The old fort and the sea

Updated On: 30 June, 2011 07:25 AM IST | | Aviva Dharmaraj

Salt Rim, a beach-style villa in Korlai village in maharashtra, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Chembur, offers a spectacular view of the sea, sun and sand. highly recommended for a quick weekend escape

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Weekends throw up a peculiar dilemma for me: Should they be spent doing something 'constructive' that typically pushes me out of my comfort zone (or even my bedroom), or should they be spent recuperating from the devastation of work life by spending a few mind-numbing hours in front of the television? The dilemma is never really resolved, and before I know it I'm swallowed whole by another week of my life.

Korlai Fort, a Portuguese fort in ruin, makes for an interesting stopover.
PIC/ SHADAB KHAN

Shridhar Iyer appears to have resolved this dilemma. Saturdays are devoted to the running of Salt Rim, his two-bedroom bungalow by the beach in Korlai village, located approximately 20 kilometres from the coastal town of Alibaug.

As we pull away from the city and tall coconut trees replace skyscrapers, Shridhar points out the different centuries-old temples along the way. Korlai village also boasts a synagogue and a masjid, and is testament to the diverse cultures and influences that colour its history.

During the monsoon, they arrange for a bullock cart to get you across
the last 300 metres to the bungalow.

Bullock-cart ride
Since the access road to the bungalow is difficult to navigate in the rains, Shridhar takes the alternate route and parks the car about half a kilometre from the bungalow. I get out of the car, where I am introduced to caretaker, Sanjay Misal. I clamber on to the bullock cart and catch my first glimpse of the beach, as the bulls amble along the last 300 kilometres.

The 2,200 sq ft bungalow sits on a 15,000 sq ft plot along a one km stretch
of beach, overlooking the Arabian sea. There are no properties on either
side of the bungalow it creates a secluded feel. PICS/ Shadab Khan

I walk through the open gate, into the garden that includes a vegetable patch, where Shridhar says they grow a few vegetables and herbs. The bungalow is perched on a hillock, which affords its inhabitants a spectacular, practically panoramic view of the beach. Korlai Fort is to our right.

The master bedroom and double bedroom that includes a bunk bed are located to the far end of the room. The place has been Shridhar's pet project, and so he tells us about how someone once advised him that the bungalow had not been built in keeping with the principles of vaastu. This meant that Shridhar had to go back to the drawing board. "I could finally put my engineering degree to good use," says the 40-year-old, who works with a multinational bank, while pointing to a framed blue print of the property.

Time for breakfast
Sanjay prepares fresh poha, which is garnished with strands of coconut. "I tell them not to use coconut in some of the food, but they won't listen," offers Shridhar,u00a0 a touch apologetically.

The tariff includes three meals and the staff are happy to cook both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. "The meals are cooked outside, so that guests don't feel their privacy is being invaded. But we have a functional kitchen inside the house too, so guests who want to cook pasta, for instance, can bring their own supplies and cook here," says Shridhar.

The TV lies to one corner of the hall area. There's a mezzanine section towards the back of that area, where kids (or even grown-ups) can crash or watch TV from. Shridhar points out that there are adequate plug points for those looking to hook up a music system or speakers. Having visited the place, however, it would seem a waste to have come all this way to re-create some of the city's cacophony. When asked about the reason he chose to name the property Salt Rim, Shridhar refers to the salt rim of the Margarita glass. "This property is surrounded by salt from the sea water," he says, adding, "There's a lot of salt in the air."

Trek to Korlai
Shridhar drives Shadab Khan, our photographer, and I, down to Korlai fort.

The steps our steep and we make our acquaintance with a few buffaloes along the way, but it's worth every minute of the climb, especially for out-of-shape asthmatics like myself. On the way out, we stop by the light house, which might not be anything like the light houses one grew up reading in Enid Blyton, but has a charm of its own.

If you do decide to explore the place, I would recommend making the hack to Korlai fort, which is just about a kilometer and a half away. The view is spectacular. But even if you decide instead to just retreat from the world and watch a beautiful sunset, it wouldn't be a wasted weekend.

How to get there

>> Salt Rim is located at Korlai village, 20 km ahead of Alibag, on the road to Kashid.