Two Beaches

Earlier this month I visited Alibaug for a much-needed break from Mumbai. The ferry service that is operated by M2M from Mumbai to Mandwa made the whole experience so fantastic.

We had been putting off a visit to Alibaug for the longest time as neither was interested in driving four to five hours for a beach view. With this ferry though we were in Mandwa jetty of Alibaug within an hour from South Bombay. Apart from the time saved, the quality of service and comfort made this ride a great start to a short holiday.

Kihim Beach

Kihim is one of the first beaches along the stretches as you drive towards Alibaug from Mandwa Jetty.

You need to take a diversion from the main road to head towards Kihim. This ride through a non-existent road is the only unpleasant experience of being in Kihim.

The beach itself was so secluded when we reached barring a few tourists attracted to the adventure sports at the other end of the stretch.

Maybe it was the time of the year, or maybe it was the lunar cycle, the tides had pulled the sea so far away from the shore that we were walking through the seafloor with corals exposed.

The sea stayed that way every time we visited it over the two days and the peace and cleanliness of this stretch was in sharp contrast to the beach close to our home in Versova that we visit regularly. It’s a place I would love to visit again after a hectic week.

Revdanda beach

This beach is right at the estuary of Kundalika river and the Arabian sea. To the south of this beach, across the river, is a loading bay for ships and far to the north end of this long stretch, there is a small jetty. Bang in the middle of this stretch of sand sits this majestic fort that is now in near ruins.

Look towards the sea and you can see the majestic Korlai fort atop a hill to your left and the vast expanse of the Arabian sea spanning around. What a sight!

I have no idea how a place soo beautiful can sit in such a state of disrepair. You walk in, and it is full of tents run by different operators and they have loud music playing till late into the night. Not a big fan of all that noise in a place that is otherwise so serene.

On a low-tide day, like the one I got to experience, the sea had crawled back a solid 400 meters back, much like at Kihim. There was a cricket match going on with the field spread wide enough to fit the Eden Gardens.

Unlike most beaches that are full of locals and holidayers, this beach was full of couples getting their photos clicked as part of their pre-wedding shoot. Can’t blame them as this place had it all! Overall I feel it is a must-visit if you visit this coast.