[Rajat347]

Dapoli ! The place of clean sand, blue waters and calmness.

Hello Folks,

This republic day, we decided to visit Dapoli as it was a long weekend. Dapoli is a town in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra which is also a coastal hill station. It lies 215 km south of the state capital of Mumbai and 211 KM from Pune. The town is also known as Camp Dapoli, as the British had set their camps here.

The Konkan region is as beautiful as one can imagine as it still has that calmness, beauty, clean beaches and many hidden gems. Konkan extends throughout the western coasts of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. It is bounded by the Western Ghats mountain range (also known as Sahyadri) in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west.

I am in Pune for the past 12 years now but never got a chance to visit Dapoli but yes I did visit Anjarle once. It was a longing desire but while trying for whole Konkan Darshan, I missed collecting those low hanging fruits.
Finally the plan started to take shape and my 3.6 years old was super excited. His favourite suitcase + beach toy set, we got everything ready.

We started preparing for the trip a month in advance and shortlisted couple of hotels in the region. The primary criteria was a decent beach resort with a good restaurant and internet connectivity. The region is filled with many 3 * Hotels as well as home stays. The home stay tariff can be as low as Rs 500 for a basic accommodation.

For us water sports was not a priority as we always wanted to stay near less crowded beaches. Hence, Karde was a beach for us.
We booked a resort called as VITS Excellensea ( Karde Beach ) which was sharp 206 KM from our residence in Pune. We booked a room with balcony which is having a sea view. The Resort is actually on the beach side and here is the view from the hotel -



Day 1 - 26th January 2023

Activity 1 : - We woke up at 6 AM and it's time to rock and roll . We hit the road at 7:15 AM.
The Route we shortlisted was Wakad - > Pirangute - > Mulshi - > Tahmini - > Nizampur - > Mangaon - > Mahad - > Latvan - > Dapoli City - > Karde Beach.



We avoided Ambet as suggested by many friends and bloggers because of some construction work going on at Ambet bridge. 80 % of the route comprised of State Highways and Ghat Sections. Motion sickness is very common in this section and on ghats even though the road condition is pretty good with 0 Toll tax. From Mangaon, we took a left and touched Mumbai - Panaji National Highway and cruised for 25 KM. Took a right detour near Mahad and crossed Mahad city all the way. For a change, Google Maps were accurate.

Coming back to the start of the journey, from Pirangut to Mulshi, the road is a brand new concrete 2 lane highway but there are some rough patches in between. The whole stretch has some good eateries and petrol pumps.

Sun was rising and clear water of Mulshi Lake is a sight to behold.



The road beyond Mulshi Ghat is not that wide but its a recent tar road. We were enjoying fresh air while the sun was playing hide and seek with us. Now, we lost Jio signal, petrol pumps and the motion sickness took over. There are lot of eateries on the way but most of them accept only cash. We stopped at a place called as Orchard Resort Cafe which was clean, the food was decent and the eatery accepted credit cards.



Reached our Hotel at 2 PM, checked in and had lunch at 3.

Please Note : -

1) Jio and Airtel don't have much coverage in this region but BSNL is running like a charm.
2) Take ample cash with you as most of the shops and eateries only accept cash.
3) VITS had wifi so at the connectivity front and UPI payment we were at ease. However, please confirm with your hotel once about the payment and connectivity
status.
4) Dapoli city has lot of petrol Pumps, ATMs, eateries and good roads.
5) Don't forget to carry crates of mineral water with you. However, many shops in the region do sell original Bisleri.
6) Google Maps is not reliable in this area. Better ask locals about the address.

Coming back to the day: -

Activity 2 : - It was 5 PM and the time to hit the beach. Sun was about to set and weather was just perfect. Karde Beach is generally,

- Less Crowded
- Has less Water Sports
- Has only 2 Eateries
- Has clean Waters
- Has sparkling Sand



The long beach line extends all the way from Murud - Karde - Ladghar Beach and the total length of the beach line is more than 4 KMs. Murud and Ladghar have more water sports activities than Karde beach.



Sun was about to decent but the sand was still warm and glittering. But I found the sand to be more crystalline in nature as tt was little bit sticky and was not easily washable by just water.



Beach gave us many souvenirs including small colorful shells and soft pebbles.



At times, its best to enjoy like a baby. It helps to forget all the worries, anxieties, tensions and insecurities of the world.



It was 7 PM and Sun has almost set. The beach had no illumination and we said good bye to the Sea.



Day 2 - 27th January 2023.

Activity 1 : - I woke up at 7 AM and headed straightaway to the beach. The sun was rising and there were many people spending good times at the beach. The waves were calm and sand was cold.



Sun had started rising and clear skies welcomed him with open Arms !



We had our breakfast and then spent some good time at the beach without phones.

Activity 2 : - One of the Hidden Gems in Dapoli is a trek to the Keshav Raj Temple.
Legend says that this temple was built by Pandavas around 5000 years ago in a single night. I will say it should be a part of the Dapoli Itenary.

The Temple is located over a hill amidst Lush Green Betel nut, Black Pepper, Coconut and Jack fruit plantations. We parked our vehicle on the Asud - Bag Road and a small trek begins.

A typical Konkan household drying up their betel nuts harvest before processing.



A beautiful bridge with the stream flowing underneath falls on the route to the shrine. There were some stagnant water zones and hence, we avoided stepping in the water stream.



The 20 Minute long Forest Trail comprised of around 200 steps both downhill and uphill.

A trip to the temple can offer an absolutely revitalizing experience amid a profoundly tranquil atmosphere. Here, one can seamlessly harmonize with nature and breathe in the therapeutic forest air.



The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it also has an idol of Lord Ganesha. Keshavraj temple is one of the best-kept secrets in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.



A natural stream originating on a hilltop feeds the stone-carved mouth of the cow or Gomukha at the temple. The cold stream water coming out from the cow’s mouth is clean and sweet and can be consumed directly.



You will find lots of fresh Kokam and Lemon water stalls on the way.
Viraj was tired and we were hungary. After having a heart full of delicious Konkani meal, we came back to the hotel and retired to bed.

Activity 3: - Evening was spent again at the beach.



Day 3 - 28th January 2023.

Activity 1 : - We wanted to keep this day as light as possible but Dolphins were calling us.
We woke up at 7 and headed straightaway to the Murud beach which was just 2.5 Km from our hotel.

Our ride -



It is recommended to carry binoculars and cameras and go for the adventure but we had none. The boatmen warned us that we have to remain silent in order to spot the mystical creatures. As we went boating in the Arabian Sea off the Konkan Coast, we were advised to keep our eyes and ears open so that we will be able to spot lots of dolphins, some of them even swimming in pairs. We spotted the fins and slivers of their bodies as they graze the surface of the water.
Earlier we were disappointed as we were not able to spot any dolphin, but the boatmen assured us that they bring us back till we spot one. We spotted a family of dolphins swimming in the calm waters. They simple took our breadth away.

The boatmen charged 300 Rs per head but for the kid they didn't charge. The ride was worth the money as the boat gave a ride of around 1 hour in the middle of the sea and covered Ladghar - Karde - Murud beach stretch.



Perhaps one of the best boat rides I had so far. We came back, had our breakfast and then went straightaway to the beach for another 3 hours.

Activity 2 : - I have read a lot about Fish Auction at Harnai beach. It generally happens at 4: 30 PM and 8 AM. I am not a big fish fan but wanted to have a look at the way it is done. Harnai beach was around 11 KMs from our hotel. It has 3 Forts near by and is a natural harbor but the beach is not worth taking a dip though.

It was around 6 PM and fishermen had already gathered at the beach to sell their catch. I couldn't spent much time there as soon I realized the place is not for me. The parking is there on the beach and it was crowded. The found an Axis bank ATM in the Harnai market and I was able to withdraw much needed cash.



Day 4 - 29th January 2023.

It was the time to go back home. We had a healthy breakfast and left the place by 11 AM. It took us 6:30 hours to reach back home with breaks.



For a total of 460KMs of road trip, Amy returned a petrol consumption of 16.7 KMPL with 80 % AC on. The fuel consumption seems low but the journey comprised of ghats, slopes and it was very difficult to maintain a 5th gear drive. One can easily find petrol pumps in the region but do carry some extra cash with you always.

One must explore Konkan region of Maharashtra. It's rustic, beautiful, warm and will create memories for life. I always wanted to do a road drip from Mandwa to Dapoli via Diveagar and Harihareshwar but could never make it. Konkan is one of the lesser explored regions of India and it has something for everyone.

Thanks for the read Guys

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[SILVER-ARROW]

Nice Writeup @Rajat347.

Konkan has many hidden gems from Murud Janjira right up to Tarkarli. Each destination has its unique charm. Many places are still untouched by commercialisation and hence are Truely Adventurous.

[JoshMachine]

Great travelogue, thanks for sharing!

Your choice of tranquility over a typical commercial beach is notable, and I could resonate with that. Beaches like the Karde beach offer you that much needed isolation from all vagaries, what with all the simple lifestyle amenities for food, living etc.
We have been to Diveagar and Shrivardhan multiple times in the past and somehow this beach feels like offering the same charm!

Added another destination in the bucket list to our Konkan travel list.

[pranavGTI]

Originally Posted by Rajat347

Dapoli ! The place of clean sand, blue waters and calmness.

Dapoli is a nice and clean beach as it has always been. Jan end till Feb end is the right time to get out of busy schedule and to have a peace of mind as there would be less crowd in most tourist places. Is it ok to ask your stay details at Dapoli? Any eateries that you would recommend?

[samee_arian]

Nice write-up, short and sweet. Konkan coast is full of such jewels and many of them are yet to be discovered or commercially exploited. It is nice to see that many more people are taking out time and effort to drive down to such location and sharing experiences. Some of these locations are far off the usual routes and unavailability of alcohol ensures party revelers keep away from them. Was surprised to see a couple covered Konkan coast on cycles. It gets pretty hot and humid and the terrain can get a little challenging, let alone for cycles, but for cars and bikes.

[Rajat347]

Originally Posted by pranavGTI

Dapoli is a nice and clean beach as it has always been. Jan end till Feb end is the right time to get out of busy schedule and to have a peace of mind as there would be less crowd in most tourist places. Is it ok to ask your stay details at Dapoli? Any eateries that you would recommend?

It all depends upon personal choice and budget.
We stayed at a place called as VITS excellensea, Karde beach. It was located along the beach. Being a family, we were concerned about convenience and hygiene.
Once we had lunch at a place called as Sea Fort Bar and Resorts. Rest most of the times, we had meals at our hotel only.