Thank God for Alibaug!

    These past few months have been indescribably hectic for me. The kids were home, the husband was working from home as well but there was no holiday for us moms. Our responsibilities seemed to have doubled during the lockdown with no reprieve until everyone went back to their usual routine. Thankfully, my husband could see the exhaustion on my face and without telling me or the kids, he planned a trip to Alibaug. And oh, what a decision it was!  

We left our home on a Friday morning and were already in Alibaug just in time for lunch. The place we were going to was a resort near Mumbai as we did not want to travel that far away from home. Soon as our car pulled into the open-air parking space, we could see the tall entrance that cast a large shadow on the space, keeping the parked cars protected from the heat of the glaring sun. Immediately, I thought of and complimented the genius architecture that went behind this design. We made our way to the reception area where we were welcomed with a refreshing drink made from ingredients sourced locally. One sip and it instantly took me back to the time when my grandma would make a similar drink for us kids during the summer.  

We were soon taken to our room which was more spacious than I had first imagined. For the price we were paying, this looked like a steal! It was soon becoming obvious why this resort was one of the top ten resorts in Alibaug . After several hours of unpacking and a quick shower, we were on our way to do some sight-seeing. 

 

First on our list was Kihim Beach that my sister-in-law had suggested soon as she heard that we were going to Alibaug. She claimed that the beaches are clean and the sand is white, in contrast to the many beaches on the western coastal areas of Maharashtra. Thankfully for us, the beach was in close proximity to the resort and they even had rooms that open up to the beach. But sadly, we were late to the party as all the rooms at the beach had already been booked. Our dream to stay at a white sand beach resort remains unfulfilled as of this writing. 

 

At the beach, we were able to find a cosy spot for us where I escaped into a dream by looking at the clear skies and being soothed by the sound of the waves. That moment of relaxation is what I will seek for the rest of my life as I had never experienced anything like it before. It seemed like all those months of hectic work was worthwhile if the ending was going to be this rewarding.  

For the night, we headed to the restaurant at the resort and truly ate like kings and queens. Fishes whose names I hadn’t even heard before were on the menu with all of them being prepared with special local flavours. The taste of that sumptuous dinner is still fresh in my mind and I don’t think that I will be getting over it any time soon.  

Our day began a little late the next day as we wanted to properly explore the resort first before we explored the town. In our quest to make the most of every service provided by the resort like the spa and the gym, we lost track of time and it was soon dark. We retreated back to our rooms to watch some TV and bond with the family before it was time for dinner. 

 

Though this was more of a staycation than a vacation, it was what I absolutely needed to keep myself from going insane. So good was our experience at the resort that we even enquired for a destination beach wedding at Alibaug for my sister-in-law who had always expressed her desire for one.  

For anyone who felt uneasy and trapped during these uncertain times, I would strongly suggest to take a few days off and head to this magical resort called Prakruti Resorts. This resort is near Pune as well so don’t let the distance change your mind about spending time here.