting for you down there !

WHAT’S THE PERFECT TIME TO VISIT?

There is no perfect time for the things you love but sometimes we need to make one,to get most out of it.

No doubt,july-sept is the best time to visit.The main thing here is to try visiting it early in morning as soon as possible as the crowd increases after 10am and also policemen will take you out from the place when place seem to be crowded.

An alarming rate of visitors visit this waterfall  during monsoon  and get injured. Try to take necessary precautions and have a chillfull trek !

 

so have you done packing?

^_~

 

BEAUTY & THE BEACH

GOA-Glamorous,overlusting & addicting can be a perfect kind of full form to deal with this excellent place.Goa has been attracting a steady flow of visitors since 1960’s. Firstly, the hippies ,then goans and laters the charter tourists.  Goa is visibly different from rest of india. Though a very small state ,it contributes a major share in country’s GDP.

GOA ,the name itself makes us imagine the wonderful,heartwarming ,lustrous beaches full of sand with a bucket full of happiness loaded in it.Goa has to start with beaches. while beaches in north goa are ‘ass’ crowded , south goa  is  not . I nominate ‘baga beach’ from north goa and ‘colva beach’ from south for the best beach award.

BAGA BEACH

COLVA BEACH

 

let’s see some ofthe important places to visit in goa

 

OLD GOA -ROME OF EAST

Old in a sense is gold. I’m talking about the architecture in here. The architectural work is fantastic. In panjim, history comes alive .It is known as ‘Rome of East”.The churches ,convent,museums,art gallery,government buildings & bunglows togethere make it tough to suggest what not to see in  south goa. yet,  ‘Basilica Of Bom Jesus’ (most visited )and Se Cathedral (largest church in old goa)  are the must see churches.

DID YOU KNOW? :  The church ‘Basilica of Bom Jesus’ has the dead body of St. Francis Xavier  in a well-decorated casket .Solemn exhibitions of the ‘body’ are held every ten years.(as told by the locals).

 

Basilica Of Bom Jesus

Se Cathedral

SIZZLING SIGHTS

No,it’s not what your double mind thought really !!  I’m talking about the spice plantation in ponda area called a sahakari spice plantation.Your nostrils will remind you why Europeans came to india.

The spice plantation workers will welcome you with flower necklace (don’t wear it when you have your white shirt on).There will be an Entry fees of Rs 400/- each which includes roaming in the big plantation, their qualified guides informative lecture (these guides knows all languages )and lunch. you will be guided properly about the masalas,herbs, shrubs etc .You will be able to know about their history,their uses and also botanical (scientific) name.

Huge trees can make anyone happy

The food provided by them is not so good. I got some reviews about the food but wanted to experience it  self and hence . They let you take both ,veg and non veg .One who loves some spice in their food shall not have their food here. Though the plantation is named as “spice” but as per my experience there was not such a spice in their food. But to be honest , i loved their fish very much and somehow my stomach was full. Thanks to that fish !!

Would you like have a  drink?

Yes , everyone here knows that every tourist  is alcoholic .This is a perfect place for drinkers to loose their mind and get their thought in flush.

But what about some non-drinker huh ?

I know something here which will help not only non -drinkers and drinkers but also small childrens,some ladies and also ill patients. Yeah , all you have to do is get a ‘cashew wine’ .Yes ,it do have a small amount of alcohol but to be honest it has a lot  more benefits.It will cure your cough,headaches,fever,give you energy (obvio positive energy) and make you stressed out.Also, you can make it as an oil for joints if paining !!

Best buy: 15years old cashew wine for approx 500/-

                                                      Good wine

AGUADA FORT

My favourite ! yes,one to visit undoubtedly. This fort is in north goa .The name ‘aguanda ‘ means water .Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort standing in Goa, India, on Sinquerim Beach, overlooking the Arabian Sea.You will be amazed to see spectacular view from this fort .

Few kilometers away from this fort, there is a beach called ‘coco beach’. Less crowded, magnificient and small beach. If you want to see the rarely spotted  dolphins in goa, this is the spot where you can find but only if you are goddamn lucky. Come early in the morning and you have more chances to get a view of the dolphins. Me, myself had these view at 11:30am and trust me it was so beautiful.The fare which you should give is between 300-400 to the man whom you  will be hiring  for his boat. Not more than that.They will show you central jail, big mansion of rich parsi,scenic view of agonda fort, lighthouse and if lucky you will be able to see dolphins. I got to see 3 dolphins together after a search of 1 hr 15 min. I advise you to get seated on the 3rd bench of the boat as this will give you a comfortable view .

Hunt for dolphins🐬

SOME PICTURES I CAPTURED WHILE TRAVELLING 

Nature can make you high❤

BAGA BEACH

BEWARE 🚫✅   XX

I want you to take a note while you all travel.Whenever you travel to any place please make sure you throw your garbage in the dustbin.It will help me,you,our nation.

Keep our beach and nature garbage free 😊

Let us take an oath to make our planet a better place to live and explore.

 

 
THANKYOU !!  ❤  ❤