Alibag

Alibag a quaint coastal town, in the lap of nature in the Konkani belt of Maharashtra is an amazing weekend getaway from Mumbai. The lush tropical beauty, vast expanse of splashing sea, sun-kissed beaches, and regal sea forts let you break free from the frenzied city life. The Palm fringed seashores, luxuriant mango orchards, and the vast stretch of paddy fields make Alibag a verdant tropical island for all nature lovers. It is also an eminent centre for hosting all out office gatherings including conferences, workshops and meet. It is often called the ‘Goa of Maharashtra’ as it is embraced by sea on all three sides.

The history of the town and its bordering villages dates back to the 17th century. The great warrior Shivaji’s naval chief, Kanhoji Angre developed the city. During that period, the territory of Alibag was mostly under the sea, crammed with coconut trees and betel nut orchards on to the shores. The place became illustrious in the year 1680 with the erection of Fort of Kulaba by Shivaji. The town borders a famous Israeli-Jewish region, and is home to over thousands of families of Jewish descent. Sightseeing in Alibag includes the visit to the blackish beach of Alibag, to experience the beautiful view of the Kolaba Fort.

November to July

Alibag has a host of thing to do and the must visit places at Alibag include forts, temples and beaches. Check out the following list of attractions at Alibag to plan your itinerary:

When in Alibag, you can enjoy food at scores of restaurants and eating places that serve almost all kinds of cuisines. The taste of authentic coastal cuisine will make you indulge and savour the fried prawns and the Masala Garlic Crab. Set out for great food including Sanman and sudama restaurant in Hotel Ravikiran serving excellent selection of seafood platters and prawn delicacies. The Flora Restaurant offers a variety of Indian dishes in both vegetarian and non–vegetarian option.

There are small shopping streets and stores selling merchandise at throw away prices, which grasps the attention of shopaholics in the town. Once can buy export surplus trendy summer attire, watches, Kohlapuri bags and shoes, antique showpieces, junk jewellery, fancy leather goods etc.

Alibag is around 138 km. from Mumbai by road, via Navi Mumbai. The nearest International Airport is Mumbai (100 km.); travellers can hire a private vehicle to get to Alibag. The nearest railhead in the Konkani line to Alibag is Penn station about (28 km.), travellers can take a taxi, bus or auto rickshaw to reach Alibag. However, the quickest way to reach would be to take a ferry from Gateway of India to Mandwa jetty. The local transport in the place is not easily available. It is preferable to move around the place in a private vehicle, if you choose to reach Alibag by road.

The other striking places nearby include the Vrindavan farms, Varsoli beach, Sagargadh, Akshi Beach, Hirakot fort, Phansad Sanctuary and the ancient carvings of Kunde Mandad.

Gather all tourist information related to the place before visiting the location. The tourist places worth visiting near Alibag include: Brahma Kund (About 20 km.): This is an ancient masterpiece nestled at the hilltop. There are two famed ‘kunds’ or water bodies, which adorn the place, the Shiva and the Brahma pond. Resting on the hilltop, you can see the extensively decorated attractive temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kanakeshwar Temple. Mandwa Beach (About 20 km.): This natural seaport, ferries visitors from Mumbai and houses an excellent scenic beach with enchanting panoramic view across the bay until the Gateway of India. Kashid Beach (About 32 km.): The specialty of the beach is the beautiful slivery white sand and the virgin beautiful beach Murud - JanJira (About 55 km.): The 40 ft. high and 350 years old sea fort was built in the 15th century A.D, under the reign of the ruler of Ahmednagar, Malik Amber. Sri Siddivinayak temple of Nandgaon village in Murud lends finale to the 'Asthtavinayak' pilgrimage.

With the best tourist information, one can end up exploring many additional nearby places like Kasa Fort, Magnetic observatory and the Karmakar Shilpalaya.