Kihim Beach Review
Being just 4 hours away from Mumbai, Kihim definitely proves out to be a great escapade during weekends. The clean and beautiful beaches of Kihim, the glittering sand and the crisp currents make you a bit nostalgic.
Kihim is a beach worth visiting. Most of the beaches in India are in poor shape due to bad maintenance and garbage disposal. But Kihim happens to be one of those very few beaches along the Konkan coast, which are clean and unpolluted.
Kihim is around 133 km from Mumbai, and the journey by road from Mumbai to Kihim is a great experience. The entire route is fascinating and relaxing, especially when one enters the stretch that starts from Vadkhal Naka to Alibaug. Kihim is around 11 km ahead of Alibaug.
But the fastest way to reach Kihim, if you plan down for a one day picnic, would be by sea. Boat services are available from Gateway of India to Mandwa the nearest port from Kihim, every hour. Kihim is just 4 km from Mandwa and there are various transport facilities like bus or a jeep taxi available from Mandwa for Kihim. These services include Catamaran services and a/c speed boat services. The exact time it takes to reach Mandwa port is around an hour and half.
The beach is engulfed with lush green coconut trees and palm groves. The sunset is amazing and relaxing. The beach looks familiar, due to its presence in many TV serials and films. The beach here is a bit rocky, though not that kind of rocky which would not allow you to walk over it.
The sea thus becomes safer to swim, as the rocks ensure you don't enter deep ahead. Soft waves lash out on the rocks, making the place pleasant and beautiful. One gets an opportunity to gather various shells which nowadays are nowhere to be seen. Collecting shells and playing in the sand, building sand castles are great fun. Overall Kihim is a natural beauty untouched.
The food served in Kihim is authentic Maharashtrian coastal food. Though nowadays one finds various cuisines anywhere and everywhere. The most popular cuisine available in even the remote areas is the Chinese cuisine. But anyways, once in Kihim, try out their authentic coastal cuisine, its delicious and fresh. Fish here is abundant and fresh. Try out there fish delicacies, I bet they are real mouth melting.
There are various accommodation facilities available here. Right from good hotels to private bungalows one can find various options available. Out of these, many hotels open right on the beach and few of them are located near the market.
The bungalow option is always the best if you come out in groups, and anyways they give you an option of buying fresh fish from the nearby port and cooking it for you their way. Many hotels provide rooms with four or five beds enough for a family to stay together. These hotels also have options of small cabins and showers for people who plan to come down for a day picnic and are not interested in buying rooms.
Apart from the beach, few other places that are worth visiting and are close by include the Kolaba Fort which is approximately 10 km from Kihim. Then there is the Mandwa Beach around 9 km from Kihim and Shri Kankeshwar temple which is around 5 km from Kihim.
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