Two day trip to Murud Janjira

After taking a break from our previous trip to Malshej Ghats we were again in the researching phase about which place to explore next! Into the middle of the monsoon season, we still had a list of places to visit during this nature-friendly time. After lots of research and scrutinizing places around Mumbai, we unanimously decided that our next biking expedition will be to the town of Murud. Now we were a group of eight friends but had only 2 bikes for the trip. Thus we planned to take a car this time and our two favorite bikes – Hero Impulse and the Yamaha Fazer!

We started gearing up for the trip right away by getting our bikes serviced. We also pooled our savings for the trip and we were raring to go! We commenced our trip from one of our friends place in Borivali. Although we left early we were stuck in the busy city traffic. Our bikes slipped right through it but the car couldn’t, thus we halted for the car at Powai.

After sometime we regrouped and started travelling towards Kashid via Panvel. We halted at Panvel to not only have breakfast at McDonald’s but also use the toilets as we were not going to find any after this for a long time. After a brief 20 min halt we started our ride again. We were travelling via NH17 which gave us the chance to revisit our first road trip destination Karnala which brought back pleasant memories.

After NH 17 we were en route to Kashid via the coastal route which was quite narrow and bumpy, but the view of the sea on the side of the road nullified the bumpy ride. This road also gives you a glimpse of the rustic Konkan beauty. For the beach enthusiasts Alibaug comes on this route and you could have a peek there as well though we gave it a miss as we were already behind schedule.

At one point there were trees on one side of the road and on the other side there was the serene Kashid beach. We reached Kashid around 12:30 pm and started searching for the guest house we had booked. We had a hard time searching as there was no one on the streets to guide. Finally one of us spotted a sign pointed towards our guest house, which completed our search. The house was beautiful and we were welcomed by the owner who lived there with his family. They showed us our rooms which were decent for the price we were asked to pay. We quickly took a power nap and then decided to go to Murud which was approx. 18km from our current location. Once we were ready to leave, we all realized that none of had fuel in our vehicles. It was a petrol crisis as we had to travel back 10km in order to fill fuel. Now Murud was 30 km away from us, but our love for the roads left no regret in our hearts and we started racing towards Murud.

After 40 minutes of riding when we got the first glimpse of Murud-Janjira fort, it left a “wow” expression on our faces. We all knew that it was a fort which was built in the middle of the sea, but seeing it in person exceeded our expectations. We immediately captured the gigantic fort on our cameras from different views  and headed towards the fort.

We had to sail on a boat to reach the fort. The boat ride was pleasant and the fort grew huge with every passing minute as we approached it. It took us approx. 20 min to reach the fort from the shore. The best part of the fort was that the main entrance was only visible when we reached very close to the fort which is one of the specialities of this historic beauty. It was a scary moment when we were asked by our helmsman to jump from the boat in order to get into the fort with the waves continuously dragging the boat away from the entrance. With the help of the guides we managed to get into the fort. The fort was unusually ginormous! Once we were in, our guide started telling us the history of the Janjira fort. He told us everything; right from the entry point, what each building represented, the canons, to the secret path to get out, etc. It was hard to believe that the fort had two fresh water bodies within it, although it was surrounded by the salty sea water.

On our way back from the fort we decided to see the sunset in Kashid beach. The part of the beech we halted was completely deserted. Kashid is one of those beaches you can never go wrong with. It was that place where you can let your hair down after a tiring day. You are greeted by the white sands and lush greenery around the beach. The waves were unusually high. We rested on the sands waiting for the imminent sunset. The panoramic view of the beach left us enthralled. Finally it was time for the sunset and in that moment I swear we were infinite.

As all good things come to an end, it was time for us to get back home. We decided to take a different route back to Mumbai. We took the Murud-Roha road and connected on to Khopoli-Pali road and then the old Mumbai-Pune highway to get back home. This road is a scenic beauty in itself though not like the coastal road. Thought initially the route was rough with numerous potholes the later part was fun as we had to ride through the ghats. The numerous small towns and villages along this route were a sight to watch. Crazy music, cold weather and some real dumb talks all along the way is what really makes these trips fun. It was a long ride home, we all reached home safe and sound with awesome memories made from visiting an amazing fort. This trip was yet another milestone for us and there are still many more to go…