Ratnagiri is a popular district located on the Konkan coast & has been famous especially for the Hapus (Alphonso) mangoes and for it’s sandy & tranquil beaches. Apart from that this area also produces rice, coconuts & cashew nuts in abundance. In this district, is a very small yet popular village called as Pawas which is also known as the Mango capital of Ratnagiri. It’s a village where Swami Swarupanand undertook self-immolation (samadhi) after staying for 40 years in this village. Located right in Pawas is The Spring Homestay which is a short drive away from the main city of Ratnagiri.
This property is set amidst one of the prettiest location in Pawas with one side covered with alluring view of Gautami river and the rest of the sides are covered with beautiful backdrop of coconut trees and rice fields. The Spring Hotel & homestay truly gives an experience of a home away from home and helps us connect or rather reconnect with the mother nature. It’s is completely apt for all kind of travelers be it families, couples and even for aged & retired persons. Since it’s located near to the Ratnagiri – Goa coastal highway, it’s a heaven for Road-trippers looking to crash in for the night.
DETAILS OF THE SPRING HOMESTAY:
Built in 2011 , Spring homestay has:
- 4 bedrooms & attached bathrooms,
- 1 dining room/ socializing zone.
- 1 common terrace from where one can easily see a blanket full of stars.
- And a kitchen where there are cooks to prepare all the three meals based on the request & at additional costs.
- Not only that, right next to the hostel is the Gautami river which is a lovely place to unwind with a view that will forever be cherished (especially the view of sunrise can be easily seen from this property).
- Parking is available outside the property.
- Also, scootys on rent are provided.
Also, the owners have been in this business for 2 generations and it is only now that they have decided to go online. Follow their Instagram page.
MY EXPERIENCE AT THE SPRING HOMESTAY:
Recently I wrote a post about my experience of living in a homestay in Mandangad. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to do one more when Ms. Soumila Sangwekar (owner of The Spring Homestay) invited me over to her farmhouse in Pawas, Ratnagiri. I always prefer to live with the locals over living in an hotel as one can get a closer look of a village life and at the same time it reduces travel costs by a considerable extent.
DAY 1
On the first day, I arrived at Ratnagiri station and as per the instructions given by Ms. Soumila, I hired a rickshaw (tuk-tuk) to the spring homestay. The address was Bhakt Niwas & the local rickshaw driver already knew the area quite well so he agreed to drop me. On reaching, I found Soumila waiting for me on the main street waving her hands. It took me around 45 minutes to reach from the station to the street where her house was located. On meeting her & on exchanging greetings, she took me to her home-stay and she gave me a very warm welcome.
To be honest, I was smitten by the photos which she had sent me before accepting the invite. Well, the pictures didn’t lie & the place was absolutely gorgeous. Gautami river was flowing right next to the homestay and one could very easily hear varieties of birds chirping all around.
Ms. Soumila explained all the functioning of the house, she told me her daily routine and also her future vision with respect to the homestay. The rooms were bright & spotless, furnished with queen size beds, couch, bed sheets and pillows. The view right outside the room was marvelous and I could see the villagers living their daily life right from the window. After resting for a bit and freshening up, she introduced me to all the staff working with her. She has cooks who prepare authentic Malvani food for meals, both veg as well as non-veg and that makes the best part of living in the homestay.
After resting for a bit and eating chicken masala in malvani style for dinner, we headed up straight to the terrace. The entire village was asleep and it was thoroughly pitch black dark for us to see the blanket full of stars in the night. That is something one doesn’t get to experience growing up in the big cities. That night, I spotted two shooting stars within a gap of half an hour after which we went to sleep.
DAY 2
Next day, was a new day to create new stories. One night before Ms. Soumila told me that we can see the sunrise from the property, which just lit up my eyes. I had to wake up early in the morning the next day & that is exactly what I did. Sunrise was breathtaking. It sparkled right through the coconut trees with Gautami River in the front.
Later on we headed to the temple of Swami Swaroopanand and also to the vishweshwar temple which is located just 5 mins of walking distance from the homestay. The walk was picturesque with flowers and trees on both the sides of the street. On this day I tried the Malvani fish fry (although I can’t remember the name of the fish) which was again simply delicious. A thing that I really love about konkan is that you’ll always get fresh fish. There is no way you won’t fall in love with it.
That night again we saw the stars in the night. It felt as if we were in the outer space, among the stars, when it struck me that this is the last night that I’ll get to be at this beautiful property. How sad, isn’t it? Yeah , it was but at the same time I was happy that I got to experience this amazing natural habitat. Away from the hustle & bustle of the fast paced city life.
Day 3
It was my last day and hence before breakfast I wished everyone Goodbye. When I said goodbye, Ms. Soumila told me I should come back soon and already invited me for another stay! Hopefully soon.
HOW TO REACH:
BY ROAD: It is really convenient to arrive if you have your own personal vehicle as the place is located on the outskirts of the main city. The coastal Road is fairly smooth and the journey is definitely comfortable enough by road.
BY BUS: Ratnagiri has it’s own bus stand in the city and from there one can change for another bus to Pawas or hire a rickshaw. For people coming from Mumbai & Pune, there are buses frequently going to & fro. There are private buses as well as MSRTC buses from Mumbai & Pune going directly to Ratnagiri.
BY TRAIN: As this place is situated on the Konkan Railway Zone, the Ratnagiri Railway Station is situated quite near to the city. The station is well connected to various cities. There are tuk-tuks (rickshaws) available from the main Ratnagiri station for Pawas. The prices of tuk-tuks from the station till the homestay are between Rs. 300- Rs. 400 depending upon your bargaining skills.
HOW TO BOOK AT THE SPRING HOMESTAY:
There are several ways to book at this place. One of the ways is to book it through AirBnB, If you don’t have an AirBnB account then you can create an account on AirBnB in simple steps and get Rs. 2,200 as travel credit in your account (T&C apply) or you can also directly contact Ms. Soumila on +919869350733.
PLACES TO VISIT IN PAWAS, RATNAGIRI:
- Swami Swaroopanand math
- Shri Vishweshwar mandir
- Bhatye Beach
- Ratnadurga Fort
- Purnagad Fort.
- Ganeshgule beach.
- Ganapatipule beach.
- Jaigad Fort.
- Aare ware beach.
- Thibha Palace.
- Scuba diving can also be done.
CONCLUSION:
The best part of visiting this place is that whatever the season, the Konkan region always has something to offer. The Spring Homestay amidst the nature and all the greenery offers exactly the required peace and quietness. Plenty of people from all corners of India have started pouring in slowly & are exploring this part of Konkan. Hence, this area is one of the popular weekend getaways for people experiencing the hectic life of the big city.
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