Korlai is a beautiful seaside village situated on the mouth of the river Kundalika, on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast with a rich and varied culture and history. Interestingly, the East Indians of Korlai still speak a form of Portuguese creole! On this calm and relaxed trail we will discover the cultural heritage, historical and natural beauty of the Konkan coast south of Mumbai.

Mandwa Jetty, 8.00 am

Mandwa Jetty, 1.30 pm

2 days, 1 night

39 km one way from Mandwa to Korlai (78 km both ways)

Nilanjan Guha Majumdar, long distance cyclist

Local women of Korlai village

Day 1

8.00 am – Meet at Mandwa Jetty

8.00-8.45 am – Introduction and breakfast

8.45 am – Start riding

12.00-1.00 pm – Arrive at Korlai village

1.30-2.30 pm – Lunch

3.30-5.30 pm – Korlai Fort Trek (optional)

5.30-6.30 pm – Sunset at Korlai Beach

6.30-7.30 pm – Tea and light snacks

7.30-8.30 pm – Local cultural activities

8.30 pm – Dinner

10.00 pm – Stargazing walk

Day 2

7.00-8.00 am – Breakfast

8.00 am – Start riding back for Mandwa jetty

8.30-9.00 am – Visit another seaside fort

1.00-1.30 pm – Arrive back at Mandwa Jetty

This is a fairly easy and relaxed trail for anyone who knows how to ride a cycle (there are no significant climbs). The hardest part of this trail is waking up on Saturday morning to catch the ferry!

To reach Mandwa Jetty from Mumbai you must take a ferry from Gateway of India (close to CST and Churchgate station). There is an Ajanta Ferries service at 6.15 am and another one at 7.15 am that you can take which will get you to Mandwa jetty on time. You can bring your cycles along in the luggage compartments of any non-AC local train.

A multi-speed (geared) Hybrid, MTB or Gravel bicycle would be ideal for this ride. You can also bring a road bike. There are little to no climbs hence a single speed (non-geared) cycle would work as well, however we strongly recommend a geared cycle.

There are several cycle rental shops in Mumbai where you can rent a cycle.

• An expert lead cyclist to guide you on the route and help with minor repairs such as punctures
• A support vehicle that would have your luggage and provide us with fresh water
• Stay in a neat and clean village homestay with all modern fittings and amenities (rooms and spaces will be shared and segregated by gender)
• Fresh, hearty, local food made by the local women of Korlai village (vegetarian)
• Informative visits of medieval forts and monuments

• Lunch and dinner can be upgraded from vegetarian to non-vegetarian (fish or chicken), you would have to pay the marginal difference in fee for the same and inform us in advance
• Transport to and from the start and end point (Mandwa Jetty)
• Cycle repairs and spares of any sort
• In case you are unable to continue riding we might have to organise a rickshaw for you to take you to the end point, the cost of the rickshaw would have to be borne by you

For the ride

Safety

• Helmet (compulsory)
• Toe covered shoes (compulsory)
• Pair of sunglasses (UV protection, category 3 onwards)
• Sun-protection cream (optional)
• Back light (around 4 hour battery life) (optional)
• Front light (200 lumen or more, around 2 hour battery life) (optional)

Clothing

• Cycling jersey & shorts or dry-fit clothes (2 pairs)
• Bandana/scarf

Hydration

• 2 litres of water (2 bottles of 1 litre each)

Mechanical

• 2 spare tubes for your bicycle
• Any tools specific to your bicycle brand
• Handlebar/saddle/frame bag to store basic personal items (a small light daypack will also do but it’s best to keep your back free of weight)

While not riding

• A change of clothes for the evening
• Towel (quick dry preferable)
• Pair of slippers
• Personal toiletries
• Personal medications, if any

If cancelled within 7 days of the event date, we will not be able to issue any refund. You will be allowed to find another participant for this ride instead of you. If cancelled more than 7 days from the event date, we will issue a full refund (minus payment gateway fees of 2.5%).