Magnificent Malvan

Magical Malvan

I planned a 3 day stay at Tarkarli, near Malvan, which is approx. 550KM from Mumbai. We were 3 families together. Took a train from Thane station It was fun traveling on a train after so long.

Took Tejas Express (which goes to Goa), got off at Kudal in the afternoon and Tarkarli is an hour of auto ride from Kudal. I had expected a bumpy ride in a remote village, instead found proper tar roads. It was fun drive through empty and twisty roads of Tarkarli passing through Malvan City.

In the month of March it is generally very hot in Mumbai but thankfully the weather was not hot as expected in Malvan. In fact it was cool and windy, making it a perfect trip.

We stayed at Sagar Sangam Resort in Devbag which is situated on banks of Karli River. What a beautiful location it is. It's worth staying there.

Staff at the resort was very polite and courteous. Always happy to serve us. We got very good service, nearly home cooked seafood (yumm yumm) and complete solitude.

We went for evening walk to Tarkarli beach which is only 10 mins walking distance from our resort. It's a pretty secluded beach, its beautiful by itself.

Next day early morning, we headed towards Devbaug. As you drive right to the tip of Devbag, you can see the Karli river flowing on one side to meet the sea and the vast Arabian sea on the other side. One of the must-do's is taking a boat ride that starts from the Karli river leading up to the point where it meets the sea, known as the 'Sangam' and then into the open sea to spot dolphins, with a stop-over on the 'Tsunami island', a small stretch of sand that is visible only during low tides. Surrounded by coconut plantations, this place is a paradise for beach lovers.

We had a lot of fun there enjoying different water sports activities such as Water Scooter, Banana Boat, Bumper Ride and then the most special to me in the whole trip was para sailing. To do para sailing a boat took us in the middle of the sea and then we changed the boat therein which para sailing was done. It was a bit scary in the beginning but then it got very special flying in the air overlooking the entire ocean and the sea beds. It was really amazing!!

It's was an unforgettable experience for all of us. All there activities come at very affordable rates. It was worth every penny spent.

Next day, we went to Sindhudurg Fort in Malvan City which I believe is built by our Great King (Chatrapati Shivaji) in the middle of the sea. Shivaji was a great warrior king and his acumen can be seen from the fact that the fort is built with limestone and tar, so that if ever there is a breach in the wall of the fort with a cannon fire, the tar can melt and fill the whole Was also heartening to see that the government is spending time and effort to preserve the fort. Its another matter that I had to take a rickety boat into the sea to get to the fort.

We also experienced Scuba Diving in shallow waters around Sindhudurg Fort. One has to shell out only Rs. 800/- for it. Even if you don't know swimming, the guide takes good care of you. They will even take a video and click many pictures underwater. What else can you ask for. Scuba Diving in Malvan is highly recommended.

In the afternoon, we visited Chivle Beach. Located close to Malvan, Chivle beach is a place where you can relax away from the busy crowds that throng Malvan. The serene beach allows you to have peace and yet be close to an important tourist destination, the old sea fort of Sindhudurg. Foodies can pamper their tastebuds as Chivle rustles up some of the famous Malvani dishes. One can experience the simple rustic Konkani life in this homestay, merely 50 meters away from Chivle, complete with brown Mangalore-tiled roof and picket fence. Enjoy scrumptious Malvani home-cooked meals and strolls on the empty stretch of beach.