Day 1 - Kihim beach, Alibaug

My very first solo trip was to Kihim beach—near Alibaug, about 100 km from Mumbai—back in 2005. It was unplanned, random and mostly, just foolish. One really hot Sunday morning, I woke up, took a quick shower, put on my regular jeans, grabbed a comfy sling bag and headed to the Gateway of India to catch the Mandwa Jetty to Alibaug. A smooth ride later, I hopped on to a bus to Kihim. 

            A bicycle enjoying a solitary moment on the beach

When I got to the beach, all I wanted to do was walk. So I walked by the sea, dipping my feet in every now and then; hopping around the tiny crabs on the sand. It was a beautiful day; calm waters, empty beach complemented with the blazing sun. I just kept walking, for several hours… Eventually, my parched throat forced me to seek refuge in a house whose gate was left ajar. I stepped in to find a bunch of people staring at my very red face, wondering why I had been walking on a beach in a pair of jeans and no water on a hot day like this. I had no sensible answer, and yet, they were kind enough to offer me a hot meal and a ride back home.

Beautiful designs in sand made by tiny crabs

While my first solo venture didn't turn out to be the wild adventure I expected, but it paved the path for many more trips to come. Before Kihim I never had the desire to travel alone, but after this trip, I knew no other way.

FACT FILE

Getting there

By air: Jet Airways has daily flights to Mumbai (nearest airport).
By rail: Nearest railhead is Panvel, 85 kms on the Konkan Railway.
By road: Located in Raighad district, Kihim is 136 km and Alibaug is 124 km away from Mumbai. State Transport buses ply form Mumbai to Alibag, Alibag to Rewas and Rewas to Kihim.
By Sea: Nearest port is Rewas–6 kms from Kihim. There is a regular ferry service between Mumbai and Rewas (except during monsoon). You can also take the ferry from Gateway of India which reaches Mandwa port in about 45 minutes.

Accommodation
MTDC has a private resort with fully furnished tents (except during monsoon). 
Other resorts include; 
Kihim Beach Resort, Kihim village, Alibaug, District Raigad-402201. Tel No: (021433)8172. 
Sai-Inn Holiday Resort, Chondi Post, Kihim, Alibaug, District Raigad-402201 Tel No :( 021433)8102, 8246.


For more information, log on to: www.maharashtratourism.gov.in

NEXT: DAY 2 - Coorg, Karnataka