HINDUSTAN TIMES 4 MUMBAI, MAY 27, 2016 FRIDAY travel my ideal weekend LAND OF ‘I’M A THE KING WORKOUT Ratnagiri is the FREAK’ home of the famed Actor Urvashi Alphonso mango, and right Rautela likes her now is the best time go. cheat meals on The beaches, forts, weekends, but won’t temples are a bonus miss her workouts A worker carries a crate of Alphonso mangoes in Ratnagiri Dine out, order in, or cook a meal on weekends? Dine out at Wasabi at The Taj Mahal Palace (Colaba). Poorva Joshi We are told that the produce is ■ [email protected] primarily exported to the US, OTHER MUST- Can: cook a five-course meal/ make a UK, Dubai and, over the last few sandwich/boil water/don’t know how the he Konkan MAHARASHTRA years, even Japan. VISIT PLACES gas works. region of What’s their speciality? They I can cook a five-course meal that will Maharashtra is claim the skin of their man- satisfy your hunger and won’t leave often considered MUMBAI goes is thinner than usual, a you worrying about eating unhealthy: a hazardous zone Ware, the secret plantation technique the think salads. Lots of it. for long drives: Ganeshgule Desai family has protected since Tthere are winding coastal founder Raghunath Bhaurao Desai Where do you party? roads, blind turns, and stretch, started the business in 1932. DBA I don’t party.But I like to head to Olive steep downward slopes RATNAGIRI Ratangad Fort even has an on-site mango process- in Bandra for its vibe and great food. flanking the Arabian and, of course, some ing unit that produces mango pulp, Sea on one side. There yummy seafood. jams and mango-infused breads. The Street food that makes your day? is also the treacherous A stretch on National major markets for these products are Vada pav anywhere in Mumbai. continental shelf (slope Highway 66 is lined with Gulmohar Pune and Mumbai. Other prominent of land going underwater) trees and yellow Summer Sherbet mango farms in the area are Anish A TV show you could watch which means that an extra flowers. We pass cities like Pune and Farms (anishfarms.com) and AAR reruns of all Sunday? step on the beach will land Kolhapur, so carrying snacks for the Mango Farm (02353-225243). Tilak House Baywatch. you in dangerously deep waters. As road is unnecessary.Think Misal Pav We leave from Pawas at 6pm and The birthplace of freedom fighter the iconic video game Need for Speed in Kolhapur for breakfast: the spice make our way to Ganpatipule beach Bal Gangadhar Tilak. His house Strictly salads and grilled (NFS) aptly puts it: “If you drive ought to wake you up. in 45 minutes (26km away). The has been converted into a chicken, or cheese/ off the road, you can sleep with the We reach Ratnagiri an hour past perpetually-booked Maharashtra museum and features some of chocolate cheat for fishes tonight.” noon — the perfect time for lunch. Tourism Development Corporation his possessions. the weekend? What makes a trip to the area We are specifically told to visit resort (we had to book two months in Cheat meals can be a worth it, then? May marks the Amantran Restaurant at the Juna advance) at Ganpatipule runs along great tool to develop mango harvest season. The roads Mal Naka. The place does not disap- the beach. Naked bulbs light the site your physique. They are flanked by squat mango shrubs. point: the pomfret fry and crab lol- and red tiled cottages are scattered can reset hormones With over a hundred mangoes hang- lipops are the perfect beginning to a across. The Ganpatipule Temple is responsible for metabolism and ing from a single tree, the air you Konkani holiday. a 10-minute walk from the resort. insulin regulation, replenish glycogen breathe is redolent of the king of Post-lunch, we make our way to We treat ourselves to fish chops ■ A still from for increased energy,and keep calorie- fruits. Additionally,you can take part Pawas, a neighbouring town 18km and sol kadhi (a savoury buttermilk- Baywatch burning mechanisms high. in mango picking, visit processing south from Ratnagiri (30 minutes based drink) for dinner and sleep to units, as well as ancient forts, and, of by road on the Maharashtra State the sound of waves crashing against On weekends: work out like it’s just course, indulge in Konkani cuisine. Highway 4). We are here to see Desai each other. another day/go easy/exercise… Bandhu Ambewale’s (DBA)mango what’s that? DAY 1 farm and processing unit DAY 2 I work out at least three times a week. We leave from Mumbai at 6am — (desaibandhuambewale.com). One It’s another early morning at it’s a long drive to Ratnagiri, one of the oldest (82-years-old) and larg- Ganpatipule and we visit a Thibaw Palace Where do you love getting your breakfast of the major mango cultivation est mango producers and exporters neighbouring temple that houses Located in Ganpatipule, the and what's your go-to order? districts (others being Devgad in Maharashtra, they own a 100-acre a 400-year-old Ganpati idol. It is palace was built in 1911 by the It has to be Indigo Deli. It has good and Sindhudurg) 340km south of mango plantation in the area. We are believed to have appeared from the British for the exiled king of quality meats, cheese and bread. Mumbai. The city is known for its surrounded by mango trees — remi- surrounding sand. This deity faces Burma — King Thibaw. It is an pristine beaches including Bhatye niscent of a bamboo farm, but with west and is said to guard the ideal sunset point and offers a Party till dawn or wake up for yoga Beach, the twin beaches of Aare mangoes dangling from the branches. Western Ghats. panoramic view of Someshwar at dawn? The beach before the temple is cor- Creek, Bhatye Bridge, Pawas and Gym. I am a workout freak. doned off. The continental shelf is far the Arabian Sea. too steep and has resulted in many A movie/book you’ve been meaning to accidental deaths over the years. But catch up on? if you are like us and can’t visit a Mary Kom. I am a sports fanatic. beach without going for a swim, the back to Ratnagiri. twin beaches of Aare Waare are a The city is also a port and stretches What's the one thing can totally make 20-minute drive from the temple. The into the Arabian Sea. At the tip of the your weekend? pristine beaches offer a long walking peninsula, is the Ratnadurga Fort Spending quality time with my family. stretch and are safer to go for a short and the Ratnagiri Lighthouse. Built swim in the ocean. in the 1300s under the Bahamani What one thing can break it? The most exciting attraction in the Sultanate, the fort is famous for its A fight with my little brother. region, however, is the Ganeshgule horseshoe-like shape. After a quick Beach, a 15-minute drive from the lunch, again at Amantran (the food — AS TOLD TO MEENAKSHI IYER temple. It offers adventure water is worth the repeat) we head back to sports such as banana boat ride, Mumbai and make it by nightfall. 48 hrs water rafting and jet skies at afford- ableprices(`300 per ride onward). 48 hrs We head back to MTDC for a lunch of puran poli, masala rice (a Maharashtrian preparation of rice) and aamras and then make our way WHERE TO STAY Cost: Non-AC room for `3,500; AC room for `3,900 for two MTDC has resorts in Ganpatipule ■ Urvashi and Velneshwar in Ratnagiri district. HOW TO REACH Rautela They also provide Bread & Breakfast (BNB) facility. BY ROAD: Take the Old Bombay Goa Highway; take the right turn at ✆ 2284 5678 Sangameshwar and Hathkhamba to Email: reservation@maharashtra visit Ratnagiri. From Ratnagiri, take tourism.gov.in the coastal road; Ganpatipule is Cost: `2,250 onwards (Ganpatipule); 25km away. `1,450 onwards (Velneshwar) mango, coconut and banana planta- BY RAIL: You can board the Konkan Atithi Parinay offers eco-friendly tions and surrounded by the Sahyadris. Railway or the Jana Shatabdi Express; cottages and traditionally cooked food. ✆ Medha Sahasrabudhe on 9049981309 it takes approximately four-five hours. Spread over four acres, it is set amidst Visit: atithiparinay.com.