An adventure from Bombay to Goa - January 2007   by Robert Klincke

We left the luxurious cocoon of the Intercontinental Hotel in Bombay in the care of Philip, our Goan driver. Philip told us he drove up and down the N17 between Goa and Bombay several times a week, but always the non-stop 12 hour journey, so this was a bit of an adventure for him too - and a holiday!

We set off through the burgeoning south east suburbs of Bombay - large areas of marshy reclaimed land upon which huge developments were underway or newly completed, but it took nearly all morning to get out into the countryside proper.

Now into the state of Maharashtra, our first coffee cum comfort stop in was in an area known for its honey, so a large sticky bottle was immediately added to the luggage. I also saw bundles of fresh fenugreek being sold as a vegetable for the first time there.

Our journey was instantly justified as I had already learnt and seen new things. The roads were smooth, the driving excellent and the outlook for the next 3 days was very promising. Philip's English was excellent and he was knowledgeable about the places we were driving through on the main road.

We then turned off N17 to head for the coastal town of Murud, where we arrived in time for (Indian time) lunch. The small resort was right on an extensive beach with a headland to the north upon which perched a vast, ornate sombre looking palace. We understood this was no longer occupied on a permanent basis but still owned by the former ruling family. Looked a candidate for renovation into a heritage hotel to me! Murud is within easy travelling distance of Bombay and accommodates weekenders and retired couples who come for a few days holiday.

At 5.00 pm we were whisked off to the nearby village of Rajpuri where we tramped down to the quayside and bought a ticket for a sail boat to take us over to the island fortress of Janjira. January being school picnic time, we shared our boat with a party of primary schoolchildren, who were amazed and fascinated to find two elderly Europeans joining their party! After lots of "hellos" and "how are you's" and "what is your name's" and fascinated staring, we disembarked at the entrance to the fort, with strict instructions about being back before the last return sailing before dark.

This much neglected fort dates back to the early 17th century and over the following two centuries it saw plenty of military action as the Siddis defended their territory against warring factions, notably the Marathas. The Nawab of Janjira's palace was also inside this vast fortified island, but all now sadly gone. We met groups of older students also whilst walking the walls. They were desperately keen to talk English with us. On the return journey to the mainland, the students sang pop songs to us and we sang Christmas carols to them!

Next day we made our way back to the N17 and travelled south to the turning to Ganapatipule, approached through one of the best mango growing areas of Maharashtra. The high plains dropped quickly to the sea and we found ourselves in a state tourist board resort, adjacent to a huge temple dedicated to Ganesh and a popular pilgrimage place.

We understood the temple accommodated and fed up to 3,000 visitors at any one time; being "school picnic" season, there were again many, many groups of students out having fun in the evening and buying souvenirs at the glitzy stalls leading to the temple. We had a wall of windows in our cliff top room, with a spectacular view over the beach and sea.

Our third day we drove only about 4 hours to our final stop at Tarkali Beach. This resort was on a long thin spit of land between the river and sea, only a few feet above sea level at the most and entirely occupied by fishermen. The sands around the river mouth are a favourite of migratory birds, with many thousands to be seen at the right time of year.

This resort was a hive of industry on our arrival, but it transpired it was a lunchtime stop for the passengers on the luxurious Konkan Rail Experience holiday, and following their departure, it reverted to its usual quiet, sleepy atmosphere.

The Taj Hotel Groups had provided all the tables, chairs, sun loungers, umbrellas, tableware, cutlery, glasses, etc., and as soon as the group left these were all cleared away into a shed till the next visit a week later. We had our meagre dinner in the dark at old picnic tables, and our little cottage had the distinction of having the hardest bed we have ever slept on!

The following day we had another easy drive through the Ratnagiri area, on down into Goa and our beloved Majorda Beach.

About the Author

Robert Klincke has visited India on many occasions and organises both holidays and special interest tours to the Indian sub-continent. Details of his tours to India can be found at Dove Travel