Tarkarli - Visit Guide

I had collected this information from various reviews on the internet. Added finer details after I actually visited the place in Oct 2010.

How to Reach:

Tarkarli is 5 kms from Malvan.

Route 1 – Pune – Kolhapur - via Radhanagari ghat – Malvan - Tarkarli

Picturesque route, radhanagari dam backwaters on the way. Road is deserted and lonely but entirely through forest area and very scenic. Risky if traveling at evening/night time as there is no help nearby in case of any kind of emergencies. Not much traffic

Route 2 – Pune – Kolhapur -  via Gaganbawda ghat – Malvan - Tarkarli

More traffic compared to radhanagari route. Goes through several small villages on the way hence not too risky but less beautiful compared to radhanagari. We were able to visit ‘gul’ (jaggery) making outlets on this way and were able to see the complete process, eat the fresh prepared gul and buy some as well.

What to do:

Beach:

• Tarkarli beach
• Nearby beaches like devbag beach and chivla beach.

Boat ride:

Boat ride to

• Karli backwaters
• Devbaug beach
• Sangam (where karali river meets the sea)
• Dolphin point (dolphins are seen early in the morning)
• Tsunami island – (excellent, must visit. And do eat typically Konkani breakfast at the only shack present on this island)
• Nivti and Bhogve rocks (pretty deep inside the sea and can only be viewed from the boat. You can not stop on these rocky islands as boats can not anchor near it)

Note- To see dolphins, best time is early morning as once the sun rises, chances of spotting dolphins are nil. Also its completely your luck. Some people even get to see whales. we were unlucky as we did not spot dolphins even in the early morning hours. But the entire boat ride is totally worth it. They charge approx Rs. 800-1000 for boat ride for multiple sights mentioned above. Usually 6 people can travel in 1 boat.

Sindhudurg fort:

• The Sindhudurga Fort is situated right in the middle of the sea and one has to go there by Boat. It is good to hire a guide while visiting the fort.
• There is one and only temple of Shivaji Maharaj on the fort. The temple is known as Shivrajeshwar Mandir and was built by his son, Rajaram Maharaj.
• Also present are Shivaji Maharaj's right palm and left foot prints preserved in clay on the fort. Worth a view.
• You can get a boat ride from Malvan jetty to Sindhudurg fort and return (approx. return fare - Rs. 27) or you can combine the fort visit with snorkeling.

Snorkelling/ Water sports:

• Snorkeling is a must if you are visiting Tarkarli. Its about 30 minutes session with a guide which costs around Rs.300 pp (Oct 2010). It's totally worth the money.
• There are lot of private operators for snorkeling and you can negotiate a good package of snorkeling and fort visit at Rs 300/- PP.
• MTDC has started Snorkeling and water sports activity like Speed boat, water scooter as mentioned on different internet sites, but it was not started when we visited – Oct 2010
• For snorkelling the best time is when there is good sunlight. We were able to view the corals (mainly marron/brown, grey/green and white colored) and nice colorful fishes.

Temples:

Many temples near by like Bharadi Devi, Jal devi  etc. But a must visit  is the 'Suvarna Ganesh Mandir'. Situated in Medha locality of Malvan on ancestral family land of Salgaonkars. It has a pure gold ganesh murti and very artistic temple.

Food:

Chaitanya restaurant at Malvan Bazar –

·   Awesome fish thalis with unlimited Solkadhi and rice.

·   Individual (A La Carte) items are costly compared to thalis.

Oraskar’s at Malvan Bazar – right next to chaitanya restaurant

·  Try the Chilli-Lemon-Ginger ice-cream (INR 25 for a slice)  - MUST TRY

Other hotel options-

·  Darya sarang restaurant near chivla beach

·  'Khanawals' - home cooked food options just outside the MTDC resort

·  Huts near MTDC

·  Food in MTDC resort is a bit costly but good otherwise. Its convenient to eat here (specially dinners) if you are staying here.

Shopping:

Malvan bazaar -  various outlets like Deorkar’s, Oraskar’s and Zanytes factory outlets

TIP: Malvan market is closed from 1pm-4pm

What to buy:

• Malvani masala/malvani spices
• Kaju, roasted cashews, cashew bars
• Kokam, kokam syrup
• Amba poli (Aam papad) and the Amba wadi, Kokam wadi & Karvande wadi.