Place : Shrivardhan, Maharashtra
Distance from Mumbai – 209 Kms
Date : 30th April ( Sunday )
Duration : 4.5 hrs (Ideally )
Actual Time Taken : Approx 6.5- 7 hrs ( Due to traffic)
I am a born traveler (at least that’s what I believe in). Whenever I get a chance to get away from the city, I do that without a second thought. That’s what we did for the last weekend which was a long weekend due to Maharashtra Day. What better way to celebrate Maharashtra Day than visiting some of the pristine beaches of this beautiful state.
So, on a #Sunday morning we packed our bags and left from our home (Borivali) without any destination in mind. Yes, our trips are that unpredictable! We – My two friends and sister hit the road. After crossing Panvel and having a wholesome breakfast at Shree Datta Snacks we thought now we must decide what should be our FINAL DESTINATION 😉
Shree Datta Snack is a Must Stop if you are fond of Maharashtrian Snack. We ate till we couldn’t eat more. It was extremly hot weather! Getting a place was a task with people were hovering over our heads to grab a seat (we did that too) We had Vada Pav,Misal Pav, Kothimbir Vadi and Chai. Friend opted for a juice which was a better idea according to me!
So coming back to the destinations , #Dapoli and #Shrivardhan were the choices. Dapoli being further down we settled for Shrivardhan. The roads that lead to Konkan are typically my favourite as they are the winding roads covered with trees which make it a very pleasant journey.
On our way we halted at Hotel Open Umbrella in Mangaon. (About 1 hr before Shrivardhan ) This place had accommodation and a very good restaurant. Food here was a delight. And being covered with loads of coconut trees it was very comfortable ambiance. We had taken a seat in their AC section but changed our mind and thought sitting in open air is a good idea. Its right next to a water body which is another plus point.
What to order – Any of their Konkan Thaalis . Food is really very good.
What we ate – Konkan Special Veg Thali , Chicken Masala , Fish Thali. Portions are decent. Slightly overpriced. Don’t miss out on Sol Kadhi.
After this we got back on our journey. Since it was an impromptu plan we hadn’t booked any place and we assumed we will get a place to stay. How difficult would it be to get one room for one night? it was !! Being a long weekend everything was sold out and we thought we are in serious trouble. After driving down for nearly 7 hrs there was no way we were gonna give up. We didn’t! We googled all possible stay places and after several rejections , we came across Gulmohar Family Resort. I spoke to Mr. Bhosle – Owner. He initially said that one room for four people was not possible but after convincing him and telling him since it was a very last minute plan we had no place to stay he agreed. Such a sweet man 😊 We asked him to hold the room while we reached there. He did. Again a very good gesture considering such a tight rooming situation.
Gulmohar Family Resort is a five room tiny resort with ample space in front of it. Several plantations and about 10 hammocks right in front of rooms keeping decent spacing and a very comfortable ambiance. We couldn’t contain our happiness seeing the hammocks. Even before getting into the rooms we plopped into hammocks and had a power nap.
Rooms at Gulmohar were neat and clean. Maintained very properly.
Tariff for an AC room was INR 2000 + Extra Adult INR 200 . Very very reasonable.
Distance to the beach – 5 mins walking.
Shrivardhan Beach is a very quaint beach and I highly recommend this beach if you love peace and calm. In the evening we spent quality time there watching the sun down. That was much needed relaxing time. The beach is not very crowded and hence works best.
After the sunset and walking to the other end of the beach , we reached the promenade area which was very neatly created and maintained.
Lot of tourists and locals were enjoying their evening tea , snack and some gossip here.
We gorged on a lot of snack again 😉 Kanda Bhaji were way too tasty. So was Anda pav and Chaat.
At night we wanted to have a few drinks and chill in our room. But Mr. Bhosle has a strict policy of no alcohol and cigarettes in the room. However in the courtyard amidst open air , he arranges for a table for you with whatever you may need. Service (One man show) is too sweet. Always ready to help. We grabbed beers from a local shop near Savarkar Chowk. And some chakhna. We were told Booz shops are open on weekends till 11pm. And they were! We needed more beers and we got them even at 11 o clock! Pretty good eh !
For dinner We had told Mr. Bhosle to provide us with one veg and one prawn thali. The food was unbelievable. He had given us extra portion (Food that can feed four people ) Typical #Konkani flavours and absolute home made food. It was a delight.
Next morning , after a good night sleep we woke up to the chirping of birds from the farm. And Asked for some breakfast. Options were Poha , Upma and Anda Pav.
Poha ,how a typical Konkani would have with grated coconut , a piece of lime and loads of chopped coriander. I was happy with what we had.
After the scrumptious breakfast we again went for a walk on the beach. It was almost 11 in the morning. Quite sunny but surprisingly the beach was very peaceful and nice. I needed that walk before we again left for our chaotic city.
On our special request Mr. Bhosle let us check out at 1:30 pm. ( regular check out is 12 noon)
Overall our journey and stay was absolutely fabulous. This jouney doesn’t need a long weekend. One night and two days is all you need.
Go check it out 😊
Stay Contact –
Mr. Bhosle – +91 9822317533
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