Weekend Getaway

The idea was to spend a weekend in a quiet place away from the traffic, pollution and all the other fixtures of urban life where we could enjoy the rains for a change. In Mumbai the monsoon represents muck, trains running late, potholes merging and resulting in entire stretches of roads resembling an amusement ride that has gone horribly wrong. Who wouldn’t want to get away from such a nightmare, even for a brief period? We considered a list of destinations, but finally settled on Kashid - a lesser known beach.

It is approximately 130km from Mumbai and about 20 kms from Alibaug, which makes for an amazing weekend getaway. Unlike Alibaug, the beach at Kashid is clean, not crowded with other weekend travelers and possesses a rare scenic beauty that leaves you mesmerized. It is definitely one of the best beaches in close proximity in Maharashtra. It is an ideal combination of green and grey mountains, white sandy beaches devoid of pebbles and an unspoilt shoreline.



We started off on a Saturday morning; the Sun God basking in a mild mood and smiling upon us. Once we crossed the city limits, the view was lovely. On the way, we stopped at hotel Karnala for breakfast; their Misal Pav is worth a try. As we progressed sometimes we went through thickly wooded slopes while at times we drove along the shoreline. The winding roads provide glimpses of sea from the clearing between the thick vegetation, bushes and trees. The advantage of driving your own car is, you can stop at leisure and enjoy the breathtaking view and capture the spectacular pictures in a camera.

It took us about 4 hrs to reach the Kashid Beach Resort, which includes the time spent for breakfast. This resort though secluded is very close to the beach. Kashid Beach Resort offers air-conditioned 25 split-level double rooms based on Spanish interior design, each affording a magnificent view of the sea. The rooms have attached baths with running hot/cold water and a private sit-out area. A multicuisine restaurant serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian food including Indian, Chinese, Continental, and regional Konkan cuisines. The food is quite sumptuous. Not far from the resort are the historic landmarks, the Murud-Janjira and the Kurlai fort at Rewdanda, Nawab Palace as well as the Ganapati and Birla Temple.

Once we reached the resort, we dumped our belongings in the rooms and rushed to the beach. Except our group, there was no other soul on the beach and it was a weekend. Unbelievable, isn’t it! Due to the rains the seawater was quite dark, but undoubtedly one of the cleanest and best beaches in the region. The sea is gentle and well-behaved, but prone to small whirlpools at certain locations, and therefore certain areas are best avoided. That should not take away anything from the fun that you can otherwise have on the beach.

Nights in Kashid are what romantic dreams are made of, with a faint silver-blue glow emanating from the stars and the moon and a gentle breeze embracing the gurgling sound of the ocean in the background. It is a perfect setting for those in love or for those keen on becoming cupid’s target.

We had planned to spend away the night talking and playing, but sleep intervened and claimed us nevertheless. After having been in the arms of Morpheus, instead of Cupid, we woke woke up feeling completely rested and energized, a feeling that us city dwellers are not really familiar with. We thought of making the most of the time we had until we checked out of the hotel and headed to the beach. Once again we were the only people around and felt like we owned the beach. On Sunday afternoon we started back for Mumbai, though one doesn’t look forward to the return journey, the drive back is equally appealing and pleasant.

Kashid offers a perfect weekend for those seeking solitude and delight, but don’t want to stray too far away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city. Staying over for more than a weekend might be unadvisable, lest we Mumbaites get used to the space & privacy. For those who would want to visit this place make haste, before it turns into an up market resort and loses its exclusive charm. All said and done, one of the best outings so far. ,,,