It was a bus stop without any of the usual frills. No announcements, no sign, no shelter. The Kashid village bus stop was no more than a pause in the road. But at 10.30 in the morning and after a three and a half hour journey in the semi-luxury ST bus from Vashi, it was a very welcome sight. Even the sun obliged, with his warmth and cheerfulness. And the distinctly close sounds of the sea were as musical as they were enticing.
Our place of stay, the Kashid Beach Resort, was ridiculously close. So on we went; me, my wife, our 3 year old son and my parents. Soon enough, we found a sign indicating our resort with a bold left arrow. A short walk brought us there. It is constructed into the face of a small hill and so has guest rooms at varying levels, like steps built into a rock face. At the reception, a serious looking gentleman made a motion as if to receive us. I gave him our intro and after signing in, we were led to our room-a nice and spacious duplex kind of room at one of the highest levels in the resort. It was clean, warm and had all the basic conveniences. The best thing about it was the lawn right outside the French windows. You could hear the waves and watch the rim of the sea from here.
Back inside, the refreshments came in promptly. Tea was passable and biscuits came wrapped in silver foil. Nice touch. Lunch, we were told, was anything on the menu and that too served in our rooms. It was a privilege the resort extended to guests till the crowds came in on Friday night. Having landed on a Thursday morning, we thought we had this luxury till dinner on Friday. But we were in for a rude surprise. It seems the resort was rather full by Thursday night and so all our food privileges stood revoked the same night. (The resort certainly didn’t live up its 4-star rating on this occasion.)
The food that followed barely passed muster. For lunch on Thursday, most of the food on the menu card was absent. So ‘food of our choice’ became ‘food available in the kitchen.’ There was only one dessert – wilted fruit from the deep freezer in ice cream eminently past its expiry date. Thursday’s dinner was a buffet and it set the tone for the largely dismal fare that was dished out for the next two days. The tandoori rotis were a cow’s delight. The chicken could test even a hungry wolf’s digestion. And the Gulab Jamuns could rival a child’s marble collection. Clearly, the kitchen is not Kashid Beach Resort’s strength. (Which was odd because my friends swore they were served good fare and excellent sea food! Or maybe the head cook found greener pastures.)
Having given up all hope of good food, we decided to focus on what we went there for. The beach - which was a few steps further than the bus stop but in the opposite direction. (You really have to give it to these guys for being so excellently located.) The beach truly lived up to its promise. It was breathtaking. The first time was just after sundown, with the sky a fabulous display of colours from the setting sun.
We had stout sticks, found on the way, for support when we waded into the water. Chest high we went, with our sticks firm in the soft sand underwater. The sky was a canvas of blues, reds, oranges and grays; of the sort I had never seen before. And the cool sea breeze was refreshingly dizzy. It was easy to see how easily we could be there day after day doing nothing but feeding the five senses. Maybe this is what they call “an experience to die for.”
If the dying embers of the sun made the beach glow softly that evening, the next morning it was almost white; as if a giant fluorescent tube was turned on deep inside. The sand here is silver unlike other beaches which tend to be golden. And it contains what looks like mica which looks like tiny pieces of glass, soft and harmless to the touch.
The entire scene was so beautiful, it was almost unreal. Add to this a bullock cart whose driver sold coconut water and it became a straight lift from a picture book.
Walking up and down the beach, we looked for stones and found several of them. Blue, red and white stones worked upon by the sea; stones with meandering lines, grooves and craters-each a world in itself. Then as we lay on the beach warmed by the sun, with the gentle waves lapping the shores close by, sleep of the deepest sort quietly overcame us and we could swear time lay at our command.
We returned that evening well in time to catch the sunset. The beach seems to create a magical moment whenever you happen to be there. This time we were granted a spectacular sunset with the waves playing the perfect foil. Largely gentle, throwing in the occasional overwhelming breaker.
The next day was check out day. It was a pity we were there for only a little over 2 days. But we made silent promises to return soon. It was a beach no one would tire of coming back to, again and again. Its biggest plus was the absence of crowds. And if you don’t mind the occasional surprise that resorts come up with then you’ve got your perfect getaway.
Getting there and other details (my take):
Travel - Semi Luxury (2X2) ST bus from the Vashi highway stop at 6.45 am.
3 ½ hour journey to Kashid (reasonably comfortable if it’s the same kind of bus.)
About 100 bucks per head to Kashid. Another 13 to Murud town. Auto fare to the Murud ferry point – 100 to, waiting and fro. Ferry fare to the fort – Rs.250 (private & exclusive)
Stay - At Kashid Beach Resort (great place but probably got very unlucky with the food.) Do ask them for beach umbrellas if and when you go there.
4 people. 1 large room with a lawn. 2 days. Rs.6000. (Got a deal though.)
Sights & sounds - We missed the bird sanctuary 8 km away. Heard it offers great walks too. Visited Murud town and the Janjira (actually a corruption of Jal Jazeerah) fort. An interesting experience but a sad reminder of the apathy of the authorities. 200 bucks for the guide.
Oh yes, do check out the tea stall just after the left turn to the Kashid Beach Resort.
People - Not many people in an around Kashid. But locals are helpful enough. People in Murud are honest and helpful. Left our luggage in the auto while we visited the fort.
Climate – Hot days and cool nights. Visited in February. (Sure looks like it’ll be fantastic in the rains.)
Tip - Book your accommodation at least a month in advance.