Drive to Shrivardhan in Oct 08

Drive: 

Located at approx 200 km from Panvel on the Mumbai Goa route. The drive from Panvel to Mangaon is awesome. If you spot a pothole on this route flag it. There were none in Oct 08. The drive is a decent 5-6 hour drive depending on when you start. Best time to start will be early moning or late night (10 ish) so that you beat the traffic you may get from Panvel bus stand to Wadkal Naka. I started from Ambernath (My khedegaon - Say 35 -40 km from Panvel) at 7.30 p.m and reached Wadkal Naka at around 9.30 and halted for dinner just after turning left at Wadkal Naka. Started at around 10.10 p.m from there and reached Mangaon at around 11.00 p.m. You have to turn right after Mangaon bus stand for Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar. The initial patch of 20 km after turning right was good after which was a patch of bad road in the Mangaon Ghat section. Now this road must have been done as the work was in progress then. After 45 km of the right turn from Mangaon you reach a T-Section where left is Harihareshwar (10 Km) and right is Shrivardhan (3 Km)

Accomodation: 

This place was not too commercialised then and so could not many hotels around this place. The concept that works here is Bed and Breakfast (Refer MTDC website link: http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/html/MaharashtraTourism/Default.aspx?strpage=../MaharashtraTourism/Bed_Breakfast/Shrivardhan.html for details and options). This is nothing but rooms in bungalows of the people staying there who let it for rent. The ones you find on MTDC site are approved by them; there may be some unapproved accomodations too.

These are very economical, neat and homely places. People who wish to enjoy luxury rooms; Shrivardhan might not be the place for them. Some of these accomodations do provide lunch and dinner while some provide tea and snacks.

We had stayed at Anil Mathure's place when I went with our office people in Oct 07. In Oct 08 I stayed at Parag Dawale's place. Rooms were better at Parag's place. Also the people are very decent and humble.

The BEACH: 

Shrivardhan proves to be one of the best serene beaches I have ever seen. The beach is SAFE, CLEAN, NOT CROWDED, NON Commercialised and wide. The photos will prove my claims. If you enjoy being all by yourself this is the place to be. The beach is 5 minutes driving distance from Parag's place. Dont need to talk much about the beach the snaps explain them all.

Bhojan:

The only and the most popular place in Shrivardhan to get a decent veg food is @ Palandhe's. They are the local food giants (Food for thought: There is a very good business potential for a Food enterprise). They are into many other food products apart from running a veg meals canteen. Food is good but only veg. DONT forget to busy the Mango pulp from Palandhe. It is awesome; original Alphonso pulp packed in a tin can. Best for mango ice creams; the taste can challenge NATURALS Mango ice cream. If your taste buds need a change there is a small snacks shop on the road to the Shrivardhan city right in front of the SCHOOL (Dont know the name). The breakfast was awesome there, he also serves non veg. His stall name is pretty famous the place being very small.

Harihareshwar from here: 

Get out of the Shrivardhan city and you hit a road to Harihareshwar. Its a 10 km drive but worth it. The temple is good and is a typical Ratnagiri style of temple. Dont venture into the sea at Harihareshwar, its not safe.

Dive Agar from here:

Dive Agar is a swarna Ganpati temple (Golden Ganpati). Good, small temple at a distance of 16 km from Shrivardhan. Drive is through a small ghat and the scenery is just beautiful. You are driving on the coast at the same time it is a climb and after the Ghat is done you reach a place where you see a beautiful coast from the peak of the small ghat. This beach is also very good but localites say that it not too safe. Do not venture your car into this beach; will get royally stuck with not many people to help you. One more point to mention; if you enjoy the dry fish smell or the dry fish itself; you can pick up loads of them while on the ghat. Its kept for drying out there (hehehe).

Overall a wonderful weekend drive.