Konkan Delight - Madhuram Paryatan

Having driven down to Belgaum from Bangalore - which by the way is about 500 kms along the NH4, we took a halt there. Now Belgaum is my hometown and I have as many relatives as are streets there. A quaint lil' town which was once known for its lovely winters and mild summers is now a busy city. Its now has its share of the urban curse - noise, pollution and people everywhere. But I'll tell you about that sometime later.
From Belgaum we drove down via Savantwadi to reach 'Madhuram Parayatan' - a small homestay run by Mrs and Mr Samant. Its in a small village called Parule - the nearest 'known' village is Kudal. The road from Belgaum to Kudal winds through Amboli (which is also a hill station in its own right). Along the ghats near Amboli we stopped by Nangarthas Falls. Its not a very big waterfall but the unique thing about it is the fall is a straight 80 feet down in to a narrow chasm which makes the whole view dangerously beautiful.
Along the way there are quite a few brooks running down the hills that make the drive quite enjoyable. And throw in a hot cup of coffee and 'vada-pavs' at the road side eateries and your day is made.
We reached Madhuram Parayatan at lunch time and Mr. Samant greeted us as though we were his long lost friends. After the pleasantries, we were served lunch - and a grand affiar it was. Surmai Fry, Fish Curry, Prawns roasted with Ginger paste and spices, rice, dal, veg curry, salads, and of course a bucket-ful (yes a bucket) of Sol-kadi. For the uninitiated - here's what sol-kadi is --- http://www.syvum.com/cgi/online/serve.cgi/recipes/srcpm10.tdf?0.
A foodie that I am, I fell in love with this place at first sight. Fresh, authentic spicy konkani sea food served with love in the cool shade of swaying coconut and arecanut trees. That was one of the happiest moments of my life (dont judge me please). And the best part is that these wonderful meals continued for the rest of the stay - just as wholesome, just as authentic, just as tasty.
Over the next 3 days Mr. Samant became our personal guide and took us to the most pristine, untouched beaches in and around Parule. Every 10 - 15 kms we experienced some of the more beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And the best part of at all was that there was not even a soul on any of the beaches. Have a look at the pics
http://picasaweb.google.com/deepakjoshi19/KonkanBeaches?authkey=Gv1sRgCIaxkPW8pLyG3wE#
Mrs and Mr Samant plan to have 8 cottages and help people experience that 'Konkan' which is hidden from the rest of the world and I wish them the best of luck. I hope more people can see and experience what we did in those 2 wonderful days. We left Madhuram with our minds refreshed and souls nourished - thanks to Madhuram Parayatan and the Samants.

Konkan Delight - The 'PLAN'

Ahhh ... Come december and there is a spring in my step. Vacation Time!!! For all of us who work for the evil cruel capitilist imperilist western world (and get paid good money for that :D ) December is the time when the world slowly comes to a grinding halt and everyone heads off to spend some 'quality' time with their families.
This year, like every preceding one, Arch and I began planning for 15 days of blissful solace way back in October. And believe you me, we gave a fair chance to East India (Shillong, Darjelling, Gangtok) - only to realise that traveling in India is far more expensive that going to Malaysia. Having said that we as fate would have it - we settled for a road trip along the western coast of Maharashtra - KONKAN. Today in hindsight, my belief in the adage 'whatever happens happens for a reason and for your good', is even more strongly reaffirmed.
The idea was to drive to the coast and then halt every 100 - 120 kms along the beach and relax for 2 - 3 days and finally reach Pune before heading back to Namma Bengeluru.
Now this is easier said than done. For one - every known beach along the coast were booked well in advance and the rates touched the sahyadris as we move towards Mumbai.
Finally after 100 or so phone calls and spending close to 10 hrs reading reviews of home-stays (yes, they are cheap, homely and give you an experience that no resort can) we finalized the grand route ---- 2850 Kms of 'unchartered' roads -----
Bangalore - Belgaum - Kudal - Malvan - Devrukh - Guhagar - Pune - Bangalore.
At each of these places we booked our selves in to homestays that were recommended by fellow travellers.

Now the only thing to do was --- Head off !!!