Kashid with Friends

There are times when one wants to get away from the daily chorus and there is nothing like going to sea. Sea has this special ability to sooth you and put you to relaxing mode. Probably it is the combined effect of the salty breeze, the sound of waves splashing on the shore, the soft sand underneath the feet and the vastness of the sea. Somehow it puts a spell on me and I am mesmerized by the nature’s bounties. For most part of my life I have stayed at place which is quite far from sea. So when I first saw sea, it was love at first sight for me.

Since then I have been to Goa (I love the Colva beach for it’s not very crowded plus it gives a sense of safety even while walking at mid night) almost every year. However Kashid is near to me and is perfect get away for 3 days. So any extended weekend is ideal for visiting Kashid. This place is quite near from Pune/Mumbai and can be easily reached in about 3 hours. There is one 5 star resort their, Prakruti Resort. It is luxurious but costly. More over it’s quite far from sea. And anyway who wants to go to disco, have continental meals and breakfasts and air conditioning when one can stay at the local resorts which are 10 hops away from beach J

Kashid is a small village with population of about 2000. The exceptional quality of Kashid beach is that it is not crowded like its neighbouring beaches. And the sand at this beach is silvery. You can walk for long stretches enjoying the solitude and the occasional glimpse of the flying fish in the sea. It’s like having a private beach only for your self! If you are going with friends then this is perfect place to bond.

Some residents of Kashid have built accommodations for tourists and most of them are maintained pretty well. Some have gardens with banana and coconut trees and the hammocks to lazy around in the noon. I prefer to stay at Friends resort because it’s clean and has a very good garden. And most importantly it’s quite close to sea. I have found that the uncle who owns it is quite friendly. The cook, a lady, is an expert is Surmai and Bangda (mackerel) fry.

While visiting Kashid, it is a good idea to take a trip to Murud Janjira. It is just about 16 km from Kashid. One can visit the sea fort of Janjira. There are boats (prepaid sailing boats) to go to this fort. There are guides at this fort to provide information about its history. I hired one but found it to be not very useful. You may very well skip hiring a guide. Instead get the material from internet. The view from the top of Janjira is something not to be missed.

Where to stay

Friends Resort, Kashid Sea Face, Surve Huts

What to see

The Kashid beach, the Janjira Fort, Murud beach

What to eat

Home made sea food, fish fries, soul curry (made up of coconut milk)

When to visit

Mid September to mid March

Minimum stay duration

2 days 1 night

How to reach

The nearest rail head and airport is Mumbai and Pune (almost equidistant). From Pune/Mumbai one can go by car.

Distance from Pune: About 180km. The route to follow is:

Pune-Express High way-Lonawala - Khopoli Exit – Pen – Alibag – Nagaon – Revdanda - Kashid

Distance from Mumbai: About 120km

Some useful links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murud-Janjira

http://murudjanjira.blogspot.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashid

Contact info for local resorts:

Friends Resort: Mr A. A. Belose 09270371274

Kashid Sea Face: Mr. Abhishek Kate 02144-278555

Have you been to Murud or Kashid? How was your experience? If you have visited some super cool place in Konkan aread, do share your views. I would like to explore Konkan and your first hand opinion can be useful.