TARKARLI : A trip worth taking. :)

As I start to write, I would like to let you know that this experience really inspired me. It taught me that no matter what, you have to live a life to your fullest. People here respect that statement. Tarkarli is one magical place where everyone is seen enjoying their life in whatever manner it comes. Being a small tourist destination it has still not become polluted with the “main city” ways of life. Below, I shall make you aware about what all can be done in this wonderful place and the beauty of this enchanting spot.

DAY 1

We started our trip early in the morning at 5:45 a.m . It was a comfortable drive and we made the necessary stops for food and other necessities. We stopped at Kankavali for a delicious lunch in a roadside restaurant. Finally, we reached our destination at 4:30 p.m., taking us about 11 hours in total. We decided to have our stay at the MTDC tarkarli houseboat choosing the standard houseboat. Though there is not much difference between the two, there is an option for the deluxe one. I recommend taking the standard one as it is placed towards the river and not the bank, giving a beautiful view of the river. We were greeted by some very nice and polite caretakers. We were informed about boatrides every morning and afternoon. Unfortunately we reached at a time when we had missed the afternoon ride. The rest of the day was spent lazing around in the houseboat and a short visit to the beach nearby. Dinner time greeted us with delicious King Fish fry cooked with the Malvani Masala. We ended our first day with a sound sleep. It was pretty comfortable as there is an Air conditioner in the both the standard as well as the Deluxe rooms.

DAY 2

Having had a leisurely sleep at night, I woke up with the sound of running boat engines. The morning ride started at 7:30 a.m. This boat ride usually takes you upto the Sangam i.e the place of meet of the sea and the river. After that we take a turn and come up to an island named the “Tsunami Island”. This patch of sand bed had come up to the surface during the Tsunami which took place on the 26th December 2004. Even though the Tsunami was seen as a major destructive element, some people have also benefitted from this natural calamity. This island has provided livelihood for the locals from both the banks of the river. The usual scene at this island are two groups of people managing Water sports and two other people with food and Kokam Sharbat.

While returning from the sangam, our boat stopped at the island. It was noticed that the MTDC houseboats provide quite some customers to these locals. The water sports offered here are the banana boat, the bumpy (which amused me the most), the water scooter and kayaking. This island surely can be named the “mini goa” at half the price. We had some delicious homemade Modaks and fresh Kokam sharbat from the one of the shacks. After a wonderful time at the Tsunami island, we decided to take a trip to the main Malvan town. This place is bustling with people and you can see many shops offering you local delicacies. We paid a visit to the Deolkar's Malvan masala shop where we can see various types of pickles and masalas. This shop is a must visit. My mother and grandmothr bought their necessary items to make delicious food at home. After a brief 20 minutes of this, we visited a restaurant named “Chaitanya” which is located right next to this masala shop. Now, as the boat provides us with Vegetarian food in the afternoon we decided to take a grab of the fresh seafood of Malvan: the speciality of this region. At Chaitanya, we decided to try all the fried seafood available. The freshness of the fish gave a whole new taste which is worth trying. If you ever plan a trip to Tarkarli, this is one place you cannot miss. It is not very difficult to find this place as everyone around knows this restaurant. The sun was making it difficult for us to continue, so we decided to cool ourself by going to a nearby icecream shop called Oraskar's. They provide milkshakes, icecream, kulfis and anything that is needed to cool you down. We decided to eat the weirdest icecream on the menu, the ginger lemon chilli icecream. And yes, the icecream was weird indeed. It had a distinct taste of each of the items mentioned in the name. If you are curious to know what I experienced, why not pay this little shop a visit? Time had flown fast and it was time for our next boat ride, so we decided to go back. Back at the housebat, we were served lunch and an amazing view of the shining river. The sun had given it a shimmer of its own. After all the travelling in the morning, we decided to take a nap and rejuvenate ourselves for the lazy evening we were planning to spend. As mentioned earlier, we did spend a lazy evening. A family talk with drinks and french fries was how our evening went by. Around 9, we were served dinner and we decided to call it a day.

Two days had flown by fast and I was beginning to get attached to this place. At the back of my mind, I wanted leave the big city of Mumbai and stay in this calm and serene place where there was no fear and only joy. A place where we would do what we enjoy and not be forced to enjoy what we do. I wished that every place would be as unadulterated as Tarkarli. A place that would force the people to respect it for providing them with shelter, and not leave it to rot for the people's well being. Anyhow, we shall move on to the third and the very last day of this enchanting place.

DAY 3

Today was going to be the adventurous day as we had planned a little bit of sight seeing. The day started with the usual boat ride till the sangam. Today, we didn't stop at the Tsunami Island. Instead we were all excited about visiting the Sindhudurg Fort. After a decent breakfast consisting of eggs and bread, we left for the Malvan town at about 1030. We had already booked the boat ride to the fort and more of all : SNORKELING. The place around the for (being a sea fort) is filled with corals and different kinds of fish. At first, we did the snorkeling. There was a man with us who took us around the area and showed us corals and fish. We sighted some beautiful Zebra fish and these small fishes which were no more than an inch long. It was a good experience.
After the Snorkelling bit, we visited the fort. It was one of Shivaji Maharaj's Biggest forts. But surprisingly he had visited this fort only once in his lifetime. Strange, isn't it? This has become a small dwelling now. It has about 300 odd families living inside, and at every kilo meter you would find a small shop selling necessary things to cool you down after a walk in the scorching heat. I am not going to reveal everything i saw because it is a must visit. This fort is truly an incredible one. After about 2 hours in the fort we decided to go back. The same boat got us back to the mainland. We had lunch at Hotel Chaitanya (mentioned above), skipping our boat lunch. On the way back to our car, we bought all the delicacies we were going to take back to Mumbai.
After getting back to our boat, we decided to crash into bed and go off for a nice sleep. Following the same routine in the evening, we called it a day, thinking how much we will be missing this place.

DAY 4

Again, I woke up with sound of running boat engine's and this was the last time my alarm would be the sound of a running boat engine. Anyhow, we decided to go to the tsunami island for the last time today. We enjoyed all the rides and thanked each of them for their wonderful hospitality.
Then finally, we left this amazing, enchanting place for the hustle bustle of city life. It had truly been one of my most memorable stays in Maharashtra.
I would love to go visit this place again. So, if anyone of you out need a place to cool yourself down and get away from the daily stress you have this place is a must. An amazing place with wonderful people and good food. A place where you will find nothing but peace and satisfaction.
Tarkarli : truly magical!