Coming home to Ratnagiri as a tourist, and here's everything to know about it

Konkan is home It is where this writerrsquos ancestors lived farmed rice planted mango trees ate fish and led a simple life dictated by the seasons Electricity came to Dabhat our tiny village in Ratnagiri only in the 1960s Before that our parents studied under the shamai an oil lamp Life has changed since then and modernity has found its way into these villages but the air remains crisp the greenery generous and the pace of life unhurriedDapoli the nearest town to our village is where we spent many summers in our unclersquos backyard Yet we hadnrsquot explored the history beneath its quiet coastal landscape This time we returned not just as family but as touristsLadghar beachBy the seaWe began our mornings slowly at The Fern Samali Resort Dapoli Series by Marriott with nowhere urgent to be The children were handed a naturehunt card listing 100 trees challenging them to identify the trees and note down their scientific names This meant wandering around the property keeping an eye out for little placards tucked beside trees and occasionally looking up from the card to admire what they were meant to identify By the end of our twoday stay they had managed a respectable 80 out of 100 Not bad for a holiday that had begun with the promise of doing very littleWe explored the mango orchard on a bullockcart ride fed cattle and goats and watched forest honey being harvested We talk so much about farmtofork dining but here the connection between the land and our plate felt realFrom bullock cart rides to a mango orchard to nature trails and breakfast in the forest rural experiences here come to lifeOur rooms opened onto uninterrupted forest views Every morning dense fog enveloped the distant hills Squirrels dropped by on the windowsill and birds of every colour treated our balcony as a pit stop The propertyrsquos ecoconscious approach was evident in the little things Compost pits bird feeders dotting the grounds and waste segregation that began in the roomLunch was a generous spread of Konkan delicacies from wangyacha bharit waran bhat and koshimbir to fish curry and rice rounded off with sol kadhi After a quick nap we drove down to Ladghar beach and stopped at Shree Datta Mandir on a cliffside overlooking the seaScenic boat rides through narrow dense mangrove corridors of the Dabhol khaadi PicsNasrin ModakThe sunset was as beach sunsets tend to be beautiful But what stayed with us was something entirely unrelated to the sky An old local scrubbed the stone seats and cleaned a small stretch of the beach near his home Curious we asked him why he was doing it His answer was simple he was cleaning it for the guests and tourists who came there ldquoIt feels nice to be cleanrdquo he saidWe thought about that long after we left Community living has long been the backbone of civil society Yet we have grown so accustomed to relying on civic authorities to keep our surroundings clean that we sometimes forget our own role in keeping them that waySurmai fry Bombil Fry Right Fish ThaliLater craving coconut water we stopped by a local Bhandari who told us that here trees were perpetually laden with coconuts but skilled labour was hard to find ldquoNo one wants to do the hard work everyone wants it easyrdquo he said with a smile This small exchange offered a glimpse into the everyday realities of a region we often romanticise from a distanceThat evening an opensky candlelit dinner awaited us The food may not have been particularly memorable but the setting was Sitting outdoors beneath a halfmoon sky surrounded by the quiet of the trees felt like a blessings wersquore too busy to countModakThe next morning we headed out to watch dolphins As touristy as this activity might sound on a holiday checklist nothing quite prepares you for the thrill of heading out to sea and spotting these creatures in their natural habitat There is the initial anticipation the collective scanning of the water and then that moment when a fin breaks the surface For a few seconds everyone forgets to speak The Konkan coastline with its rich marine life offers opportunities to encounter dolphins in the wild and the experience reminds us that the sea is not merely a backdrop to life here It is an ecosystem a livelihood and a world of its ownAfter a quick spa session we headed to Hotel Shreyas in Dapoli city for a simple vegetarian Konkani lunch of amti koshimbir varan bhat shrikhand and modak A local constant for 26 years we have watched this place grow from a small eatery into a larger space The shrikhand and modak were among the best we have hadAt 7 pm we headed to Amrai Farms barely a kilometre from the property for a farm barbecue Buttered corn flavourful chicken and spicy prawns were charred on skewers right in front of us in the open kitchen The mains were bharleli wangi and mutton Kolhapuri cooked in a clay pot over a gavran chul villagestyle clay stove There is a particular pleasure in eating food cooked over a wood fire where the smoke the heat and the unhurried process become part of the flavour For dessert we had Patoli a traditional fragrant Konkani delicacy made of rice dough and a coconutjaggery filling steamed inside fresh turmeric leaves similar to the modak yet different because the turmeric leaves give it a distinct earthy fragrance We had fourOn our final morning here we set off on a nature trail through the forest spotting birds lesserknown flora and spice trees Our forest forage included plucking peppers allspice leaves bay leaves curry leaves and pretty flowers The guide pointed out things we would have otherwise walked past reminding us how little we notice when we move through a landscape without really looking at itThe staff had arranged a simple breakfast in the forest There we were eating the dayrsquos first meal beneath a canopy of trees with birdsong for company and no particular reason to hurryDapoli often called miniMahableshwar sits in Ratnagiri district between the Sahyadri ranges and the Arabian Sea in a landscape of hills forests beaches creeks and lateritic plateaux Its relatively cool climate has long distinguished it from much of the Konkan coast and has long been favoured by the British Army The property holds the remains of that history reminding us that even a landscape that feels timeless has lived through many chapters For us the experience was less about ticking off attractions and more about rediscovering the familiar We had come home only to realise how much of it we still had to exploreBy the riverAfter saying our goodbyes we drove 90 minutes to Chiplun a town along the Vashishti River with the Sahyadris rising in the distance Well connected by road and rail along the MumbaiGoa route Chiplun has long been shaped by its relationship with the river The Vashishti flows westwards from the Sahyadris towards the Arabian Sea connecting the hills to the coast Here the landscape shifts from the open sea to riverbanks creeks and mangroves offering a different perspective on the Konkan one we hadnrsquot experienced beforeThe uninterrupted views of the Vashishti River are mesmericOur rooms at The Fern Riverview Resort Chiplun Series by Marriott offered uninterrupted views of the river and mountains After lunch at their Riverside Cafeacute where we sampled local delicacies such as pomfret fry and a chefrsquos special fish wrapped in leaves the friendly staff took us to Parsuram Temple where it is believed that Lord Parshurama leaves for the Himalayas at sunrise does tapa in the mountains and then returns at sunsetNext was a boat safari Sailing through the creek surrounded by mangroves felt surreal The boat slipped through the water as the dense green growth closed in around us These mangroves or kandalvan as the locals call it flourish along the backwaters and tidal stretches of the Vashishti River and Dabhol Khadi protect the coastline hold the soil together and shelter countless species For a while there was little to do but watch the banks pass by birds come home the sky turn pink and absorb the stillnessDinner at Hotel Abhishek a popular stopover in Markandi known for authentic Konkani and Malvani coastal cuisine has long been on celebritiesrsquo radars The restaurant is stuck in time and it brought us back to the pleasures of local food and familiar hospitality Prawns masala with bhakri and bombil fry were the best we hadLater that night we returned to the hotel for a very different kind of experience We met a Geography teacher armed with a Dobsonian 8rdquo Moon TelescopeGSO PRO who introduced us to the night sky Saturn was visible but only through the telescope did its rings come into sharp focus Stars shone like diamonds and the moonrsquos craters appeared enormous their contours almost startlingly clear For the children it was an astronomy lesson no textbook could quite replicate For us it was a reminder of the daily drama that unfolds every night in the sky that we urban dwellers would never be able to tellThe next morning began with a floating breakfast in the pool accompanied by uninterrupted views of the mountains and river It was the kind of indulgence that makes you linger over a cup of tea and a bite savouring the many shades of green across the hillsWe then headed to Gowalkot Fort perched on a hill overlooking the Vashishti River The fortrsquos strategic position becomes clear once you reach the top The river curves around much of the hill creating a natural defensive barrier while the elevated position offers sweeping views of the surrounding villages fields and waterways Historically the fort helped protect Chiplunrsquos riverine trading routes reminding us of the regionrsquos importance beyond its presentday identity as a holiday destination On our way down we spotted a crocodile lazing nonchalantly in the water It was an unexpected encounter that made us realise these rivers are living habitats not simply scenic additions to a holidayOur next stop was Devran associated with the life events of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Next we had lunch at Trupti Malvani Macchi Khanaval a popular homestyle seafood and nonvegetarian eatery on Guhagar Bypass Road known for authentic Konkani and Malvani flavours This proved that the best way to understand a place is through its food and that the Konkanrsquos culinary vocabulary extends beyond the usual combination of fish curry and riceIn the afternoon we went to the main market Dali Masalewale here sells prepackaged spice mixes that their family has prepared and sold for over 60 years We stopped to browse ask questions and pick up a few packets to take home That evening dinner and a bonfire brought the trip to a gentle close We sat around the fire talking about the triprsquos discoveries the food we ate and the places we sawBefore we drove home we had two final essentials to pick up dudheri and sakhrole both Kokni Muslim delicacies we grew up eating En route we also picked up a patovarvato grinding stone to make our cooking more connected to our rootsKonkan will always have our heart It offers the space to slow down for real and savour the simple but rich joys Sometimes all it takes is returning with a touristrsquos curiosity to see home with new eyesPatoliPatoliIngredients1 cup rice flourfrac34 cup waterA pinch of salt2 cups grated coconut1 cup grated jaggeryfrac12 tsp cardamom powder10ndash12 fresh turmeric leaves1 tsp gheeMethodMix rice flour salt and water into a smooth spreadable paste Heat ghee in a pan add coconut and jaggery and cook until combined and slightly thickened Stir in cardamom and coolSpread rice paste on turmeric leaves add the filling and fold Steam for 10ndash15 minutes until cooked Serve warm