Velas turtle festival with homestay

Witness Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings from the shores of Velas beach which is one of the most beautiful emotional experiences to sight the newly born hatchlings making their way to the Arabian sea. Not just a visit to the nesting area at Velas, we are also covering the nearby major attractions like Bankot fort, Harihareshwar temple known for pradakshina route. In this tour you also experience home stay in Velas with typical homemade cuisine.
SNM started the turtle conservation project in coastal Maharashtra and Velas is one the villages in Ratnagiri where nests are protected in an enclosure. So far SNM has protected more than 800 nests and successfully released more than 35,000 hatchlings.
Highlights:

• Three visits to the Turtle Hatching area.
• Homestay at velas with homemade recipes.
• Bankot fort.
• Ferry crossing.
• Harihareshwar pradakshina route.

Itinerary:
DAY 0:
• Depart by hired AC vehicle from Dadar East, Mumbai at 10:00 PM with pickup points at Chembur, Vashi, & Panvel. ( exact locations will be shared with the registered participants)
DAY 1:
• Reach Velas village - 05:30 a.m.
• Fresh up - 30 minutes.
• Event briefing & Introduction.
• Reach Velas nesting area.
• Witness turtles hatchlings making their way into the sea - 2 hours.
• Breakfast at villagers home - 45 minutes.
• Visit Bankot fort - 3 hours.
• Lunch break - 1 hour.
• Allocate sharing accommodation at Velas Homestay.
• Relax time till evening.
• Visit the Velas turtle nesting area in the evening.
• Dinner break - 1 hour
• Rest for the day at homestay
Day 2:
• Wakeup call - 05:30 AM
• Fresh up at homestay - 30 minutes.
• Visit to Velas turtle nesting area - 2 hours.
• Breakfast at homestay - 45 minutes.
• Travel to Harihareshwar by vehicle- 1 ½ hours.
• Lunch break - 1 hour.
• Return journey to Mumbai - 6 hours.

Price: ₹2950
Included
✔ Travel from Mumbai by AC semi sleeper Bus
✔ Breakfast, Veg Lunch, Veg Dinner on Day 1, Breakfast on Day 2
✔ Homestay at Velas on Day1, breakfast
✔ Forest Fee
Excluded
✘ Lunch on Day2
✘ Snacks break during the road journey
✘ Non-Veg Meals at Homestay

How to Register:
Step -1: Book your seat through online payment on our website at https://www.ramblersindia.com/event-info/velastour or UPI/ NEFT to RamblersIndia Current Account ( send us the screenshot of the transaction).
Step-2: Fill up the Mandatory participation disclaimer form which will be sent after payment confirmation and select the preferable pickup location.
Step -3: We will create a WhatsApp group of the registered participants in the evening on the day of the event departure for coordination.
Checklist
What to Wear:

• Sandals / slippers.
• comfortable clothes.

What to Bring:
Carry a single rucksack with the following things:

• Minimum 2 water bottles ( avoid buying packaged bottles) .
• Food items like fruits, dry fruits, energy bars, healthy snacks.
• Windcheater/ blanket during travel.
• Cap/ Hat
• Toiletry kit, sunscreen lotion & mosquito repellent.
• One Spare sets of clothes, Towel.
• A litter bag for non-biodegradable (plastic) litter.
• Spare face masks, Hand Sanitizer.
• Personal medicines.
• Identity Proof.