August 2026 · 9 min read
In this story
It began with a train ride through fifty shades of green and grey, continued into the deep interiors of Ratnagiri, and slowly unfolded into something far more meaningful than a conventional holiday. There were waterfalls, prehistoric rock art, ancient temples, forgotten forts, rivers, beaches and extraordinary Konkani food. But the real discovery was people. We arrived as strangers. We shared five days of rain, food, walks, conversations, laughter and the occasional fish spa.
Somewhere along the way, strangers became friends. This is a record of those five days, written as they unfolded. It is also a small reminder that India still has enormous stretches waiting to be explored, understood and cherished. For Mitul and me, this was our first Indiahikes experience together. We returned with memories, new friendships and a renewed appetite for the next unexplored corner of India.
So here it is. Unexploring Konkan.
It was a journey I had yearned for quite some years now, a monsoon escape with Konkan Railways. Unexplored India, a new initiative by India Hikes, helped me realise the dream. It was an invite to be a part of the pilot group that will unravel the terrains and history and for me it was too much to ignore that.
A railway track disappears into the Ranpat Tunnel, surrounded by the dense green hills of Ratnagiri. The journey through Konkan often feels like this: one moment you are looking at the landscape, and the next, the landscape swallows you whole. Picture by Nitesh Kumar J.
The journey began with a Mumbai to Ratnagiri Vande Bharat train ride through lush green landscapes, innumerable tunnels and hills that seemed to appear and disappear with the monsoon. Although it was a very early morning ride which will otherwise make the passengers doze off soon after the train starts but for me it was yearning to come true. I could not close my eyes even for a minute, such was the depth of greenery and landscape the train sliced through. An exhilarating journey for about 5 hours.
Reached the Mango city Ratnagiri at around 11 am. Konkan welcomed us with its seasonal generosity. We didn't lose time after check-in at our hotel and soon ventured out to satiate our hunger. Soon we were at Matsyam, an exotic eatery dishing out konkani sea food specials. While on lunch we deliberated on Ganpatipule. This was not in our plan at all but after hearing about its nearness (only 30km away) and call of the deity, we were on roads.
Under monsoon clouds, the Konkan coast takes on a quieter character. The wide beach, restless sea and empty shoreline invite you to slow down Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
On the way we strolled past a few beautiful beaches. All coloured in grey and white on a silver canvas. And then there was the rain. Intermittent showers, just enough to keep everything wet, fresh and impossibly sparkling green. Of all shades.
Also covered the deserted Ratnadurg Fort, Shivshristi and a bit of Mandvi Beach before heading for another round speciality konkani nonveg dinner before finally hitting the bed for an early tight sleep. It was a fitting beginning to what promised to be a very different kind of holiday.
We left Ratnagiri at dawn, all the co-travellors joined one by one and drove for about 75 minutes into the deep interiors of Konkan, towards Tural. And checked into what turned out to be a marvel of a place. A 350-year-old ancestral property spread across nearly 120 acres, with cultivation fields, hills and a homestay run with remarkable warmth by the Karkare couple. Aptly named, Rustic Holidays.
It was not merely a homestay. It genuinely felt like a home. We had been strangers just a few minutes earlier. Soon, we felt like part of the family. The day itself was wonderfully lazy.
We wandered through paddy fields, went boating on the river, watched four local friends play cricket in the middle of the jungle, woke up a villager to make maggi and tea for us, and ended the evening with a pious Ganpati aarti at sunset. Rains and absolute greens did not lose our company ever.
Photo by Nitesh Kumar J
And, of course, there was the food. Delicious Konkani home cooking, served hot and with the warmth that only a real home can offer. Konkan had already begun to feel less like a destination and more like a homecoming.
After being constantly drenched in sparkling wet greenery and pampered by the warmth of Rustic Holidays, Day 3 was about venturing out to discover some of the hidden gems around us. We began with the timeless beauty of Ranpat Waterfall.
Nearly 100 feet of water came crashing down with extraordinary force. Raging. Roaring. Mesmerising. Standing at the base of the falls and letting that torrent drench you was less of a bath and more of an adventure. A short 20 minute bathing at the foot of the vertical Falls and counting quick duubkis will remain a highpoint of the journey for long long times to come.
Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
Then came the biggest surprise of the day. A prehistoric petroglyph site dating back to around 26,000 BC. Ancient people had carved their stories onto laterite rock surfaces long before history started shaping. More than 250 such sites have been discovered across Konkan over the last two decades. Yet many remain unexplored, unacknowledged and largely unprotected.
Really saddening seeing such global treasures remain unattended by Govt. Last year, near the North Pole in Norway, we visited a similar rock art site. It was beautifully preserved, interpreted and promoted as a heritage destination. We paid around €25 to enter. Here, the site was free.
It was also almost barren and orphaned. India possesses a treasure that many countries would envy. It deserves conservation, research and responsible tourism. Hopefully, that attention comes before time erases what history has managed to preserve.
From prehistory, we travelled into the early medieval period. At Sangameshwar, we visited a Shiva temple dating back to around 800 AD. Though badly damaged over the centuries and restoration work is underway, one can only imagine the grandeur it once held.
Special kudos to Sathe sir, an earstwhile professor in Geography now a freelance guide in Konkan tourism, who explained each site and governance apathy with minute details to us. Without him the stones would not have depicted any story and emotion.
Inside Sardesai Wada, layers of stone, carvings and weathered walls quietly hold on to the history of a place that has witnessed centuries of change. Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
History took another dramatic turn at the House of Sardesai, associated with the capture of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj by the Mughals, one of the defining episodes in Maratha history. Walking through the old house and the ruins of nearby temples, the silence seemed to carry echoes of a turbulent past. Again thanks to Sathe Sir.
As we drove back home, it struck us that we had not merely gone sightseeing today. We had travelled through time. From prehistoric civilisation to medieval temples to the rise and fall of empires, and an eternal gem of a waterfalls, all within a single day.
And India still has countless stories waiting beyond the guidebooks. The day ended, fittingly, with more Konkani food. Jackfruit rawa idlis and besan kadhi. A perfect finale to a journey through time.
Day 4 took us from Tural to Nirul. The landscape changed. Hills slowly gave way to plains. But the envelope of green continued to greet us all along the way. And, of course, the rains kept making intermittent appearances. It was not a hectic day. Quite the opposite. Plain. Simple. Easy going. Almost lazy.
A quieter side of Konkan. Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
Even our vehicle seemed to have caught the mood. We discovered a tiny streamlet by the roadside. That was enough for some of us to bring out the hidden hippo in us. Within minutes, we were in the water. Splashing. Hopping. Soaking. Laughing.
The water was crystal clear and, given our enthusiasm, we decided it was surely going to be declared a UNESCO Fresh Heritage Site soon. A few tiny fish joined the party too. They gave us their version of a pedicure by gently nibbling at our feet. A natural fish spa. Several ladies in the group were delighted. A few hundred rupees saved right there. The afternoon was when time really stopped.
We walked into a small, deserted fort called Purangarh Fort. Barely 20,000 square feet in area. Nobody seems to know with certainty who built it or exactly when. One theory suggests that Shivaji Maharaj may have built it as a lookout post to watch for European ships entering the khadi, an important strategic and trading point in those times.
From Purangad Fort, the Konkan coast unfolds quietly beyond the laterite walls, with forest, hills and sea stretching into the distance. Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
Whatever the history, something else happened there. Time simply paused. For nearly three and a half hours, we sat along the boundary walls of the fort. The sea was not far away. Its waves kept splashing against the black sands. The weather was cool, wet and wonderfully unhurried.
And then something rather remarkable happened.Fifteen strangers, who had barely known each other three days ago, started connecting and conversing more. About families. Friends. Work. Travel. Philosophy. Interests. Life. And everything in between. Nobody seemed to care about the destination anymore.
There was one small reason behind this rather unusual happening. There was no internet. No mobile hotspot. No scrolling. No notifications. Just people. And time. We had been told to stay there until sunset. But then, we were secretly hoping the sun would never set. The conversations continued even after dinner, in the lush green garden of our homestay. At the backdrop sang Kishore Kumar. The birds probably thought we had overstayed our welcome. We politely ignored them.
It reminded me of an old song, Purane Jeans aur Guitar. Except there were no guitars. Just fifteen strangers, a rainy Konkan night and conversations that had nowhere else to go. For one beautiful day, time paused. And none of us felt the need to restart it.
Like all good things, the last day arrived far too quickly. Our concluding day of this Monsoon Escape was, appropriately, all about water. We woke up to the sound of a nearby streamlet, cocooned in the jungle. Just about a hundred metres away, the little stream quietly merged into a village river. So, naturally, we went for a morning bath. Crystal clear water. Green forest. Monsoon freshness. Nothing more was needed.
In the Konkan, farmers are increasingly turning to pineapple as an alternative to cashew, making use of the region’s warm, humid climate and laterite soils. Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
Breakfast was a Konkani version of Misal, followed by a farm tour through an Alphonso mango orchard and a wonderful collection of fruit, spice and other trees. It was here that we discovered another fascinating side of Konkan. Our humble homestay owner is also the Mukhiya of the village and, in his own words, a big businessman. And perhaps he is. He has built a thriving agro-farm within the forest, finding ways to turn the abundance of Mother Nature into a business. Every conversation with him revealed another way of looking at land, crops, resources and opportunity.
It also made me think about the two homestay owners we encountered during this trip. Two very different personalities. Two very different approaches to life. Yet both seemed genuinely happy and successful in their own way. There was clearly something for us to take back from both of them.
Perhaps that is what travel does at its best. You go looking for places and return carrying perspectives.
And then came the grand finale. Wayangan Beach. A pristine stretch of Konkan coastline, made even more beautiful by the weather. The monsoon gods had clearly decided to give us a perfect farewell. No heavy rain. No harsh sun. Just enough dampness in the air to make the black sands inviting and the occasional dip in the waves irresistible. This was my personal favourite. We walked, soaked, splashed, chatted and simply allowed the sea to take away whatever was left of the city from us.
Photo by Nitesh Kumar J.
And suddenly, the Monsoon Escape was over. Five days. Waterfalls. Petroglyphs. Ancient temples. Forgotten forts. Rivers. Forests. Stream hopping, Beaches. Extraordinary food. But more than all of that, people. Fifteen strangers who met just a few days ago and somehow became a little less strange to each other every day. There were conversations that will continue. Friendships that may outlast the itinerary. And memories that certainly will.
Mitul's first Indiahikes trip has made this journey even more special for me. Watching her come back with her own collection of memories, new friendships and affection for the people who made this experience what it was has been a lovely part of the journey.
And a special ‘thank you’ to Prachi, our young trip leader. Her knowledge, patience, guidance and forever-present warm smile quietly held the experience together. The places were beautiful, but the experience became memorable because someone cared enough to make sure we experienced them well.
And then there was the Karkare family. Their humility, warmth and wonderfully crafted homestay will remain part of our Konkan memories for a long time. The waterfall baths. The fish spa. The moody monsoon skies. The conversations at Purangarh. The ancient stones. The forest stream. The black sands of Wayangan. The food. The laughter. And fifteen people who arrived as strangers and left as something closer to friends.
That is perhaps the real meaning of an escape. You do not simply escape a place. You escape your routine. Your screens. Your schedules. Your familiar conversations. And somewhere between a streamlet and a sea, you rediscover how little you actually need to feel happy.
Konkan gave us five extraordinary days.
Mitul and I will cherish them for a very long time.
And now, inevitably, the concrete jungle awaits.
But somewhere inside us, a little piece of Konkan is already asking:
Where next?
The end of the journey
The beginning of the next Unexploring India adventure.
Written by Chandan Chatterjee
Chandan is a Supply Chain & Management Consultant and former corporate professional. An avid traveller, he has been an Indiahikes trekker for the past five years, making Unexplored India a natural choice for him.
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