Thisoneisabitofadrive.Ganpatipule,whichisaquietbeach
and temple town in south Maharashtra, lies almost 350km
away from the state capital. If you drive at a stretch, it’ll still
take you almost 10 hours to complete. So, it’s better to break
the journey at Chiplun on the way. While the roads aren’t
exactly ideal and you might want to take something like an
SUV for this drive, the landscape around is breath-taking,
once you’re a little way off from Mumbai, that is. Get yourself
a little dose of history at Raigad Fort, which lies en route.
There’s also a nature reserve here for those keen to spot some
local fauna. Carry on and take a detour to Mahabaleshwar,
another popular weekend destination for locals, famous in its
own right for being one of the highest places in the state and
for the delectable strawberries, which are in season as the
weather gets cooler. There’s yet another wildlife sanctuary
around here – Koyna. Chiplun lies a little way ahead and is
the ideal place at which to break your journey. While there are
quite a few resorts to put up at here, we’d suggest one with a
nice view of the Vashishti River. The next day, as you draw
closer to Ganpatipule, the terrain changes from hilly to
coastal. Traffic on these stretches is very sparse and, often,
you’ll find yourself driving for kilometres without coming
across any other vehicles, save the odd tractor making its way
through paddy fields. While the direct route doesn’t hug the
coast at any point, you could head straight to the sea from
Chiplun towards Guhagar, a coastal town. Go along the water
to Vijaygad, where you can put your vehicle on a ferry across
the backwaters to Jaigad for some time away from the wheel.
From there, it’s easy going to Ganpatipule and you should
be there in time for a lavish seafood lunch.340
kmFrom popular hill stationsto unspoilt
forests, this trip offers varied experiencesMUMBAI TO
GANPATIPULE TAKE 2 DAYSTHE WINTER LIST INDIAN ROAD TRIPS