MAHA COASTAL RIDE DAY 5 (last day) - A Solo Trip to Cover The Coast Of Maharashtra - Sagari Mahamarg

If you have missed out on reading Day 1 - 4 click no the links below.

Day 1 : http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-solo-trip-to-cover.html

Day 2 : http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-day-2-solo-trip-to.html

Day 3 & 4 : http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-day-3-4-solo-trip-to.html

Day 5: Tarkarli - Vengurla - Siroda - Mumbai: March 5th, 2018

Tarkarli Beach

"FILL YOUR LIFE WITH EXPERIENCES, NOT THINGS. 

HAVE STORIES TO TELL, NOT STUFFS TO SHOW"

I couldn`t sleep due to the excitement. I had planned something really huge for the next day. SCUBA Diving, an underwater experience where we dive-in deep in the ocean and get introduced to the magnificent mysteries of the underwater world. I work up at 4.30AM the next day and was eagerly waiting for the Sun to shine so that I could run towards this adventure sport. It was not planned at all. In fact, I became aware of the existence of Scuba Diving in an area like this when I arrived at Tarkarli the other night. I instantly signed up for it as I have always wanted to do this but never got a chance. (Jay Ganesh Scuba Diving: 9404754005/9421236315)

Far In The Ocean

We were around 8 people on the first boat ride that took us 6 km in the ocean, I was given instruction by our trainer Rohan who also dived with me and took me around 40 ft. deep in the sea. It has been a once in lifetime experience till now for me. Exploring the underwater marine life, corals & rockscapes with the help of an underwater breathing Scuba Diving kit. I was underwater for 20 min but I felt like going in again and again. The calmness of the sea was so overwhelming. Once I came upon the boat, I asked the head instructor if it`s ok to jump in the sea for a swim and he said it was more than fine as he also wanted us to enjoy. I jumped in for a swim. went under the boat where I saw more fishes & surprisingly a couple of jellyfish.

Check the video on youtube: https://youtu.be/A9EEz4sR5Rc

I was back from Scuba and started my ride for the last 2 places to be checked off in the list - Vengurla which is 56 km from Tarkarli & Shiroda another 15 km. Vengurla & Shiroda are on the Maharashtra - Goa State Border. Considering them as the last beaches on Maharashtra Coastal Line, I ended my MAHA COASTAL RIDE

Just a Still

Shiroda to Mumbai Via Amobli Ghat - Kolhapur - Wakad is nearly around 630 Km & it was not possible to reach the same night. I was already missing the incredible ride on the Maharashtra Coastal Route - Sagari Mahamarg

A View from top of Vengurla Light House / Vengurla Port

Fernweh at Dutch Factory - Vengurla

I was 420 km away from Wakad where I planned to stay for a night at Abhas`s place. Abhas is a brother from IBR Pune Chapter. I started riding around 3.40 PM from Shiroda Beach towards Amboli Ghats & reached Amboli Waterfall at 5.00 PM. It was quick to cover 60 Km. I then took a tea break & started riding towards Wakad - Pune where again I took a snacks break at Goa Phata at Hotel Satyawati. It was the same Hotel was IBR Mumbai took an overnight halt while coming back from Bengaluru Bullatiapa 2015. Then I did a nonstop ride to Abhas's home covering nearly 290 Km. It was super exhausting. With a lot of chit-chats, we slept at 4.00 AM. Then I started my ride back home at 9.00 AM and was home by 1.00 PM because of the usual Mumbai city traffic.

Overall it was a great experience to ride on Maharashtra Coastal Highway. The mesmerizing view of the Ocean on one side through the trip with the motivation to ride more & more. Have covered around 1450 km in 5 days. Sometimes it necessary for us to get disconnected with the world we are living in and enjoy our own company. As said by Dan Aykroyd "You don't need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle"

Have shared the whole route plan in Day 1 blog, you can refer & plan your trip. Get in touch if any more details required.

Few pointers if you plan a trip.

- The trip can be done in 3 days to reach Goa or depending on a personal choice.

- No need to worry about fuel, loads of fuel pump on the way.

- ATM`s, Hotels & local food joints available on the way.

- Carry your bikes spare parts to be on a safer side.

- Ferry crossing fee is 50 Rs for the rider along with the bike.

- Language: Marathi & Hindi

- Most important: Travel and enjoy the beauty of Samudri Mahamarg - Maharashtra Coastal Route, be polite with the locals and please don't litter.

Thank you for reading the blogs. Share your comments. More blogs will be updated soon. Till then "Work Hard & Ride Harder"

Cheers

#Bikesexual9696

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MAHA COASTAL RIDE DAY 3 & 4 - A Solo Trip to Cover The Coast Of Maharashtra - Sagari Mahamarg

If you missed out the Day 1 & Day 2, click on the links below

Day 1: http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-solo-trip-to-cover.html

Day 2: http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-day-2-solo-trip-to.html

Day 3: Ganeshgule, March 3rd, 2018

Ganeshgule Beach & Hill  (PC: Tarry)

Perks of traveling also include socializing and meeting new people. And since I was not at all running behind the schedules, I took the liberty to party with my brothers of IBRMC`s Mumbai Chapter and it went on past midnight. I also got an opportunity to take in the alluring sight of the Sun rising with the hues of Purple, Red, and Orange in the sky. The mesmerizing sight and overwhelming calmness of the sea is a never to be missed opportunity. I slept for a while that morning. We feed ourselves with an authentic and local breakfast of 'Poha', 'Thali Pet' with some amazing hot 'masala chai'. a must try a combination. 

Me, Sameer, Mohnish, Vishal, Tarry, Ankit

We then headed towards the beach as I did not get a chance to enjoy the beauty the other day as I reached post sunset. There was a hill right next to and attached to the beach. We were thrilled to explore something new and hence decided on an impromptu trek. We trekked our way to the peak of that elevation and our sore and tired legs were instantly healed with the sight in front of us. We all just stood there in silence, knowing that a view like that needed no praise. It was windy up there, but we could still listen to the sound of the waves and just took in the breathtaking view of the ocean. We spent some time there and then got busy in recording a few memories of that beautiful place. We sat on the cliff for nearly an hour and then trekked our way down. 

On the Cliff (PC: Tarry)

As soon as we got down, we changed into swimwear and ran into the water to now enjoy the sea water and some swimming. By the time we came out of the water, it was past lunchtime. We left the beach and headed back to Koko`s beach resort where we enjoyed the yummiest meal of my entire trip, 'Surmai Fry and Curry'. It was evening, we again went down for a walk on the beach and I enjoyed my dinner with brothers 'Prawns Fry and Chicken Curry'. The next day, the brothers had to leave for Mumbai and I had to continue my journey towards Malvan.

Surmai Fry

   *****

Day 4: Ganeshgule to Malvan, March 4th, 2018

I started off my journey with a heavy heart since they were leaving. But with a new spirit and thrilled to enjoy my solo ride, I bid them goodbye. I first rode towards Gaokhadi Beach. It is around 10km from Ganeshgule. It was a single lane highway and the weather was pleasant with a cool breeze. I was again mesmerized by the stunning beauty of Gaokhadi Beach. With the help of locals, I added Ambolgad in my list which was only 30km from Gaokhadi. A small stretch on this road was adventurous with some off-roading. Around 945AM, I was at the Ambolgad Cliff talking with the wind. 

Ambolgad Cliff

Returning down from the cliff, I visited the Ambolgad Fort and the Beach. It was then time for me to move towards my next location, Devgad. But before that, I made an instant change in plan and visited the Vijaydurg Fort. It was not on the way I was riding. I had to ride south towards Padel Canteen & then take a turn and 15km north to reach Vijaydurg. I reached at 11:45AM. I spend some quality time at the Vijaydurg Fort. Had a small where to`s and how to`s conversation with the locals and resumed my ride towards Devgad.

Fernweh at Vijaydurg Fort

I visited the Devgad Fort, Devgad Lighthouse, and Devgad Windmills. After spending some time it was time for me to head towards Tarkarli with two more places to cover in my list: Achara Beach and Malvan. I took a tea break at Achara Beach and rode towards Malvan. I reach Malvan at 5:30 in the evening. I couldn`t find any good place for stay at Malvan which would fit my budget. But I had some time in my hand before the sunset so I moved towards Tarkarli.

Fernweh at Devgad Wind Mills

Devgad Beach

It took me 20min to reach Tarkarli Beach. I started hunting for a place to crash that night and was successful in landing up at very comfortable homestay - Unnati (Mr. Bhalchandra - 9420261294/9403077540) which is 2 min walk from the main beach. I unloaded my bike and got settled. As soon as I crashed in the bed, I was fast asleep in no time. Next, when I woke up, I realized it was dinner time. When in Malvan, I would strongly suggest eating the most famous Malvani Khana. 'Surmai Thali' with 'Prawns Fry' and 'Solkadi'.  After a long and a tiring day, it was time for me to crash in the bed with some amazing things planned for the next morning which I was super excited for.

Surmai Thali at Tarkarli

Ganeshgule to Tarkarli km covered: 231km

Day 3: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2aRs5kUAUQQ
Day 4: https://youtu.be/My8uDSeyxBY

MAHA COASTAL RIDE DAY 2 - A Solo Trip to Cover The Coast Of Maharashtra - Sagari Mahamarg

If you missed out to know what happened on day 1 click on the link below.

http://bikesexual-9696.blogspot.in/2018/03/maha-coastal-ride-solo-trip-to-cover.html

Day 2 : Shrivardhan to Ganeshgule : March 2nd, 2018

Sunrise at Shrivardhan Beach

I woke up prepared for Day 2. I knew it would be a busy day as I had to take three ferries and reach Ganeshgule. I woke up and went for a quick morning walk to enjoy the morning breeze on Shrivardhan Beach. it is such a clean beach as compared to the others. I spent some time clicking pictures of the beautiful sunrise and headed for some morning tea. Since it`s a small town, I was lucky enough to find a very homely small time restaurant for tea and breakfast. i enjoyed a really hot and spicy Missal Pav meal handmade by the owner`s wife in that restaurant. I then headed back to the home stay, packed my bags, thanked the owner and moved out for the day.

Missal Pav

The owner of the Home stay was really helpful in providing me some important information about the routes I should take and avoid, after understanding my day plan. He also Warned me out of concern to avoid entering Harihareshwar water as there have neen unfortunate instance of drowning there. I wore my safety guards and set off for Day 2 with Fernweh

Ready to Roll

The distance between Shrivardhan to Harihareshwar is 18kms. It was a quick ride to reach the beach. The Government of Maharashtra has designated Harihareshwar as a tourist place; the place has seen a great influx of tourists. On one side is River Savitri, also known as Bankot Creek. On the other side is the huge expanse of the ocean and jutting out into the sea is a promontory that is Harihareshwar. There is not much to explore here so i moved to the next location, reach Bagmandla, which is 4-5 km away from Harihareshwar. As soon as I reached there, the jetty was about to leave. I took the ticket which cost Rs.50/- including bike & the rider. Enjoyed a 10 min ferry ride and reached the other side. While riding towards Kelshi you will see River Bharja while you ride on the Mandangard ghat. Once I reached Kelshi, i experienced a bumpy ride due to uneven roads until i reached Anjarle. The average speed was around 25km/HR

Harihareshwar Jetty

I took a quick stroll at Anjarle Beach & quickly started riding towards Dabhol where I took another ferry towards Dhopave. Bought the ticket & boarded the ferry. The road passes through the controversial Dabhol Power Station. Within no time I reached Guhagar. As I had a heavy breakfast in the morning, I was not hungry and hence skipped lunch. But there are numerous small restaurants where you can stop for lunch. While I was at Guhagar Beach, had some coconut water and headed towards Tavasal.

Anjarli Beach

On my way towards Tawasal I visited Velneshwar Temple which is situated on the beach. I took a short water-break. There I met Rohan who was from Pune and was on a family trip to Ganpatipule. 

He was excited to know why I am riding alone and I was happy to tell him all about it. The roads went through villages and were very narrow. Even the uphill section was very narrow and steep. At one section the roads completely disappeared into the muddy and stone block road. Being very careful while riding on the bad patch, I managed to save myself and the bike through a skid. This road lasted for around 1-1.5km and then I could see the view of the magnificent Rohile Beach. I reached Tavasal Ferry crossing at 4.22PM where I bought ticket for Rs.55/- for the bike & the rider. Due to some technical problem the ferry was delayed. While waiting for the ride to start I met Rohan again and this time his whole family wanted to click pictures on my bike one by one.

Rohan & his family clicking pictures

Fernweh on Tavasal Ferry

At 4.48PM the ferry ride stared and lasted for 10mins
and soon I started towards Ganpatipule. It was 5PM
and I had to cover a long distance to reach Ganeshgule where other riders from IBRMC Mumbai chapter were waiting for me. But before I explored the next in the list,
I wanted to explore Jaigad. JSW has a huge steel plant at Jaigad.

I visited Jaigad Light house, spent some more time
listening to the melodious sound of the waves and wind, and relaxed for bit. Next in the list was Arey ware beach. But before that my bike got in to reserve fuel mode.
I was a bit tensed as I had not seen any fuel pump in a while. Stopped at a police choki & the officer guided me the way to the fuel pump.

Fernweh at Jaigad JSW Helipad

The main purpose of this trip was to witness the incredible Arey Ware Beach. I spent some time at this location, clicking pictures and went off towards Ganeshgule via Ratnagiri. It was beautiful to see the sea, beaches & the setting sun on your right side while you are enjoying your ride.

It was getting dark and riding on the unknown road at times can be difficult as you can easily wander off and not know where to go. Hence, always be careful of which turns you need to take and be focused. After reaching Ratnagiri, I took a wrong turn, but was on track soon with a small help of form the traffic police. Reaching Koko`s beach resort in Ganeshgule (Mr. Tushar - 7798603756) was a task as there was no network. One can`t call anyone to ask for help. I had to wait somewhere on the road for nearly 20 min only to find a boy on his way back home who helped me with the directions. I reached Ganeshgule at 7.45PM. Day 2 ride comes to an end with a very super hungry me and I headed for dinner. All the tiredness of the day vanished with the glass of Solkadi which is when I tasted bilss and divine of the Konkan region.

And the evening was then well spend with my brothers of IBRMC`s Mumbai chapter. They are a sight to my sore and tired eyes.

Sunset in Rear-View Mirror

Shrivardhan - Ganeshgule Kms Covered: 267Kms

More experiences to be share soon.
To be continued... 

MAHA COASTAL RIDE - A Solo Trip to Cover The Coast Of Maharashtra – Sagari Mahamarg

YOUR DIAMONDS ARE NOT IN FAR DISTANT MOUNTAINS OR IN YONDER SEAS; THEY ARE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD, IF YOU DIG FOR THEM – RUSSELL H. CONWELL

So here I sit with a plan, but waiting for the day to begin.

Benjamin Franklin once said “EITHER WRITE SOMETHING WORTH READING OR DO SOMETHING WORTH WRITING”

Hence, I thought to give a shot to do something worth writing.

MAHA COASTAL RIDE - A Solo Trip to Cover The Coast Of Maharashtra – Sagari Mahamarg.

We all have planned a road trip to Goa a couple of times, but never thought of taking this route as it takes 4 days via SH4. Although it`s called SH4, the roads are more like country roads. On numerous occasions it runs into the water & a ferry must be taken to cross to reach the other side. As the ride name says Maha Coastal Ride; the ride should be an independent ride with the focus of the coast lines & to explore the Konkan region. The plan was all set, but had to wait for months. Finally, with a fresh mood and great enthusiasm, I started this exciting journey off for the Maha Coastal Ride on March 1^st, 2018.

The ferries which took me from one side to the other can transport bikes, cars and even buses & can accommodate around 8 to 12 cars at a time. So this route can be planned on your mood to ride or drive.

The route:

Day 1: Mumbai – Panvel – Vadkal Naka – Kelghar – Agardanda- Ferry Crossing – Digi – Shrivardhan

Day 2: Harihareshwar – Ferry Crossing – Kelshi – Anjarle – Harnai – Dabhol – Ferry Crossing – Dhopave – Guhagar – Velneshwar Temple – Rohile Beach – Tavasal – Ferry Crossing – Jaigad Lighthouse – Ganpatipule – Arey Ware Beach – Ratnagiri - Ganeshgule

Day 3: Ganeshgule - Gaokhadi Beach - Ambolgad Cliff - Padel Canteen - Vijaydurg Fort - Devgad Fort/Light House - Devgad Wind Mills - Achara Beach - Malvan - Tarkarli

Day 4: Tarkarli - Vengurla Beach (MH) - Shiroda Beach (MH) - Amboli Ghat - Mumbai via Nipani - Kolhapur - Wakad (Pune)

This is the 4 day route that I planned and rode through. You can drop in some locations as per your convenience and plan your ride back from Tarkarli.

Day 1: Mumbai to Shrivardhan : March 1st 2018

On 1st March, 2018, I and Fernweh (my bike) started off with this exciting journey with full energy and enthusiasm. I left from Mumbai at 10 in the morning without any halt straightaway to Agardanda. With no fear of travelling alone, keeping in mind how I could be safe throughout this ride and taking extra precautions wherever necessary.

 On the way to Agardanda Jetty, there is a signage for Janjira fort which is only 2 km away. if your schedules are open and if you want to experience some more of the konkan region, Janjira Fort can be amazing sightseeing place which also requires you to travel through a jetty set-up by the locals. As I was running behind the schedules, I couldn't visit the fort. I reached the Agardanda jetty at 4PM, only to know about the low tide during then. The options were to take an alternate route to Shrivardhan by road which was around 56km & approx. Two hours or wait for the small ferry boat through which the can be loaded & shifted to Dighi. I opted to enjoy the ferry ride for 10 minutes and reach Dighi.

I survived the day enjoying my mom's homemade snacks. I reached Shrivardhan around 7.30PM and hence couldn't explore the beach at this hour the first thing was to look for a place to stay. I didn't have to look in for many places as I settled in the first thing I enquired in. Took a non a/c room which was decent for a single person with clean toilets & pocket friendly. Yogiraj NIwas - (9403316829 /9922161183). as a rider you need to do this every time you settle into a hotel room, charge all your devices - Gopro, Power bank & of course your cellphone. I was super hungry. The home stay guys suggested that if I love sea food I should visit Hotal Prasad and yes he was correct. I ordered for a fish thali & fired Prawns. The owner of Hotel Prasad, goes to the market himself to pick up fresh fishes every morning & also prepares the order himself. If you are a non-vegetarian, go only for sea food option while you are riding in the coastal area, that`s what you will get the best as its their specialty and also staple diet.

It's been Holi the very same day. I was very lucky to find a temple next to my home stay for that night. it was an amazing sight to see the celebrations of Holi in a different way than we celebrate in Mumbai. Females dressed in proper traditional sarees, young boys preparing the "Holika". the boys were chanting in their local language. They were having fun. As the "Holika" was set on fire, boys around were waiting to celebrate it in thier way and of course they did. Pulling out hot coconuts presented to the "Holika", it was distributed to all of us as "Prasad". I got small hot piece and experienced to celebrate holi in another part of Maharashtra.
Post dinner, I took a small walk on the beach and gave some rest to my eyes early that night. With my mind wandering and planning day 2, I slept in the comfort of a home stay.

Mumbai - Shrivardhan Km covered : 245km

Episode 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0zAQxEflMI&feature=youtu.be

To be continued...