God's chosen Paradise- Ganapatipule

Situated on the coastal region of Maharashtra, in the Konkan region of Ratnagiri district, lies a breathtakingly beautiful town of Ganapatipule. If one wants to sum up Ganapatipule in three words, it would be, Divine, Serene, Unreal.

As one enters Ganapatipule, you know you are in a place unreal. This small town lies between the Blue Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri mountains. As soon as you approach the town, you can see the awe-inspring view of the sea from uphills, and Oh boy!! Is it beautiful or what!

The name Ganapatipule actually comes from the Ganapati temple that is situated on the beach (Yes! Beach). It is said to be a "Swayambhu" temple, that is, the Idol is not man made. Ganapatipule has always been a famous pilgrimage for the people located on the Konkan District, but lately, it has been fast catching up as a tourist destination as well. 

For people who are not so much into the pilgrimage part, the beaches here are extremely clean, unexplored and the sand is actually white. (Amazing, ain't it?). There are three beaches which lie approximately 2 kms apart from each other. The main Ganapatipule beach is slightly crowded owing to the tourists visiting the temple. The other two are Malgund and Arey-warrey. I personally like the Malgund beach. The beach is pretty unexplored. Less number of tourists come to this beach, hence, the beach is clean. There are some water activities as well, like the Banana Boat, Bumpy ride, Jet-Ski and the Quad-bikes. Not very professional, but good enough.

What I extremely love is the sea route that takes you from Ganapatpule to the town of Ratnagri. The road passes through Mountains on one side and the Arabic Sea on the other. Very unlike India!

The food mainly is Maharashtrain coastal food, with variety of fish preparations and Vegetarian options. Remember that when in Rome, do as the Romans. Do not order Chinese or Punjabi dishes over here. You would definitely be disappointed. Go for the traditional Malvani cuisine and make your stomach happy. Try the Kokam preparations and if you go in the season of Summer, don't forget the Alphonso Mango :). Also try the "Khanavals" that is the small home-run eateries. They would not offer you a fine-dine option, but definitely good food at affordable price.

There are an umpteen number of options available to stay in Ganapatipule to suit your pockets. I personally love the MTDC resort and Hotel Abhishek for the sheer view they offer. Both need to be booked well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Travel: 

By Road-Take Luxury Buses available from Mumbai to Ganapatipule or hire a tourist car

By Rail- Take a train till Ratnagiri and then auto, bus or tourist car till Ganapatipule

Stay:

MTDC resort, Hotel Abhishek,

Happy Peregrination People :)