Mumbai to Kashid

MUMBAI TO KASHID 

KASHID BEACH

CHAI NASTA

PRAKRUTI RESORTS

KASHID BEACH POST

JANJIRA FORT

PAMDADURGA FORT

Total Distance :                             160 km                          

Total petrol consumed both ways : 28 litres                           

Total Time taken :                          4 hrs 30 min             

Average Speed :                            35 kmh

Route : Mumbai >> Panvel >> Pen >> Alibaug >> 

           (0830)                       (1030)     (1130)

Kashid >> Murud 

(1300)       (25 min more)           

1.  The decision to visit Kashid was not something that was playing in my mind since time immemorial . It was more like one of the places to visit i ever a weekend trip was in the offing. So one fine day the plans were firmed up and i was off on a road trip to Kashid and Murud.

2.  Now a lot of guys that i know have done the same trip on bikes but i always believe that it is much more convenient to undertake the same in a four wheeler.The route is as i have described above .The drive getting out of Mumbai and getting back into Mumbai is the most stressful and slow moving according to me . One can beat the morning traffic if one starts the journey early .In my case i started at 0830 hrs in the morning ,so i was in the thick of the traffic all the way.

3. NH17 is also quite demanding since it is a single road all the way till Pen with incoming as well as outbound traffic , all vying for those gaps which could be exploited to overtake one another and move up. Hnece the driver has to be careful on NH17 all the way . The road though is smooth with no deterioration so travelling at 60-70 KMH is not a problem. I would not recommend higher speeds for there could be sudden obstacles in the form of local villagers , kids ... .

4.  At Pen one has to take the road travelling " Right" thus digressing rom the NH17 which then continues all the way to Goa.This road is known as SH4B . Just prior to reaching Alibaug @ around 2km , one will have to take a "Left" towards Kashid. The landmark is a petrol pump on the right side of the road and Hotel "Sahyadri" on the left side . The distance from here to Kashid remaining is 50 Km.

5. A point to note is that there is no major road signs telling the way to Kashi so please look for road signs directing towards Murud as Kashid falls enroute else ask local guys for directions when in doubt. The route once the left turn is taken from SH4B passes through two villages with numerous roads branching from the road that one is travelling , as a thumb rule just take all the roads heading to the "Right".The time taken to reach Kashid in view of deteriorated road conditions around here is almost 80 min.

6. I guess the above road data is sufficient to reach Kashid. For R&R i would suggest an eatery prior to reaching Pen on the let side next to a petrol pump called "Chai Nasta " . Decent breakfast and snacks can be had. Though in case one decides to continue there are many more further up the road too.On the return trip i would suggest local joints offering Konkani sea food for lunch especially after one leaves Kashid behind.

7. At Kashid one can stay at a number of places depending on the budget . I preferred "Prakruti Resorts" which was highly recommended to me .They have their own website so one can check it out.The budget though is a bit on the higher side around 8000/- per day all inclusive of three meals.But it offered amazing accomodation,relaxation and privacy along with a private beach too.

8. Kashid Beach is a calm serene beach with a number of shacks offering light refreshments along with hammocks .so a nice option to just laze around .There is also water sports offered by "Atharva Watersports" in case one desires the same.

9. One must also make it a point to visit Murud Janjira fort which is around 20 km further up.Drive upto Murud and then 2km further up to Rajapuri .To visit Janjira Fort one has to take the ferry from Murud.The cost is 20/ per head or in case u do not wish to wait for the ferry to get filled up , u can hire the entire boat for 600/-.There are also guide services available at the fort costing around 300/- .One point of interest is that this was the only ort that was not conquered by anyone right upto 1947 as its location in the middle of the sea was a great deterrence. There is also the Padmadurg Fort further up in the ocean but there are no ferries going up to there.

10. All inclusive i would sum it up as a weekend trip for  a good R&R for those who wish for a short break.Hope u guys found the info helpful. Let me know.