After spending three stressed out weeks in Delhi for the Auto Expo, I was keenly looking forward to getting back to Mumbai and riding up to Ganpatipule. For those who haven't heard about it, Ganpatipule
is located close to 400km from Mumbai along the picturesque Konkan
Coast. It's a one-hick town but supposed to have some of the most
spectacular beaches this side of Goa. I just had a day to research about
the place, get the hotel bookings done and most importantly, get some
real-time info about the state of National Highway 17 from my riding
buddies who'd been there recently. This is the old Mumbai-Goa highway
and a single-lane road which makes overtaking dicey; it's also got a
propensity for going from good to terrible in very little time when the
rain comes down. I started out at the break of dawn so that I'd get past
Panvel in Mumbai's suburbs before the rush hour traffic began and soon
got on NH 17. This initial stretch of the highway is not particularly
good: till Mahad village (60 km from Panvel), the experience is marred
by heavy commercial traffic and unmarked diversions which abate only
after you've crossed the village.
Photo courtesy: Argho Mukherji
Past Mahad the ghat sections begin and there's really no looking back after that: suddenly the traffic thins out, and you're greeted by a newly-laid smooth stretch of tarmac.
On the way to Ganpatipule be prepared to tackle six ghat sections. Those in cars may not relish these but there's no motion sickness on two wheels, and I couldn't have asked for more! Still a word of caution is approporiate: it is still a single-lane road and it's best not to get too carried away. You can't take a racing line into these curves.
By the time I reached Ganpatipule, the sun was setting and the view of the ocean was picture-perfect. You can't help but draw comparisons with Goa and Ganpatipule's beaches trump those at the latter by a fair bit: clean and uncommercial, the stretches of sand are more virgin than you can ever hope to find even in the most deserted parts of Goa.
There's some mythological importance too and a lot of people come down here to offer their prayers to Lord Ganesha.
Though there some water sports facilities I would advise visitors to steer clear of these: I tried some jet skiing and the safety measures seemed rather inadequate. The staff is not trained and also not equipped with first aid or medical emergency assistance.
Luxury fiends can check into The Fern which is a bonafide 5-star property but for food there really is nothing like the food on the street. The Malwani cuisine is spicy but packed with an amazing cornucopia of flavours. Even the humble vada-pav takes on a hot and fiery avatar. Late dinner services are an issue here and if you are planning to spend a weekend then make sure you're carrying a food hamper. You won't regret it though: Ganpatipule is a great place to spend a weekend peacefully and far away from the concrete jungle. July to February is an ideal time to visit. At other times you'll come away with more of a tan than you'd care to have
Photo courtesy: Argho MukherjiPast Mahad the ghat sections begin and there's really no looking back after that: suddenly the traffic thins out, and you're greeted by a newly-laid smooth stretch of tarmac.
On the way to Ganpatipule be prepared to tackle six ghat sections. Those in cars may not relish these but there's no motion sickness on two wheels, and I couldn't have asked for more! Still a word of caution is approporiate: it is still a single-lane road and it's best not to get too carried away. You can't take a racing line into these curves.
By the time I reached Ganpatipule, the sun was setting and the view of the ocean was picture-perfect. You can't help but draw comparisons with Goa and Ganpatipule's beaches trump those at the latter by a fair bit: clean and uncommercial, the stretches of sand are more virgin than you can ever hope to find even in the most deserted parts of Goa.
There's some mythological importance too and a lot of people come down here to offer their prayers to Lord Ganesha.
Though there some water sports facilities I would advise visitors to steer clear of these: I tried some jet skiing and the safety measures seemed rather inadequate. The staff is not trained and also not equipped with first aid or medical emergency assistance.
Luxury fiends can check into The Fern which is a bonafide 5-star property but for food there really is nothing like the food on the street. The Malwani cuisine is spicy but packed with an amazing cornucopia of flavours. Even the humble vada-pav takes on a hot and fiery avatar. Late dinner services are an issue here and if you are planning to spend a weekend then make sure you're carrying a food hamper. You won't regret it though: Ganpatipule is a great place to spend a weekend peacefully and far away from the concrete jungle. July to February is an ideal time to visit. At other times you'll come away with more of a tan than you'd care to have
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