Velas Turtle Festival 2024

Join us for witness the celebration of Life at the The Olive Ridley Turtle Festival at Velas Maharashtra 

 Please Note:
1) Emergence of Hatchlings of turtles is a natural process. So cannot give guarantee of emerging possibility of turtles on the mentioned dates.
2) Velas beach have strong currents, so won’t b allowed to go inside the water

 Short Info:
Velas Beach : Velas is the birth place of Nana Phadnis, one of the great prominent personalities in Maratha history. Due to the sea-shore Velas is an existing place and it is situated near Bankot Bay. There is an old temple of Shri Bhairi- Rameshwar and in this temple all twelve months water is made available taking the benefit of favorable geographical conditions. A statue of Nana Phadnis is present outside his house. In Velas Mahalakshmi temple and Nana Phadnis house are the places to visit. Velas is also one of the popular breeding sites of Olive Ridley, which is an endangered species of turtle.

Bankot Fort:
Region: Mandangad
District: Ratnagiri
Height: Sea fort (Slightly above sea level)
Difficulty: Simple

Bankot is a square shaped fort. On the sides of Bankot fort, there is a dry moat (Revni) dug out in the Jambhya stone. Jambhya stone is peculiar type of stone adorning a purple shade and peculiarly it is incapable of storing water as the water invariable percolates through it owing to its much porous nature. The main entrance (Mahadarwaja) of the fort is north-facing with a well sculpted arch and carvings. Watch guards dug out (Devdya) align on both sides of the Mahadarwaja with some pits being dug out in the right Devdi. On the left, there are steps leading towards Nagarkhana while there is an underground storey and a tunnel on the right. A Maruti idol in the centre stands deserted now. On the west, there is a small entrance (Darwaja) leading to a Bastion on the exterior of the fortifications. A deep well (now dry and filled) occupied the centre of this bastion earlier and the adjacent water tanks too are dry and obsolete now. One can leave the Buruj via a small exit that leads to the surrounding moat and a beautiful “Revni” lying nearby.

 Itinerary:
Day 00:
We leave for Velas by private vehicle

# For Mumbaikars,
**Pick up location as follows;
Dadar bTT circle
Sion Circle, Sion
Vashi Highway, Vashi
McDonald, Kalamboli, Panvel

Day 01:
05:30 Hrs: Reach Velas
Get refresh and ready for an amazing experiences
06:45 Hrs: Visit Velas Beach for Turtle festival
Breakfast
10:00 Hrs: At Bankot fort
10:30 Hrs: Atop
Fort Exploration
Lunch at Velas (Veg. Only)
Rest time
Evening Tea & Visit Velas beach
Go for Turtle watching
Dinner ( Veg. Only)
Nightstay at villagers beautiful homestay in Velas
(Dormitory Type only)

Day 02:
06:45 Hrs: Visit Velas Beach for Turtle watching
08:00 Hrs: Breakfast – Tea
09:30 Hrs: At Harihareshwar by crossing Veshvi – Bagmandala creek by ferry
Harihareshwar Temple visit
Visit to Harihareshwar Beach

13:00 Hrs: Lunch at Harihareshwar (Veg/Non-Veg to be borne by participant as per choice)

15:00 Hrs: Departure 2 Mumbai
We will be in Mumbai/ Pune around 21:00 hrs (thats – subjective)

 Inclusion:
• Mumbai to Mumbai transportation by private AC vehicle
• Turtle festival entry charges
• 2 breakfast, 1 lunch and 1 dinner (veg only)
• Accomodation at Village Homestay, dormitory type
• Ferry charges
• First aid kit available
• Administration charges/ Tour Leader charges
• GST 5%

 Exclusions:
• Day 02 Lunch (veg/nonveg to be borne by participants as per choice)
• Private orders of Tea, Breakfast, Meals, Cold drinks, Mineral water, etc.
• Personal expenses of any kind.
• Insurance Coverage.
• Medical expenses other than “First aid”.
• Any other charges not mentioned in “Fees Include“.

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Join & invite your friends to our WhatsApp group 
https://chat.whatsapp.com/HPQG9X06uFfJR26UF46qQp

 Things to carry:
• ID proof (must)
• Face Mask (must)
• Hand Sanitizer (must)
• Min. 2 liters water per head
• Ready to eat food (biscuits, plum cake, chips etc.) (optional)
• Bedding (optional)
• Toiletry kit (toothbrush/ toothpaste/ soap/ tissue paper/ towel)
• Good trekking shoes/ any sports shoes
• Extra pair of clothes (Compulsory)
• Energy drink (ex. Glucon D)
• A haversack to put in all the things to be carried. (Please do not bring suitcases or sling bags/ jholas)
• Personal basic medical kit (Containing an antiseptic, few bandages, personal medications if any, Antibiotics for stomach infection)
• Camera (optional)
• Please try to wear track pants and a full sleeve t-shirt
• Please avoid wearing Gold and other ornaments

 COVID -19 Guidelines for Participants:
• Mask is compulsory to join for any events
• Keep at least 1 meter distance during all social and inter personal interactions, trekking
• Avoid Touching frequently touched objects and surfaces with bare hands
• Living with Corona is the new normal. We must learn to take care of ourselves. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves and our Nation safe from Corona. While doing that we must follow our dreams too

***Notes: Please keep in mind that we shall change our policies and procedures based on Government regulations in future. As you know, there can be last-minute announcements and we will have to follow them. However, we shall try to abide by the Government rules keeping in mind the welfare of our trekkers.

 RULES & REGULATIONS:
• Smoking and drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited at the time of event
• No plastic littering
• Wear full sleeves, full tracksuit to avoid mosquito bite or leeches
• Proper footwear/ shoes are essential for trekking
• Conserve and preserve our heritage
• Photographs taken during the activity which can be used for publicity purposes
• Each member will be responsible for his/her own safety, Jewellery, Cash and baggage

 Terms & Conditions:
• We reserves all right to change/deviate/cancel the plans without any prior notice
• No Extra adventure/out of itinerary behavior during trek
• Trek leader’s decision will be final and binding
• TraWell Amigos will not be responsible for injury / accident / death of the participants
• Any damage to the property will be chargeable
• 50% refund in case if you cancel the plan and inform us 7 days before the event day
• No refund if the cancellation request is less than 4 days
• No Show No Refund
• Bookings cannot be transferred to another date nor it will be transferred to another person against cancellation

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Love,
Team TraWell Amigos!