A Weekend Trip to Bhandarpule
Everybody looking for a beach vacation from Mumbai heads to Goa for the weekend. Sure enough, I’ve been to Goa myself a number of times too. But this time I wanted to try something different. It was the Independence Day weekend. 15th August was a Thursday this year. If I could take the Friday off, I would have a nice 4 days off from work. I wanted to try something different, and remembered what my friend from work did. She went to Ganpatipule. But she was more impressed with the serene beach at Bhandarpule. So I wanted to try this for the big weekend. She had told me that it was very quiet and relaxing – just what I needed after the roller-coaster last couple of months.
Bhandarpule is located just 2 kilometers from Ganpatipule. Honestly, I was impressed immediately. I was the only person on the entire beach – WOW! There were two nice hillocks on both the sides. My resort was located between these hills, right on the beach. The blue waters of the Arabian Sea were in front of me. It looked serene and tranquil.
I checked into the resort and decided to go for a walk on the beach. The sand was very soft. The beach at Bhandarpule was indeed very clean as well, and so was the water. There were many suru trees lining up the coast. I was sure that I’d be able to spend hours here. The resort manager told me that the view from the top of the hillock is fantastic. So I made it a point to climb up. It seemed like an easy walk. But that was for later. For now, I had to head indoors to take a shower and have my lunch.
The next day I decided to visit Ganpatipule. It was nice, but I had to agree with my friend, Bhandarpule was better if you are seeking solitude. I had my lunch at a simple roadside eatery and decided to proceed to Ratnagiri. I was told that the Warrey Road that traveled all the way from Bhandarpule to Ratnagiri along the coast was fantastic. In the end I had to agree. I have traveled extensively in the Konkan area. And I have to admit, it is among the most scenic drives in this part of the country.
I returned to my resort late in the evening, just before dinner time. I would just rest for the next two days. And oh yes, I would have to hike up the hillock to get the view. Will keep everybody posted.
