Thanks to our contributor Bharti Singh for this great post, first published on her Suitcase of Stories blog here, which serves as a must-read guide for anybody wanting to head down the coast from Mumbai on a motorbike, a trip perhaps on a lot of people’s bucket list, so read this and get your imagination working!
I am a fan of luxury and comfort and bikes don’t offer much of either. So when I started my bike trip from Bombay to Harihareshwar, I thought I will come back and write a post titled ‘The diary of a reluctant biker girl’. I might still pen that at a later date but for now am glad that I decided to get out of my comfort zone.
We set out on a Saturday afternoon to cover a distance of about 200 km between Bombay and Harihareshwar. The route, as seen in the map below, was bumpy in parts but pleasant otherwise. We reached the temple town by night time, tired and worn out.
Mumbai to Harihareshwar – Route 1
After discussing different routes and things to do over breakfast, we decided to catch a ferry to the neighbouring village Bankot.
The boat that stood at the end of the narrow jetty looked small but the local fishermen helped us load our bikes on it with ease. We later found out that there are two jetties in town. The one that we took was used by the locals for fishing. The other jetty which was used for ferrying people and vehicles was wider and the boats there were large enough to accommodate vehicles as big as buses.
Jetty leading to the ferry
The locals in Bankot depend on fishing as their primary source of livelihood. Not visible in the picture below, but the fisherman in the red t-shirt was sporting shorts with cool fish print design. 🙂
Fishermen in Bankot
Bankot Village
Riding through the narrow lanes of the village we reached Bankot Fort. A small fort perched on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Konkan coastline that hasn’t featured on the tourist maps yet. There isn’t much to do here except enjoying the view in peace, away from the noise and the distractions of other popular hangouts.
View from Bankot Fort
Another such place that doesn’t find a mention in the guide books but is a must-see is the ‘Parikrama Marg’ located near the famous temple in Harihareshwar. One has to enter the temple premises and take the steps that go uphill. The climb is not only a good calorie burner, but also gives a fantastic view of the beach below.
On the way uphill from Harihareshwar temple
While the temple itself is a popular tourist destination, one could easily miss the breathtaking view that lies on the other side of the temple.
Pradakshina Marg, Harihareshwar
Pradakshina Marg, Harihareshwar
Soon it was time to head back home and we decided to take the route that runs along the coast via Shrivardhan, Diveagar leading to Rajapuri creek as seen in the map below.
Harihareshwar to Mumbai – Route 2
With the Arabian Sea and white beaches as a constant backdrop, this is easily one of those drives you can’t have enough of.
Diveagar
While we made it in time to hop on a ferry from Rajapuri creek to Murud, we couldn’t make it in time for the last ferry out from Alibag (Revas) to Bombay (1830 hrs). So instead, we rode back home via Pen / Panvel highway.
A back-breaking trip but totally worth the pain. I realized that often things aren’t as tough as they seem and that sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for no good reason.