The unknown Karde beach ....

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We drove off to the KARDE BEACH near Dapoli last weekend....

just wanted to break off from office routines and meetings ! 😞

heres some info....

Karde beach is a non-descript beach to the north of Dapoli. If you are looking for a nice, clean beach without the maddening crowds, then this is a good option. The waters are calm, the sand clean and the beach is quite long too. You can do parasailing/ATV in the evenings and boat rides for dolphin watching are available in the mornings.

If you go a little to the north, you will reach the fishing village of Harnai. This place is famous for the fish auction which happens twice a day. Also, there are three forts/structures next to each other worth a visit along with the suvarnadurga island fort.

Driving further north will take you to Anjarle. The Anjarle Ganesh temple is noteworthy for the Ganesha idol with the trunk turned the other way. There is a long bridge connecting Harnai and Anjarle which makes for a good viewpoint. To avoid going through the extremely narrow streets of Anjarle, you can take the bypass (MSH4 – scroll a bit in the map below). The views of the coast are amazing from this road.

The most amazing thing about Karde is you can see dolphins in morning time (more frequently from Nov till Feb), yes you heard it rite DOLPHINS if you take a small boat ride costing around 100 bucks per head. Its an awesome place to be at nite since the sound of waves and trawler boats can be heard. We stayed in a small Wadi (the small houses which people give on rent ) and was great eperience.You can also visit Janjeera fort (Fort captured by Shivali maharaj. It's a fort in water and can to be reached by boat. If you are planning to see Dolphins and fort the boat guy will charge around 350/- Rs per head).

To add a little more value to the trip , you may drive further towards the 8th century ANCIENT CAVES !

Panhalekaji, the famous rock-cut caves are situated on the bank of the river Kotjai which further meets the Dabhol creek. These historical manmade caves are believed to be more than 1000 years old and are the great examples of ancient cultural and architecture. There are a total 29 rock cut-caves, both big and small spread along the river bank. You can find Buddhist as well as Hindu religious rock hewn sculptures similar to Anjantha caves. There are sculptures of Ganesh, Saraswati and scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana on the walls.

The carvings in these rock-cut caves create a unique blend of history of that period and natural beauty. It may take couple of hours to see all these caves in detail. One can also relax in the shadow of Mango trees, enjoy a refreshing swim in the river or simply stop and admire the outstanding scenery that this area has to offer. You can also take a walk along the river bank to enjoy the flora and fauna on both sides. Jungle covered mountains lie on both sides of the river. There is also a fort called "Pranaldurg" at top of the mountain. Every visitor feels in harmony with the nature, which breathtakingly unfolds around the river. In this remote area you can see variety of birds flying around and you may also get chance to spot Asian river otters.

Visitors get transported to a different world when exploring the ancient architecture in these caves. You can enjoy the tranquility and peacefulness of the jungle and walk in the woodlands. Bird enthusiasts will not be disappointed as this is an excellent area for bird watching. You can also spend your time fishing. Be sure to make a trip to Panhalekaji a part of your beach holiday vacation.

Panhalekaji is situated around 20 km from Dapoli. State Transport (ST) buses run between Dapoli and Panhalekaji. You can also hire an auto rickshaw or drive down. Rented jeeps / cars are available.

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We stayed at Sagar Raj Beach Resort ! extremely clean and well maintained ....and its literally ON the beach...



Enjoy endless walks on the sand....serene nature...the silence and sound of waves !

Njoy the pics 😊

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Photos

Fishing port of Harne (near Karde beach)
Dont miss the auction from 4pm to 6pm , all days ! you can bid and buy fish at dirt cheap rates :)

The Fishing Port of Harne !
Dont miss the evening aution of fish ...

Cave house
Made under natural rocks, with neat drainage systems....I was amazed !

Comments

[Dancing Dave]

WELCOME BACK
Lovely sunsets setting beautiful backdrops for your blog...any photos of the caves?

[Anu]

O yes ! we spent a lot of time at the caves....not many details carved and decorated. These are 'vihara' caves , where buddhist monks used to stay /pray..... Let me add these pics to the blog !