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I recently took a trip to Mumbai with my cousins and I have to say it was one of the most memorable trips of my life.
If you’re planning a trip to Mumbai anytime soon, then you have got to visit this amazing coastal town situated in Raigad district of Maharashtra. This beautiful town is admired for its splendid beaches, villas, forts, temples and various water sports.
How to reach Alibaug?
Being 96 km away from the gateway of India, the most convenient and fastest mode to travel to Alibaug is via ferry. Ferry boats take about 1 hour to reach the Mandwa pier in Alibaug. Since, the ferry services are provided by three different companies, each company has its own ferry timings. The prices of the boats vary for upper deck , lower deck and boats with Air Conditioning. I would recommend to travel on the upper deck of the boat as one gets a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Gateway of India and the tall buildings of the city as the boat sails away.
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Personal experience:
We bought boat tickets to Alibaug on the counters at Gateway of India. It cost us 250 INR for each person (A/C and Non- A/C , both included).
Mandwa Jetty
On reaching the pier, we had our breakfast at one of the cafes on the Mandwa Jetty Road. There are many cafes, restaurants to grab a meal and interesting shops where one can buy souvenirs from. Some shops also provide bicycles on rent on hourly basis.
We bought a shell bracelet and necklaces from a shop called shellthings by Geetali. The store had a variety of exquisite handmade sea shell jewelry and crafts to offer.
From here, we hired a driver for the day. Our goal was to return to the pier a little before 7 p.m since that was the departure time of the last boat. You may travel by bus or rickshawas which will cost you a lot cheaper than a car.
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Explore the beaches of Alibaug
There are as many as 15 beaches in Alibaug. If you are visiting Alibaug for a day, it is not possible to cover all of them in such short span of time. Here I am going to talk about the most attractive beaches that you must visit for a fun, exciting and memorable experience.
1. Alibaug Beach
Alibaug beach is the most popular tourist attraction and beach destination in Alibaug. It is a befitting spot for people who come with their families to have an adventurous experience. In addition to the spectacular view of the Kolaba fort at the beach, one can enjoy many different activities like camel rides, bicycle rides, ATV rides and water sports like jet ski ride, banana ride, parasailing and kayaking.
Kolaba fort stands tall in the sea, about 2 km from the seashore of Alibaug beach. When the tides are low, boat rides are available to take you to this historic monument that once used to be the headquarters of Maratha Empire.
2. Kihim Beach
Kihim beach was the second most quiet beaches that we visited. There are local restaurants near the beach where you can try local snacks and meals. You can rent bicycle at this beach as well. You may relax under the bamboo shed built along the seashore while sipping on coconut water. Hydration is important! At this beach, we also collected many gorgeous sea shells.
3. Awas Beach
A little way through the tall suru tress, a breathtaking view of the serene Awas beach lays outstreched in front of you. For me, to hear the soft and calming music of the sea as the waves crashed against the shoreline had a sedative effect on my mind. It was a very satisfying end to our visit with no vendors and very few people in sight. This was my most favorite beach of all the beaches that we visited in Alibaug.
There are great deal of villas and resorts in Alibaug if you plan to stay for more than a day. This quaint little town of Maharashtra has a lot of other sightseeing places to offer as well.
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Interested in learning about more places like these? Check out:- Kasol: A Backpacker’s Paradise in Himachal Pradesh