About 238 kms away from Mumbai, lies a small hamlet on the banks of the Konkan coastline in Maharashtra. Still largely pristine owing to the lack of commercialisation, Murud and the surrounding areas of the Harnai fishing village, in the sub-district of Dapoli provide for a perfect weekend getaway from urban life.
Best visited right after the monsoons and upto the month of March, this small town attracts modest number of crowds from Mumbai and Pune. From both of the aforesaid metros the driving distance is approximately 5-6 hours depending on road conditions.
Starting out
On a partly cloudy day at the end of September, we drove up to Dapoli to spend an extended weekend on Murud Beach.
To beat city traffic on our way out, we started really early in the morning, around 4 am! Yup, it’s the most ungodly hour to start a holiday! However, there are some benefits of starting early as you getaway from urban life.
For starters, there will be little or no traffic on city roads. Of course, there will be the trucks plying goods but, once you hit the highway, they are hardly any bother. Personally, I find it exhilarating, to get out early for road travel and watch the sunrise as I go along.
The other major advantage of starting before dawn is that you get to explore more on the way without getting delayed much.
On every road trip we try to make short interim stops wherever possible, to admire nature. Lakes, rivers, hills or just the serene scenes of the countryside. The morning aura is almost always energising and positive.
As always, I carried my home-brewed coffee on the way. If you start before sunrise, it is important to carry your choice of caffeine, some accompaniments and drinking water, because it is unlikely to find shops which are open at that hour. Li’l sips of coffee/tea in the wee hours helps not just to keep our focus on the road but, to be fully present in the moment as well.
On our way
As we drove through the Mumbai-Bangalore highway and then onto NH66, our first impromptu stop for a quiet stroll was somewhere along the Amba River. The place was picturesque with the brook meandering it’s own course overlooking the lush green rolling hills behind.
We walked over the rocky sides of the river, catching the morning mist while taking sips from our cuppa. For a short while, we absorbed the morning freshness in all it’s quietness, just us assimilating with nature. The getaway from urban life had begun well.
The route to Murud Beach, offers multiple options for getting some good regional breakfast, decent washrooms as well as places just for tea, coffee and snacks. We too, stopped at a breakfast place before continuing on our way.
Arrived!
Around 10.30-10.45 am, we reached our destination, a modest resort on Murud Beach. In accordance to my prior request we were given an early check in.
We spent the remaining part of the morning lazing in our room and then walking about the surroundings inside the premises. The resort had it’s own restaurant so getting lunch was no hassle. The scorching afternoon sun made us stay indoors and rest a bit.
Later, we set out to drive and explore the fantastic Konkan coastline which runs along the hillside roads. We stopped at a couple of pretty hillocks to take photographs of the setting sun over the majestic Arabian Sea. The hillside still remains isolated from crowds so it’s easy to sit by and watch time pass. Just the way I had envisioned my quick getaway from urban life to be!
A little before dark, we drove back to the grey black Murud Beach and captured the myriad colours of the sky during dusk. The place was hauntingly beautiful, still untouched by urbanisation. It was surreal to walk the dusky hour on the beach. Some youngsters enjoyed their evening dip into the sea water, while we just grazed our feet near the waves.
Our getaway from urban life felt oh so good!
Day Two
A night of comfort at the resort helped us wake up early for the second day. Just as dawn was breaking, we walked to the beach to enjoy the early morning vibes.
Apart from the fishermen and their boats, it was just the two of us on the entire expanse of the beach. The cool morning air, the crashing waves and the variety of shells that I collected from the beach made it a worthwhile getaway from urban life.
Eventually, as the sun came up, other travellers from our resort and neighbouring ones came out to enjoy the cool sea water, frolicking and bathing in it.
We walked the entire expanse of the beach, captured the morning scenes on phone cameras and admired the changing colours of the sand, which went from grey, black, brown to burnt red as we walked towards the end.
A little after breakfast, it was time soak in the pool. While other guests from the resort ventured out to visit local temples and forts, we stayed back for our lunch & an afternoon siesta.
Thereafter, we drove down to the other nearby beaches, Anjarle, Harnai and Karde. Didn’t spend a whole lot of time there, because they all looked similar and some were not so clean. The drive around the Ratnagiri hills within an approximate 10-15 kms from Murud Beach is stunning, offering breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea and surrounding hills.
The sunsets were a treat for sore eyes! We found a quiet place on a hillock to watch the hues of the setting sun.
Sampling some local fare
Murud-Harnai offers a good opportunity for seafood lovers to indulge in some good rustic style Konkan fare. There are many small and decent sized places to enjoy fish thalis and other delicacies.
While driving around we found Nisarg, a fairly well reputed seafood joint which served tasty prawns, pomfrets and small crabs. Dinner that night was well sorted. Here, you will also find spirits and starters to enjoy before dinner.
If you care to buy your own fish from the Harnai market during the day, there are some locals who may even cook it up for you!
Many resorts on Murud Beach do not serve liquor. However, if you carry your own they will happily supply the accompaniments like soft beverages, ice, lemon wedges and starters.
Thus-far our weekend away continued to be worthwhile!
One more day to enjoy
On our last day at Murud, we again woke up a little before day break and went strolling on the beachfront. The tranquil surroundings, the rising sun and the changing colours of the beach that we walked on, made it a surreal experience.
The sand was dotted with small colourful rocks, myriad seashells and starfish that got washed in with the waves.
During the winter months, early morning boats carry people into the sea to watch dolphins. Unfortunately, this activity was not available in September! The monsoon had yet not receded so, the season for other activities like parasailing had not begun either.
Inspite of the absence of adventure sports, our getaway from urban life was still quite enjoyable.
Initially, we wanted to take the time after breakfast to visit the Keshavraj temple and Suvarnadurg fort nearby. However, the weather was hot and sultry, which discouraged us from voyaging outside. So, we decided to repeat the routine from the day before.
During late afternoon we drove out again, this time to explore the Anjarle viewpoint. On this day too, we couldn’t get enough of the spectacular panorama of the place. We spent time walking over hillocks, catching the sunset and sat for sometime in the same spot from the evening before.
That evening we enjoyed a buffet dinner at the Citrus restaurant located inside the Lemon Tree resort. There is ample parking and the resort premises are quite enticing although, it is a bit away from the beach.
Departure
After a rainy night, we awoke slightly late to witness a cloudy and windy morning.
Still managed to catch a leisurely walk by the beach and then packed up to leave after breakfast.
The drive back from our short vacay was uneventful. As we descended from the mountains, clouds followed us for about 3 hours. Along with the terrain, the weather changed as we came down to the plains.
By late afternoon, we were back in the bay recharged and refreshed. Another getaway from urban life complete with some memorable moments to reminisce.
Murud is best enjoyed as a weekend trip with family, friends or even solo. Spending 2-3 nights is enough to explore the place.
For photographers, it provides ample photogenic spots for still as well as drone photography. During the winter months parasailing, dune buggy rides and boat trips to watch dolphins in the sea are popular activities.
The place still retains it’s rustic charm but, I am afraid that urbanisation and hyper tourism may spoil the natural beauty of the place in the near future. We already witnessed the ongoing construction of upcoming hotels and resorts during our time there.
While I have no intention of discouraging tourism in our country, I hope that in developing the same, we do not forget to preserve and maintain our lovely locations.
Suhrita Goswami is an experienced freelance content writer. She specializes in writing educational, travel, food, lifestyle and living related content. Her ideas are fresh & unique. She is an avid reader and travel enthusiast.