This was the most unexpected trip ever that I have taken so far.
How did I get here? Well, I came across this video shared by a travel website named Tripoto. So the place which I am talking about is, Malvan – a place that is quite similar to Goa.
The journey tales:
We went there via the Indian Railways, but trust me this will be an awesome road trip destination covering a journey of about 3-4 hours via road and about 2 – 2 ½ hours via the rail.
Our train was at 6 AM, too early, isn’t it? Our family abides by the rule, travellers should start early to avoid the traffic and the sun later in the day!
We reached the station about 10 mins before the boarding time and didn’t find the train arrived yet, assuming it was late we began our small talks.
Oh yes! I was travelling with my mum and most of my travels are with her ! Who says travelling isn’t fun with parents?
So it was 2 minutes before the departure time and there went an announcement of the train which was about to leave but we were wondering , how lame of the train faculty to give an announcement for a train that has not arrived? Funny aint it?
And then mum spotted the train behind us, which was at a distance away from us. I can’t express all those feelings and thoughts we were having at that moment. Can you recollect the famous DDLJ scene. We were no where close to it but were running like fools and as soon as we spotted the driver, we told him to stop the train.
And he was signalling ½ min to go, and we just sat in the first boogie we spotted?. We were that close to missing the train! After that we spent the next hour laughing and thinking how lame we could be.
The journey to Kudal was fun and easy and we got there at about 8 in the morning. But the Homestay check-in was scheduled for 1 PM and thus we had some good hours to kill. We were wondering what could be done and then decided to go to Malvan which is at a distance of 1 hour away from Kudal via bus. It was a hell of a bumpy ride but gladly we made it there safely.
What has Malvan got to offer to the visitors?
When in Malvan you cannot skip the visit to the famous Sidhudurg fort just 20 min away from the main market area. You have to get the tickets for the boat ride to the fort, the boats wait there for about an hour and then get you back to the shore. This reminded me of KanyaKumari where we had a similar ride.
The ride? Yes it was truly amazing – the salty sea smell, the blue water and so much peace. We roamed about for some time and came across a few small temples, some heritage sites and the fort which is quite huge to complete seeing in an hours time. All over the fort there are refreshments and yummy drinks from the famous Malvan Kokum Sharbat and Ginger masala soda and other tons of options to choose from.
We later took an auto to our stay at Vengurla that was another 30-45 min away from Malvan.
Where did we reside?
We were staying in a home stay named MAACHLI home stays. Now, this place is situated inside of a “Kulaghar”. Such an amazing place I tell you! The best part is that there was absolutely no range here – just you and your thoughts for company!
Honestly, the place offered the most amazing views and environment .So much peace and serenity.
So, we rested for some time and then went for food in the hotel buffet area. About the food, it was yum, all home cooked and all their ingredients are locally grown – a healthy meal indeed!
Later we went around the place and then headed for some rest at the homestay. The huts have been so well designed and gives you an exciting feeling just like those old homestays. The architecture is simple and modern yet it looks so rustic. In the hut, there are just some basic requirements like a drinking water, lantern and a huge glass window to see the gorgeous view of the place.
So much green and above all so peaceful.
(But the stay and the food tends to be on the pricier side as per day charges)
Transport was not easily available so we went out exploring on our feet. Frankly speaking, this place is far from the main city that we hardly found any people around.
Transport was not easily available so we went out exploring on our feet. Frankly speaking, this place is far from the main city that we hardly found any people around.
So we went to this shop we had spotted in a house and then just sat there for some time.
We ended up having a conversation with the shopkeeper wife. She told us that both her daughters were married and her son leaves in another city for work, so it was just her and her husband at home. She told me that the minute she saw me, she felt as if her daughter had come home, she served me a sweet dish she had prepared and we spoke so much ! She even called me for dinner! How weird can life turn out to be, isn’t it? For one instance you completely forget about everything that keeps you apart from each other and just talk.
The stay was nice. But it is highly recommended not to travel to this place alone if you are a solo traveler. You can get creeped out by the night view, may be because it was so calm that you could literally hear the sounds of the insects outside.
The very next day I woke up early in the morning and sat with a cup of hot water and I couldn’t get over the beautiful view of the place.
(I would recommend a day stay at this place since there is nothing much to see apart from the beaches and a few temples at Malvan).
We grabbed ourselves some breakfast at local house cafe and yes it was so delicious!
Our bus was at 11 AM to kudal. Later, we did some shopping at kudal market and we were headed back home !
I actually needed some time out from my desk job and this was a perfect one !
I remember bookmarking this place and here finally i am writing this blog! It has been a journey and I have enjoyed every bit of it .
How do you get to Malvan from Goa?
Since we took the rail, we took it from Goa to Kudal station, that is one station ahead, from there we took a bus directly heading to Malvan which is about 45 min from the main junction.
Transport is a bit costlier here, therefore public transport is most efficient and less risky as the place has steep turns and bumpy roads.
What are the things that you can do in Malvan?
- They have scuba diving points and boat riding , para-gliding and all the crazy water sports out here.
- Also, you need to try out the variety of seafood options available here.
- There is the boat ride trip to the Sindudurg fort which is yet a must try for all the visitors.
Until the next adventure!!!
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