Konkan region is full of mountain, greenery and also beach side. One of the place in this region is Ganpatipule. I associated this place with the Ganpati temple which resides on the beach side of Ganpatipule and maybe hence the name. I have always planned to visit this place, but never really went there, until, Club Mahindra opened their resort there. We have been a member of Club Mahindra for a long time, seldom used it. So when we came across their Ganpatipule property, we thought, why not!?
Leave your footprint around the Ganpatipule Beach
The drive to Ganpatipule is amazing, you move pass mountains and mountain. Earlier road was very bad, however, it has not been improved and it is quite smooth to travel there. It is 8-9 hours away from Mumbai, hence, this destination requires additional day apart from the weekend. Two days of traveling and one day or rest, perfect recipe for holiday (when time is really less to take long holiday).
Monsoon means blossom
Accommodation
Club Mahindra Ganpatipule is located a little away from the beach which was good as you get the peace of mountain and fun of beach whenever required! During monsoon, there outdoor sport places are inaccessible, still you have an indoor sport area to enjoy some time with your friends and family. The indoor game room has a carrom board, pool and Fuss-ball. The resort also has a pool and garden for their guest to utilise their time in the resort.
Club Mahindra Ganpatipule
Picture Courtesy: Club Mahindra
View from the top
Sightseeing
Talking about sightseeing, your first stop nevertheless will be Ganpati Temple. The temple attracts a lot of the crowd during Ganesh Chaturthi (Festival of Ganpati). The temple is well kept and organised. Once we paid a visit to Ganpati God, we also went for a pradakshina (walk around the temple). The walk was guided one with pathway created for people to walk either with footwear or bare feet.
Ganpati Temple
Right next to the temple is a Ganpatipule Beach. After a temple visit, you will end up spending rest of your time on the beach. Fancy a dip or create sandcastle or just enjoy the sight of the sun setting into the ocean.
Quite beach
Happy Feet
Another attraction in Ganpatipule is Tribal Museum. The museum is located few kilometers away from the beach in the small town. Surrounded by nothing but greenery, the museum gives you a tour of the tribal, Konkan culture and history of the native. Ganpatipule comes in the Konkan region and main occupation of Konkani is fishing. The museum takes you on a walking tour to their different occupation, style of clothing and culture.
Tribal Museum
Around Tribal Museum
Inside the museum, there is shell display. There are many types of shell coming from different region and fishes and this display takes you through the in-depth knowledge of various shells and their usage. Like you have a certain type of shell which are used to create sound, whereas some are used for decoration. Some shell has pearl inside and some are just empty.
Around Tribal Museum
Ganpatipule is a destination for people seeking the blessing of Ganpati temple or are looking for some beach side location. There is not much to do unless it is your village, but the beauty lies in nothingness. We came across many family groups coming together to spend a nice weekend and also a group of friends spending time together!
Category: Nature and Beach
Location: Ganpatipule lies in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Around 343 km away from Mumbai (7-8 hours) and 300 km away from Pune (6-7 hours)
Time: If you are traveling from Mumbai, it is better to head for 3 days as the journey from Mumbai to Ganpatipule will take 7-8 hours. The roads are beautiful, but it does involve ghat (curvy road on the mountain). From Pune, you will take 4-5 hours.
Carry: Accommodation varies from basic hotel to good 4-5 star hotel. Based on your hotel, carry games and sporting equipment. As it is beach location, don’t forget to carry your swim wear. Lastly, Sunscreen is must.
