Kashid Beach

Kashid

We visited Kashid in May (2006). We went with another family, whose 2.5 year young little daughter wanted to fwim in the sea. I loved this place on the shores of Arabian Sea---with this quiet, 3 km stretch of beach on the Konkan Belt. It is about 135 km from Mumbai and 170 kms from Pune. The beach and the sand is clean. No wonder, it is a favorite spot for advertising, TV serial, and film shoots (from what I read and heard).

It has the perfect setting for a beach holiday mainly because of its clean sand, palm trees that lines on the road sides along the beach, and green hill near it, making it.

Warning:

Be careful of the strong undercurrents in the beaches of Kashid. As there are no lifeguards, it is advisable not to venture too deep into the waters. On the other hand, if you plan to spend a lot of time swimming in the water, try out Kihim as the sea there is relatively calm (this is what friends have adviced me. I have not yet been to Kihim).

How to get there?

People from Pune usually take the Express Highway, as we did when we visited Alibag about a year back. Unknowingly, we take a long route via Khopoli – Penn and forward. We miss the natural beauty of Mulshi-Tamhini ghats. It is a wonder during the monsoon (from what I hear), but it is a nice drive anytime during the year (especially in the morning).

• After crossing the Tamhini Ghats on SH60 keep an eye on the Kolad milestone.

  
  




• Go towards the Goa Highway. Do not take the Mangaon detour near Vile.

  
  




• When you reach the Goa Highway T-section, turn right. After about a km take the left turn towards Roha at Kolad. This is the only break in stretch of SH60.

  
  
  
  
  
  • From Roha, religiously follow SH60 again till you reach the Revadanda Bridge that reaches you from the right side (yes, we bypass Aligad altogether).
  
  
  
  
  
  

  So in short you follow the following route:

  
  

This route is a beautiful stretch till the end of the Tahmini-ghat even in the summer. It is be far more beautiful during and/or after the monsoons. It will take you about 1/1/2 hrs to reach Mulshi where you can have a stopover for coffee and sandwiches at QuickPoint. The drive from Mulshi to Bhile takes about an hour. Here the road bifurcates to Kolad and Mangaon. Take the Kolad road if you choose to go to Murud/Kashid. Kashid is around 20 km south of Alibag and is on the way to Murud. Just before you reach the Revdanda bridge, you come across the Birla Temple which is a nice place to visit.

Accomodation

There are a few, but good cottages managed by the locals which are close to the beach. But if you are going on a weekend trip, book atleast 2 weeks in advance. The facilities in these cottages are basic, but most of them are very clean and provide good food too.

We stayed at Sagar Tourist Resort run by one Mr. Deepak Khopkar. He has both AC and non AC rooms. Mobile: 09422692463 Villa: 952144-278525/278640. The cost of the room is Rs 800/- a day. Meal is Rs 75 for non-veg meal and Rs 60 for veg meal.

We were also told to try out the Sea Touch Tourist Cottage run by Tulashidas S. Belose Residence: (2144) 278550 Office: (2144) 278588, but his place was full.

There are many hotels available too. So if you are ready to shell out some extra money, then no problem at all. I had also spoken to a Mumbai based lady who owned a large farm house in 25 acres of land in Kashid. She said that the bunglow could cost Rs 10, 000/- a day. It had 4 big rooms and if we take it separately, it would come up to Rs 3000/- a day.

Mr. Deepak Khopkar told us that he had 2 rooms available on Friday and that on the weekends the rooms were full. So we actually took Friday off and left for Kashid at about 6.00 am. We reached there at about 11.30 am (including the numerous stops we had in between). We reached Sargar Tourist Resort, kept the baggage in the room, had lunch, rested in the afternoon and walked down to the beach in the evening. We had to check out the next morning and we had decided to leave after having breakfast. The plan was to go to Janjira fort, have lunch on the way back and return to Pune.

As we started toward Murud (18 kms from Kashid), we saw a Nisarg Resort. My husband took an instant liking to it and went to check if rooms were available. Luckily 2 rooms were available. We got it cheap for 3000/- for 2 rooms, inclusive of food. The usual rates are 3500/- per room (inclusive of food).   This place had a huge garden in the front, with hammocks, swings, a lot of trees and facility to sit out and have meals. It was really very relaxing. You could walk across to the road to reach the beach.

At Kashid:

We spend the day at Nisarg---ultimate relaxation. In the evening, we became water babies in the beach. We did not venture deep into the water, but since the waves were pretty strong, it was not really necessary to go into the water to get wet. We made a huge sand castle. My daughter has decided that we should make a trip to Kashid when she has her next vacation.

The next day (Sunday), we had breakfast and left for Murud-Janjira which is another experience on its own.

Note: Take care to schedule your visit so that you can book your rooms.

I would highly recommend Kashid to anyone who loves beaches and is looking out for a gateway to relax for a few days. If you love seafood, it is an icing on the cake.