Vengurla is around 15 km from Kudal and the first time I came to know about the place is when we were searching for a quaint, quiet beach option near Sawantwadi, on my way back from Tarkali (Boy! Tarkali deserves a post of it's own!).
So coming back to Vengurla, the first time I visited it it was like fresh out of R.K.Narayan's Malgudi days except for the fact that instead of being a south Indian village it was a Maharashtrian one. Bowlekarwadi in Vengurla where is stayed is a small, sleepy, quaint village around 4 kms from the Math tehsil. The city of Vengurla which can be reached via own car or a hired auto from the village has a Jetty where you can smell the fresh fishes that are being captured by the local fishermen, a Lighthouse sitting atop a hill, an old government guest house overlooking the sea at one end and a beautiful chain of mountains on another, a beach with sapphire blue waters and pearl white sands and if you're lucky enough to be at the beach in the morning, you can spot thousands of sea gulls flirting with the waves as they come and touch the shore. Don't trust me, see the pics below.
It is this mesmerizing , untouched and unspoiled beauty of Vengurla which forced me to visit it again to kick start my New Year Travel ritual in 2017. I stayed in a Homestay called Dhuri Homestay. (Here's my Trip Advisor review of Dhuri Homestays). This time my stay was even more exciting as I came to know of the cashew production in the area. There are 3-4 high capacity cashew factories which process raw nuts into the delicious snacks in a variety of flavors we get in the market.
Fortunately, the owner of the home-stay has a cashew farm of his own so he took us to a little nature trail as we wanted to get the first hand feel of a village farm. at 8.30 a.m. just after having a cup of freshly brewed lemongrass tea, we headed to our cashew farm visit crossing a small area of human settlement filled with domesticated animals like cows, bullocks and dogs. After about 15 minutes of our walk we entered the paddy fields which had been reaped recently, so there were golden brown stubs of the paddy and chaff all spread across and in the morning light of the sun the entire area was glowing as if gold has been smeared on them. Since it is a little hilly, we could see sectional farming and glimpses of terrace farming. After crossing the beautiful paddy fields we entered a high slope where the area was densely covered by cashew trees all around. The ground was covered by leaves and there was a crisp noise of crushing as we stepped onto them. The cashew farm was cool, which was attributed to the closely planted trees with enormous branches and leaves that did not allow much light to come through. We reached here after walking for almost 20-25 minutes so sat on a wooden log and looked around the splendid fruits, pale pink in color that the trees bore. On our way back we had the typical maharashtrian breakfast of kanda poha, amboli and tea.
Above - This is me at the Dhuri cashew farm.
Well most of you will be amazed that mobile network barely is functional near this place of my stay. So how I spend an entire day? Hmm, I begin my day with the sound of birds chirping outside my window pane and by looking outside at the lush green farms. Post breakfast I move to the lawns and read a book at leisurely pace, reflect on life and click pictures. Lunch is usually a delicious affair which requires a little sleep afterwards as I eat to my heart's content. Evenings are spend playing badminton, sitting by the beach, playing with the waves or just soaking in the vast natural beauty. Night is a starry affair with spotting countless constellations clearly visible in the night, with stars twinkling and sending us good dreams. I sometimes feel what a carefree life here is.
I have never been to a village prior to visiting this and if they say that a little hamlet is what we all deserve once in a while, I couldn't agree more. After all the famous African proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child."
How to Reach?
Vengurla is situated in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, in the north of Goa.
It is well connected by Mumbai and Goa via AC Deluxe and Non AC buses that run between Mumbai Goa Highway.
Trains that run on the Konkan railway are the best suited. Kudal is the nearest station to reach Vengurla, situated around 17 kms from the city.
Food
You must try the Konkani style fresh fish, kanda poha, Prawn curry, Amboli , Modaks , Sol kadi and cashew curry.
So coming back to Vengurla, the first time I visited it it was like fresh out of R.K.Narayan's Malgudi days except for the fact that instead of being a south Indian village it was a Maharashtrian one. Bowlekarwadi in Vengurla where is stayed is a small, sleepy, quaint village around 4 kms from the Math tehsil. The city of Vengurla which can be reached via own car or a hired auto from the village has a Jetty where you can smell the fresh fishes that are being captured by the local fishermen, a Lighthouse sitting atop a hill, an old government guest house overlooking the sea at one end and a beautiful chain of mountains on another, a beach with sapphire blue waters and pearl white sands and if you're lucky enough to be at the beach in the morning, you can spot thousands of sea gulls flirting with the waves as they come and touch the shore. Don't trust me, see the pics below.
It is this mesmerizing , untouched and unspoiled beauty of Vengurla which forced me to visit it again to kick start my New Year Travel ritual in 2017. I stayed in a Homestay called Dhuri Homestay. (Here's my Trip Advisor review of Dhuri Homestays). This time my stay was even more exciting as I came to know of the cashew production in the area. There are 3-4 high capacity cashew factories which process raw nuts into the delicious snacks in a variety of flavors we get in the market.
Fortunately, the owner of the home-stay has a cashew farm of his own so he took us to a little nature trail as we wanted to get the first hand feel of a village farm. at 8.30 a.m. just after having a cup of freshly brewed lemongrass tea, we headed to our cashew farm visit crossing a small area of human settlement filled with domesticated animals like cows, bullocks and dogs. After about 15 minutes of our walk we entered the paddy fields which had been reaped recently, so there were golden brown stubs of the paddy and chaff all spread across and in the morning light of the sun the entire area was glowing as if gold has been smeared on them. Since it is a little hilly, we could see sectional farming and glimpses of terrace farming. After crossing the beautiful paddy fields we entered a high slope where the area was densely covered by cashew trees all around. The ground was covered by leaves and there was a crisp noise of crushing as we stepped onto them. The cashew farm was cool, which was attributed to the closely planted trees with enormous branches and leaves that did not allow much light to come through. We reached here after walking for almost 20-25 minutes so sat on a wooden log and looked around the splendid fruits, pale pink in color that the trees bore. On our way back we had the typical maharashtrian breakfast of kanda poha, amboli and tea.
Above - This is me at the Dhuri cashew farm.
Well most of you will be amazed that mobile network barely is functional near this place of my stay. So how I spend an entire day? Hmm, I begin my day with the sound of birds chirping outside my window pane and by looking outside at the lush green farms. Post breakfast I move to the lawns and read a book at leisurely pace, reflect on life and click pictures. Lunch is usually a delicious affair which requires a little sleep afterwards as I eat to my heart's content. Evenings are spend playing badminton, sitting by the beach, playing with the waves or just soaking in the vast natural beauty. Night is a starry affair with spotting countless constellations clearly visible in the night, with stars twinkling and sending us good dreams. I sometimes feel what a carefree life here is.
I have never been to a village prior to visiting this and if they say that a little hamlet is what we all deserve once in a while, I couldn't agree more. After all the famous African proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child."
How to Reach?
Vengurla is situated in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, in the north of Goa.
It is well connected by Mumbai and Goa via AC Deluxe and Non AC buses that run between Mumbai Goa Highway.
Trains that run on the Konkan railway are the best suited. Kudal is the nearest station to reach Vengurla, situated around 17 kms from the city.
Food
You must try the Konkani style fresh fish, kanda poha, Prawn curry, Amboli , Modaks , Sol kadi and cashew curry.
Looks like a real nice place and your article has made it look even better, am putting it on my visit list
ReplyDeleteLooks like a real nice place and your article has made it look even better, am putting it on my visit list
ReplyDeleteThanks Vikas, it's my absolutely pleasure that you liked the descriptions. Will be adding an international destination this weekend so make sure to check it out.
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