Daman - A perfect weekend getaway from Mumbai

Peps of Mumbai, Mumbaikers that is, enjoy an array of weekend getaways. From beaches to hill stations and from islands to resorts and water parks. But today I am here to talk about one of my favorite destination, that is Daman. Now I can describe this places as a perfect weekend getaway, a dream riding destination, ideal place for a roadtrip, a sneak peak into one of the Union Territory(UT) near Mumbai.

I along with one of my friend, were seeking for an ideal ride location near Mumbai. Having been to Nasik, Alibaug, Matheran and some other spots near Mumbai, this time we wanted to ride a different route altogether. Afterall this was a ride we planned to take on Near Years day, 1st Jan. So we zeroed in on Daman, this would help us to strike off a UT from our list too!! And the companion for our ride was my Honda CBR 250R.

It was a chilled morning, we started our ride with our enthusiasm sky high! The joy of welcoming a New Year with a ride :). The road leading to Daman was awesome to say the least. Minimal traffic on the road also helped us to cruise at a speed of 100+ kmph. We sure were enjoying the ride to the fullest. Be careful not to miss the signs on the highway while you are enjoying the ride! Chances are that you will zoom ahead of the destination, such is the condition of the road.

We took frequent breaks for snacks and water. And after around 3 hours we took a diversion from the highway leading to internal roads. Daman is around 160 kms away from Mumbai. We went by a railway crossing and rode for half an hour before reaching Daman.

Direction to each spot here in Daman is well marked out on the sign boards. You would not find difficulty in locating any place.

Daman

Now some details about Daman, it is the capital city of the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Daman is divided by the Daman Ganga River into two parts — Nani-daman and Moti-daman.

You can easily locate a decent hotel or a resort for a days stay. Attractions here ranges from beaches to fort and jetty. You can spend a relaxed weekend here. You will be surprised to see families enjoying beer on the beach shacks. This is majorly because of the bordering dry state, that is Gujarat. So people in that state has an easy access to chill in Daman. Be careful when you are riding though before grabbing a chilled beer for yourself! The shacks serve delicious seafood too.

Jampore Beach

The ride to reach this beach was quite enjoyable. Passing through a small fishing village. Houses and settings here has a unique charm, something that is unique to such port cities. You will feel the same if you have traveled extensively in Indian coastal cities. A clear connection to its Portuguese descent.

This is a palm-lined beach. With numerous shacks lined at the very entry of this beach offering some shade to relax on the beach. You can enjoy numerous adventure activities like parasailing, car racing, camel/ horse ride and other beach sports.

Devka Beach

Devaka beach has rocky walking shoreline with food stalls & bars, camel- or horse-riding and plenty nearby shops & hotels. This beach too is a massive, picturesque and quite unspoiled.

It was afternoon and quite hot. We decided have lunch in one of the nearby hotels before continuing ahead.

Moti Daman Fort and Lighthouse

Constructed by the Portuguese, towards the end of sixteenth century, the Moti Daman Fort is one of the most popular monuments in Daman. It has a colonial style architecture featuring huge walls, 10 bastions, 2 gateways, and an Iberian church. It gives a 360 degree view of the surrounding. The beach, cold breeze, the light house, all this can be enjoyed from here.

The Lighthouse is one of the most popular tourist attractions. A large number of tourists flock to this place to watch the marvelous sunset, witness the panoramic views of the Arabian Sea, and the city. It is also a perfect place for photography lovers.

Church of Bom Jesus

It was about to be 5pm when we reached here. The church was closed and the caretaker had just arrived. You can roam around and read some information about the church. The church has original Portuguese wood carving art which is spectacular. The richly carved main door with elevated façade, superior ceiling, done with the statues of six saints are beautiful and pleasing.

With this we decided to finish the trip. The scorching heat began to dissipate. The ride back was going to be a pleasant one. We had some snacks before starting our ride. Inquired and found about couple more tourist attractions we could have visited. If you are planning a trip for couple of days then you can incorporate the below spots too.

. St. Jerome Fort

. Nani Daman

. Somnath Mahadev Temple

. Dominican Monastery

. Jetty Garden

If you like this article please also check out a couple of my other awesome trips. Happy Traveling :)

Kasol - https://www.tripoto.com/asia/trips/mumbai-amritsar-kasol-a-budget-trip-5807711fca8f9

Hampi - https://www.tripoto.com/hospet/trips/hampiness-2-extreme-experiences-1-destination-5b17827e56056