Maharashtra Konkan Coast

BANKOT VILLAGE

• Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise and sip over your cuppa of coffee or tea. NOTE: Enjoy local beverages will be served from 6 am for early risers. Early risers can go to the beach for a swim in the sea.
• Indulge in a traditional breakfast of delicacies like ghavan chutney and ras – rice flour crepes, coriander- coconut chutney and coconut milk sweetened with jaggery. Sipping your drink enjoy the amazing views as you savour the breakfast in the open terrace of Hotel Surbhi.
• Join a workshop on local crafts led by local women. Learn the sustainable craft of weaving coconut weaving and take home a mat that you have woven with you.
• Enjoy lunch will be served at 12.30 pm as an excursion planned for the evening.

BANKOT 

BE ENTHRALLED

• After a brief siesta, beverages and snacks, we will depart for Bankot village for a guided tour of rock art and Himmatgad Fort. Enjoy the rich biodiversity of the region along the drive- the thick wooded forests and the expansive creek, as your vehicle meanders along village roads. We will stop along the way to drink in views of the creek and take photographs.
• We drive along roads lined by mango orchards as we reach Himmatgad Fort located at the top of the hill. Members of Hirkani Self – Help Group will welcome you with a sherbet before she takes you to see the rock carvings of the late Paleolithic age. Marvel the art of our forefathers and speculate on what they were trying to communicate!
• This will be followed with a guided tour of Himmatgad Fort. Located at the confluence of the Savitri River and the Arabian Sea, Bankot Fort holds many a stories in its seven bastions. Listen to local women enthral you with the history and legends of Bankot fort from the 16tth century to the 20th. View the magnificent Column built by Sir Arthur Malet in memory of his wife and infant daughter who drowned in the mighty Savitri River along with the boatmen.
• Watch the sea change its colours, from gold to orange to red as it reflects the setting sun. Enjoy your evening tea, coffee or drinks in the amazing views of the sunset and capture these memories in your cameras.
• You will be served warm snacks and beverages as you climb down the Fort. We will return to Kelshi by 8.30 pm.
• Dinner will be served at 9 pm.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel Surbhi.

• Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise and sip over your cuppa of coffee or tea. NOTE: Beverages will be served from 6 am for early risers. Enjoy a traditional breakfast of delicacies like amboli, chutney and usal- multi-grain pancakes, coriander- coconut chutney and spicy legume curry and pej – rice porridge with accompaniments like vegetables, fresh coconut, pickle and dry fish.
• Join a workshop on local crafts led by local women. Learn the art of pottery and take home a creation made by you.
• Learn to make traditional cuisine. Join the women teach you to make solkadi/ ghavan, tikhla, modak etc.
• Join the women lead you for a village walk lined with the areca- nut and coconut groves, learn about local architecture before reaching the local Mahalaxmi temple. On the way back stop by the women’s home and enjoy tender coconut water and cream.
• Return to the hotel for a sumptuous lunch. After a brief siesta, beverages and snacks, follow the women as they take you for the guided tour of the ancient sand dune and the archaeological findings that give a history of the civilization of the region since the late Palaeolithic era.
• Spend the evening on the beach. Swim in the clear waters of the sea, lounge in the beach chairs or simply drink in the mesmerizing sunset. A lifeguard will be at hand with required life- saving equipment.
• Return to the Hotel for an exciting program. The women will dress you up the in traditional Maharashtrian nav-vari saree, khopa hairdo jewellery and footwear. Male guests will be taught to wear the traditional dhoti, topi and sadra. They will also be given traditional footwear.
• This will be followed by a barbeque dinner in the open grounds. Separate barbeques will be set up for vegetarians and non- vegetarians. Barbeque preparations will be made in traditional methods like popti, on chul- mud stove, as well as on open grill. Mocktails will be served and guests can bring their own alcohol.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel Surbhi.

• Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise and sip over your cuppa of coffee or tea. Departure from Kelshi after beverages and snacks. Say your final goodbyes to the local women as they see you off with a token of their love. Enjoy the journey as you pass through thickly wooded roads.

DABHOL

CHANDIKA DEVI MANDIR | ARECANUT| DEPARTURE

• On the last day we take you to Dabhol, the most famous and opulent trading harbour of the 15th and16th century. Immerse yourself in the heritage of Dabhol, including the Anda Masjid built by Adil Shah’s daughter Aisha Bibi and the Chalukyan era rock cut Devi Chandika Temple.
• Women members of Sanskruti Self- Help Group will welcome you in an Arecanut grove by the harbour with a serbet and serve you breakfast.
• The local women will take you on a tour of the 16th Century Anda Masjid, said to be a replica of Bijapur’s famed Shahi Jama Masjid. Women will regale you with historical information on this heritage sites as well as share local folklore around it.
• Following this, you will return to the Arecanut to join a culinary workshop.
• This will be followed by a sumptuous lunch with local fish varieties. After lunch you will be taken for a guided tour of the Devi Chandika Mandir.
• You will return to the Arecanutgrove for tea and snacks and to freshen up. You will also be given a packed snack for your journey to Mumbai. NOTE: If guests wish to continue their stay for 1 more day Streekon Team X Travel Design will be delighted to curate their itinerary. Departure for Mumbai at 4 pm.
• Your Konkan Tours Ends by TD X Streekon