You wouldn't curse your fate if you were marooned on a group of spectacular islands off Karwar, for they are your dream come true. Your own cloistered island for settling down with all those unread tomes or simply lolling around. Not that sitting around is on the cards here. For within the waters surrounding these pristine islands are the tourist attractions swaying coral reefs, Seargent Major and Damsel fish.
As you approach Devbagh and Kurumgad in a motorboat surrounded by a panoramic expanse of the blue sea and ivory sands, you may regret not asking your boss for more holiday time.
You're in the mood even as you enter Karwar by road. The stretch downhill winds through the ghats with the sea on your left and hillocks on your right, past the small port office and the fishing boats. Just as you complete the curve and the road straightens out, it's time to turn right into Subhas Circle, the town?s busiest centre, a stone's throw away from the bus stand. Here you can take the local bus or flag down an autorickshaw, 3 km away to the jetty, where you catch your boat to your particular island.
The mainland, Karwar, is a quiet town south of Goa, enveloped by hill ranges and the Arabian Sea that came under the international tourist spotlight barely a decade ago because of two shining jewels, Devbagh and Kurumgad, that beckon the adventure-lover. These islands are in a true sense the perfect romantic getaway for the post-modern tourist who is ecologically aware.