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Beach-hopping around Alibag
Don't your children just love to play in the water with gay abandon and scoop dollops of sand to make castles? Who doesn't? Beaches make for a perfect holiday as it allows you to be in sync with the elements, while being truly relaxing. It is perhaps one place where both adults and children can enjoy together. Around 100 kms south of Mumbai are the fishing villages of Mandwa and Kihim, which have been luring people for its pristine sea stretch and sand. Another coastal hamlet nearby, Alibag, though a little congested now, retains a certain historical flavour which needs to be experienced.
To Mandwa by sea
Though accessible by road from Mumbai, these places are best visited by sea. Take an early morning ferry to Mandwa jetty; this way you will also travel in cooler weather and also get more time to traipse around the seaside getaways. Between the two-three private companies providing catamaran services and the government launches there should be no dearth of availability of tickets. But, it would still be advisable to book in advance, particularly on weekends, if you wish to travel comfortably.
As you leave the Mumbai harbour with its eclectic skyline - the royal Taj Hotel, old colonial landmarks and the bustling business district - and the naval ships and sailboats dotting the seas, take in the breathtaking vista. Feel the brine on your lips and watch the sea gulls follow in your wake, and before you know the islands with the faint outline of the sandy bank and hilly terrain will loom in view. Mandwa is still pristine and relatively less crowded than Alibag.
Kihim - pristine beach
Kihim is beautiful and more vibrant in terms of flora and fauna. Famous ornithologists Salim Ali and Humayun Abdulali, whose ancestral seaside cottages still stand, used to spend months observing and studying the birds and butterflies of this rich region. The Maharashtra Tourism deparment or MTDC provides tent accommodation with modern amenities so that you can stay in style right on the beach. Walk through the coconut groves, slurp on tender coconuts, soak or swim in the seas, trample the sands and sleep under the stars and canopy of the casuarinas for a heavenly experience.
Fort smack in the sea
Alibag has lost much of its quaint, old-world character as many of its small 'wadis' or family settlements have been transformed into typical concrete structures, but you can still glean the old in the rash of new development. The main attraction at the Alibag beach is the Kolaba fort smack in the middle of the sea, which was Emperor Shivaji's naval base. When the tide recedes, tourists can foot out the distance to the fort and visit the temple therein. Alternatively, horse carts are available to take tourists there. But, a word of caution - be sure of the pattern of the tides, so that you can go to the fort and come back well before the tide turns. Accidents have happened and people have lost their lives in the seas here.
Sea food and sol kadhi
A holiday experience is just not complete without the food part, and that is simply a joy in these fishing villages. There are plenty of seafood joints at every nook and corner which specialize in Goanese and Malwani styles of cooking fish. To top it all, such meals, while being lip-smacking tasty, are also very cheap. A traditional treat would be the rice plate with your choice of fish and sol kadhi, a tangy, soothing coconut milk concoction that goes well with fish curry-rice meal. Avoid the pomfrets for they turn out to be exorbitantly priced, as most of them find their way to Mumbai! Go for the local variety instead.
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