Recently, we went to a beautiful homestay near Ratnagiri.

It took us almost eight hours to reach there. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with some delicious Kokum sharbat. Little did we realise the next four days would be our best time in an offbeat place like this.

Our room was right above the kitchen area, which was nice, because my kids kept asking for something or the other (to drink/eat)! Our room was part of the building where Medha and her mother resided. So, luckily, for us, Medha interacted with the kids till midnight and they had a gala time together! That was our first night at the homestay. Kids already felt like home.

Atithi Parinay is an all-vegetarian place, in fact, you won’t even get garlic and onion in the food. But in spite of it having a satvik kitchen, none of the food items repeated in the course of my four days here. I was in love with the food! Didn’t even miss any Paneer butter masala or Pav bhaji or any of our continental food stuff for that matter. The local recipes of blew my mind. For instance, there would always be a matki or an usal, a salad, a chutney, a dal, roti and rice. Local spice mixtures like Daangar made their way to my plate.

Of course, this being a coastal region, shredded coconut was seen in some dish or the other, but it was all a party for a native food lover like me. Dapde Pohe, Sabudana Khichdi, Sol Kadhi, Dal (with kokum), koshember (every day, a new variety was served), rice flour crepes, a chutney preparation that ranged from raw mango to coconut, local sweets like modaks that were made of rice flour and some sweet coconut-flavoured filling–it just added to our overall homestay experience. Add to that some vibrant talks that I had with Medha that made our meal times so fun! 

We went to the nearby beaches (Ware beach and the Malgund beach), where we saw a hornbill and a jackal. A morning treat! We also went to a nearby famous Ganapati temple that is almost 600 years old.

This coastal area is like a sleepy town, and so, you won’t like that touristy vibe here. Which offers a break from the usual commercial spots.

We spent most of our time at the homestay. And absolutely loved it. You can take 1-2 hour beach time in the morning and in the evening, but you really don’t need to bother missing your meals anyway. The food at the homestay is far better than the local restaurants, especially for families with toddlers. 

It’s interesting to see how Atithi Parinay is run by an all-women led team. I saw Medha talk about a young guy who is helping with social media marketing, but apart from that, I see women run the place like a pro. From cooking and cleaning to maintaining the open green space of the homestay, these women make sure of an incredible hospitality is being offered to their guests. 

It’s also a good idea to take a stroll around and soak in the calm and green of the coastal village. 

When here, you can unwind and create some art, read a book, watch the birds (I enjoyed the view of a kingfisher twice from my room’s window), relax on the swings, go on walks, and enjoy the good food. 

Note:

1) Visit the Ganapatipule temple around 6AM in the morning, as you’ll be stuck in long queues during the day.

2) Do buy Yojak food products near the temple. During summers, you can pick mangoes from a local farmer.

3) If you are not a homestay fan, check out the Blue Ocean the Fern resort as it offers some scenic beach views.

4) We missed going to the lighthouse near Malgund beach. So either forget things and just chill at the beaches (like we did) or be ready to chase time and visit the lighthouse and head back on time to avoid getting lost without internet connectivity. You can download the map in your phone that can last-time confusion on the road, just in case the connection goes weak. 

5) Do take care when exploring the beaches around. You’ll be attracted to clicking pictures on the road, here and there, but you really have to be careful. Avoid the beaches when the tide is high, especially those who have toddlers with them. 

6) We travelled here from Mumbai and had two meals made from home that we carried with us (as suggested by Medha). If you too have kids in the car, it’s better to carry homemade food because there aren’t really good food options on the way. You might get a Vada pav or poha or even a dosa but not a proper thali-like meal.

7) Things you can pack when travelling with toddlers: couple of busy bag folders to avoid kids getting cranky, plastic mats for the beach, extra towels, chappals, clothing sets for the kids when heading to the beach. Tiny plastic buckets and shovels to make sand castles. Frisbee? A dump truck toy to help your kid make a mess on the beach sand? Mosquito repellent cream. Binoculars. A fresh loaf of bread and perhaps a tiny jam bottle to save those last-minute hunger pangs.

Let me know how you liked this place. Happy travelling!

Photo courtesy: All clicked by me