Pristine Beaches of Malvan

A mid-week break is the best medicine for a working professional. A mid-week break gives you an opportunity to explore places you've never been to. A mid-week break lets you forget about the false materialistic aspects that occupy our mind 24*7*365.

And so began the journey to the southernmost district of Maharashtra. Malvan is a culturally and historically important town in the Sindhudurg district with white sand beaches, Sindhudurg Fort and beautiful sunsets.

When most of the crowd rushed to Goa, we(Shaily, Shampa and ofcourse me) cruised to a smaller unknown town to relax and unwind.

After 25-30 odd calls(since it was a long weekend and there was a mad rush) I managed to book a homestay for the 4 of us.

The journey was devoid of any adventures except for a split second when a dog almost commited suicide. I hope it's still alive. The route that we took was pretty bad, and took almost 10 hours to cover a 400 km stretch.

We stopped at Kolhapur for dinner at Hotel Niyaz. The biryani was one of the best that I've ever tasted. Even other dishes had a different aroma. 

We reached Tarkarli at 0300 hours. It was overwhelming to find the owner standing on the road, waiting for us. He even called us half a dozen times to make sure we were fine and had our dinner.

Shaily and I walked to the beach(Shampa was sleepy) which was close to the place where we stayed. The water was clear and the waves were ideal for a splash. Next we headed to the Rock Garden. A sunset at the rock garden is a must watch. It captivates you and makes you want more. Distinct colours in the sky, rocks amidst the clear water and the sun acting as a beacon made it a million dollar sight to behold.

Next morning we took a boat trip(Shampa was still sleepy) to see the dolphins. But sadly, they didn't show up. Reason for their absence was a mad rush of some 30 boats looking for them. Water sports in the back waters and the sangam point(sea and river meet) is another main attraction for the tourists at the Tsunami island. We returned after a 2 hour boat ride. The next big thing was waiting for us.

India has a 8000 km coastline but surprisingly it hosts very few proper diving sites. One of them is Tarkarli. Although not so professional as compared to the Havelock island but the ease of doing it makes it special. The site is still developing and still a virgin beach. That makes it all the more special.

Shampa was the first one to go, followed by Shaily(hesitant at the beginning since she had already done it in Port Blair) and finally me. We were given few instructions, weight was tied to our bodies and a couple of equipments too to help us breathe underwater.

As I nodded in approval, I was pulled into the sea. The key to a successful dive is trusting your instructor and keeping calm, no matter how nervous you're feeling. The fear of water is one obstacle that you have to overcome else you'll never be at peace. The water was clear and the sea bed was visible as soon as we dived in. The depth was not frightening but a moderate one(20 feet approx). One could see coral reefs and fishes around.

Shaily joined me after some time as we were to be photographed. But as soon as the guy started taking pictures, Shaily's diving gear falied to function and she was taken out to rescue. Meanwhile I, unaware of the fact that she's not around, continued posing and looking around. With no support (as the guy had left me to cover shaily) it was difficult to stay put as the buoyant force was acting strong in the dense sea water, but somehow I managed. Shaily joined me soon and this time she looked ready to pose. We held each other for sometime and had some lovely clicks before we were pulled up. It was a short dive (15-20 mins) but you can actually feel every tick and every tock of the watch.

We decided to start the return journey early next day. And we were bang on time. After a nice breakfast and thanking the hosts(Mr. & Mrs. Krishna Mestri) for a wonderful homestay, delicious Malvani delicacies and dedicated effort to keep us comfortable, we moved on.

Another wonderful journey, another memoir and another peaceful trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Thank you Life.

Leh Diary- Rest of the Journey!

Day 9(Sonamarg- Srinagar- Gulmarg-Anantnag- patni top)

360 Kms

By far the return journey did little to worry us. The Jhelum gives a perfect backdrop for photographers. 

We halted at Srinagar for 2 reasons.

1) Get the spare part of Safari fixed. (finally, some smiles)

2) Lunch (kebabs, mutton, chicken- no place for veggies)

After a stumptuous meal, we headed for Dal lake. 

But the moment we parked our vehicle, the weather got nastier and the Shikarawalla said -" 1 crore doge to bhi nahi jayenge". Neither we had a crore nor we wanted to risk our lives, so we moved straight to Gulmarg. 

Kashmir is blessed with such beautiful landscapes at every corner, much like wonders of nature, but you cannot get enough of it even if you get to stay there permanently, so we had to move on.

Without wasting a minute, we headed stright to PatniTop, our planned stoppage for the night. And as always, we were already late. With no liquor available and no liquor shops around, it was difficult. But on such trips, you have to be prepared for extreme situations. 

Round and Round and Round and Round.

"When will I get  to drive on staright roads?" I wondered.
Everyone waas asleep, except Shaily and Anshuman. It was already 1:30 AM.

Finding a hotel at 0200 hours can be tedious. After a couple of enquiries we managed to get a decent room. The clock had struck 3 and it was time to give my eyes a little rest.

Day 10(Patnitop-udhampur-Pathankot-Hoshiarpur-Rupnagar-Kharar-Chnadigarh)

450 Kms

And Finally, we bid adieu to mountains when we descended PatniTop. A long affair it was, and a beautiful one too. Something that will stay in our hearts for a long time. Early morning breakfast ensured we started early. We drove on the marvelous 4 lane highway. Safari was in good shape by now, and I was more determined to carry this through without passing the baton of driving. An ordinary lunch, annoying city traffic, traffic signs for various other destinations(Dharamshala,Kasol..) and a drive through the well planned city of Chandigarh were the high point of the day. 

It was time for us to bid adieu to Anshuman. A small celebration made the moment complete. 

Day 11(Chandigarh - Delhi - Mumbai - Pune)

The saddest day of the trip. It was almost over. No more travelling, no more sight  seeing and no more Himalayas. I took back seat as Amit took over for the victory lap. Nothing unusual happened other than a small traffic jam due to huge crowd for some political rally. We luckily escaped the traffic jam. Next we dropped Jyoti at a nearby metro station(Again, we were getting late :) ). And finally the Safari was parked where it should be. Hell yeah!
LEH'ED- HELL YEAH

I managed an hour sleep after lunch and boarded the flight. Mumbai to pune was also an easy ride due to normal traffic. We sneaked under the bed at 3 a.m., no lights, no fan due to short circuit fire in the building. But who needs the light and fan when you have sleep in your eyes.

P.S- Thanks to everyone who was a part of this journey! You guys were awesome! A wonderful company. Kashmir is probably the paradise that we keep talking about. Sadly, it has been devastated by the floods. And we are grateful that we did not encounter such a horrific experience. The Indian army is again playing its part in what it does best. Anshuman's bike is still in Srinagar due to floods. We all are still mesmerized and in awe of the beauty that was served to us. 

Iss Dharti pe Kahin swarg hai to yehi hai, yehi hai, yehi hai….
Kashmir, I'll be back again!