Velas on the Konkan coast.

When we got to the sea, the last hatched turtle fell into the sea, but Vilas could not disappoint us with its cleanliness and hospitality.

A few weeks ago the three of us decided to tour Vilas on the Konkan Coast, despite being warned that we wouldn't get to see the magical sight of Olive Ridley chicks being released into the sea. Accommodation from Velas kasav mitra mandal (Friends of Turtles in Velas).

We chose MSH4 (Maharashtra State Highway) instead of NH17 and did not regret our decision as we were accompanied by beautiful sea views from Alibag to Velas.

When we rode the ferry with our bikes in Agardand, I found I had a flat tire.
After questioning the locals on the ship, we learned that the nearest troubleshooting site was about 10 miles from Rohini, where we would disembark the ferry. Immediately after landing, two doctors (my traveling companions), a surgeon and the other doctor proceeded to disassemble the wheel, take it to the nearest workshop, put the wheel back in place, and repair the hole with a single repair operation. Surgical precision. Soon we were able to continue our journey and took another ferry to Bagmandala in Bankot. From Pankot another coast extends more than ten kilometers to Vilas.

Surprisingly, Vilas was a very clean village with no hotels or restaurants. Their economy revolved around family life, and nearly every house we saw along the street seemed to be self-sufficient, with their own livestock, coconut and betel nut trees, and a garden in which they grew their own vegetables. All the homes we visited proudly displayed their newly built bathrooms!

We checked into Omkar Homestay and it was probably the only one offering rooms. In all other families, only dormitories were provided. Cleanliness was great. The room was small and basic as was the price. However, the comfort was high.

When we were late for lunch, the hosts offered us a local "havan" dosa that was delicious with a pot of ghee and "tikka" (pickled) on the side.

There was no cell phone service in the village and the landlines were down, so we were referred to a place a few kilometers away where we could call our relatives back home and tell them what we had achieved and the lack of communication. We covered this road in the moonlight and this walk also made a healthy appetite spurred by the delicious vegetarian dishes based on typical Malvani dishes.

Although it was summer, the temperature was very comfortable so we slept well and woke up to a sumptuous breakfast of "kanda pohi" served with cucumber and papad!

We approached the beach, which was about fifteen minutes away, and saw an empty pen there

Turtle eggs are protected and hatched.

The beach was again surprisingly clean, and since the sea was inviting, we swam. It was

refreshing. After being at sea for a while, we went out, dried in the sun and breeze and came back in the scorching sun. We went straight to the only house that serves beer

town village. We were guests of honor! They were very happy with us and did everything to make us comfortable.

We spent the day really relaxed and they were totally relaxed. The lunch they served was good. Chicken curry malawani style with water (pure, small, thick) and rice.

On the way back, we decided to change route because the Rohini Agardanda ferry was unreliable (it suddenly stopped running), so we traveled via Mhasala, Mangaon, Nagathane, Pali, Hopali and Mumbai. Driving here was also great as there were many twists and turns on the narrow mountain roads and we came home refreshed for a cup of hot tea.

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