The Reviews posted till date contain lots of info about Alibag but I feel that some more exhaustive info should be provided so that anyone wishing to visit Alibag can be more comfortable throughout the journey and appreciate/enjoy the beauty in and around Alibag. The review is based on a recent visit and 2-week stay at Alibag.
First of all the best way to visit Alibag is taking the sea route from Mumbai instead of the road route although the latter has its advantages as well as disadvantages. But how shall one travel by sea? Well if you are coming from Mumbai or from some place outside Mumbai, then you have to come to Gateway (this is the starting point of Colaba). Remember to make advance booking of your stay at Alibag through your travel agent etc. There are lots of hotels and resorts in Alibag. If you are coming from outside Mumbai then you have to get down at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (VT or CST) and take a taxi/cab. On meter it will be around 25 to 30 rupees. Remember in Mumbai taxi fares are calculated in a different way in comparison to other cities. So check the rate chart with the taxi driver. If you get down at Mumbai Central railway station u can take a taxi and come to Gateway. Once you are in Gateway (if this is for the first time) then you should not miss out taking snaps of the Gateway and also the Taj (both the old and the new one which are side by side). There are lots of professionals who keep on roaming around at Gateway, who would approach you for a snap for 20 rupees. Its better to take your own camera. Remember also to carry a binocular alongwith you or other wise you have to shell out extra money for getting a glimpse of the sea from the back of the gateway. And moreover it would serve a great purpose too wherever you go. So DO NOT forget to have a Binocular with you. It’s a must.
Ok now to go to Alibag by sea route, there are three agencies that run ferry services/catamarans: PNP, AJANTA and MALDAR. The ferry/catamaran takes you to Mandwa from Gateway by the sea route and from Mandwa, buses of the respective agencies takes you to Alibag by road. Catamarans are small ships. The tickets (costing 40 or 50 rupees) have to be bought beforehand and it includes the fare of the ferry service and the bus, both combined. Suppose you catch the ferry run by AJANTA, then remember after reaching Mandwa, you should not be in a mood to roam around because you have to immediately catch the connecting Bus of AJANTA from Mandwa to Alibag. Or else you will be left behind only to wait for the next bus. AJANTA and MALDAR’s ferry services helps to enjoy the sea breeze while PNP’s catamaran service takes you in a fully covered AC coach and as a result you can by no way enjoy the sea. Don’t forget to collect a timetable of the services of each agency at the ticket counter at Gateway. The last catamaran that leaves Gateway is by PNP at 8:10 PM. If you wish you can also have a view of the sea from the top of the ferry during your travel by the sea. The guys may charge you 10 bucks extra for going to the top of the ferry. The view of the Taj and the Gateway from the sea is awesome and don’t forget to snap them, although Photography is prohibited on the Ferry as per notice by the Navy. The skyline of Mumbai is worth getting snapped. BUT its wise and better to ask the ferry personnel beforehand or else you may land up surrendering your film roll etc with embarrassment. Avoid planning ur travel during monsoons because this ferry service is stopped for three and a half months during the monsoons. The time taken to reach Alibag from Gateway via Mandwa is around 2 hours. The catamarans are faster than the ferry service so if you catch a catamaran you reach faster.
Once you are in Alibag, there are lots of good places to stay. Even you can get personal cottages for your stay if you are in a group. If you would like to stay comfortably without minding your purse then Sunglow Resort is very good. They have ten double rooms only and charge @1500 a day for each room. All rooms are facing the beach. Moreover you have Hotel Sea View next to Sunglow and other reasonably good hotels. For fooding there is a good restaurant within Sunglow and also there are good veg restaurants of which Hotel New Karishma is very good and is recommended. The neatness and cleanliness can be counted on. Here you can enjoy the Konkan Thali at 25 bucks or you can also try out the different types of Dosas and Uttapams and even Chinese Dishes, which are reasonably good. This hotel is very near to the beach; only 2 minutes walk from Sunglow for example.
As already mentioned in the previous reviews, the Colaba fort can be seen from the beach and is best visited on foot as it is barely a kilometer or so. You can take a horse ride on the beach for 20 bucks or so. But remember to note the high and low tide times before you visit the fort. It would be really enjoyable if you plan your visit during Holi. I was lucky to watch a huge event on the Alibag beach on the afternoon of Holi. There is a bullock cart race as well as horse race and cycle race that started at 3:30 PM and it happens every year on HOLI day. Around 150 pairs of bullock carts assemble and the race starts in batches of fifteen pairs together. Likewise 9 to 10 batches compete separately and from each batch first, second and third positions are given a sort of baksheesh by the local panchayat. So also is with horse racing and almost 60, 000 or more people assemble all along the length of the Alibag beach to witness this event.
But you should not only confine yourself to within Alibag although its splendid beauty is fantastic. There are lots of other beaches nearby, especially the Kihim Beach, which is very beautiful. I happened to visit the Murud-Janjira beach too and the road journey from Alibag was enthusing. Overally I felt that once you are here this is the place where you can gain lots of peace and calmness for your tensed and worried minds.
If you are from outside Mumbai or from within Mumbai you should never miss out visiting Elephanta Caves. For going there you have to catch a ferry/catamaran from Gateway. And it is always preferable to plan your trip in the morning hours so that you can spend as much time as possible at the Elephanta. The up and down journey ticket from Gateway to Elephanta and back by Ferry is 90 rupees and it takes an hour to reach Elephanta from Gateway. Once you are at Elephanta you may first take a small distance toy train ride for 8 rupees in the open. You will also get lots of good things to buy here but don’t forget to bargain. You have to climb several stairs thereafter. You will get small shops on either side as you climb before you reach the main cave area where an entry costs 10 rupees per person. And oh yes beware of monkeys out here. If you are with small children...be on the alert. Unless provoked and carrying something with you that might fascinate them, they are harmless. If you are coming from Alibag then you should catch the first bus from Alibag, which will connect you with the first ferry from Mandwa to reach gateway. In this way you can extract the most out of the entire day. But be sure to catch the 5:45PM return ferry from Elephanta to Gateway if you want to return to Alibag by the last catamaran from Gateway at 8:10 PM.
So that’s it and I feel I have contributed some useful info about going to Alibag. I feel that once anyone has these info in mind then you don’t have to worry much about your movement because my personal experience tell that you should be enjoying each and every moment more and more to make your holiday trip a memorable one.
Thanks