Guhagar can be visited year round and every season brings a change in landscape, flavours and mood! Read on to know what to expect in different times of the year.
November
This is a month where beautiful sunsets are guaranteed and the humidity starts dipping, especially in the latter half of the month. With the rice harvest wrapping up this month, the landscape slowly starts turning a shade brown, but the tree canopies remain lush green. Due to the lack of cloud cover days can be hot. With Deepavli, there is a fun and festive atmosphere in the air. It is a time of plenty. With the monsoon gone, biggest and freshest fish are generally caught around this time. A very good time for birding as well, with a high chance of spotting hornbills. With the monsoon gone, the sea is finally safe enough to swim in as well. Our river is also safe for kayaking from November onwards. Bring sunscreen, caps, glasses and shorts. You won’t need an umbrella or a sweater this month.
Greenery score: 9/10
Outdoor activity score: 8/10
Culture score: 8/10
December
The busiest month in Guhagar and all over sub-Himalayan India from a travel perspective! Expect low humidity, clear starry skies and clear sunsets. With farming activity mostly completed, an overall relaxed mood lingers in the air the whole month. If you plan to travel during the peak dates post 15th December, be sure to book your stay and travel well in advance. Catch one of the biggest meteor showers of the year around the middle of December. This is also the time when fresh green veggies are abundantly available in the market. Temperatures can drop to below 15 C in the latter half of the month, so do get a light sweater or hoodie as our property gets much cooler than the rest of Guhagar due to the river and forest cover.
Greenery score: 7/10
Outdoor activity score: 9/10
Culture score: 8/10
January
The new year brings in the coldest month of the year. With the landscape drying out, humidity drops even further – days are cool and comfortable while most nights require light jackets. There is still a lot of bird activity, especially in the mornings. Outside of the monsoon, this is the best month of the year to do outdoor treks and trails or cycle and kayak around Raan. The market is full of fresh green veggies and fresh catch from the sea. Travel after 10th Jan if you want to avoid the holiday rush. Around 26th January there are holidays again so make sure to book stay and travel in advance. Sunsets are clear and perfect almost every day this month and the nights are starry.
Greenery score: 6/10
Outdoor activity score: 10/10
Culture score: 6/10
February
Another cool month with low humidity, however with slightly warmer days compared to January. A light jacket is needed for evenings, especially in the first few weeks of February. The market is flooded with fresh green vegetables and some summer fruits such as watermelon start appearing as well. The air is full of different smells as mangoes and cashew trees start flowering. A good month to see birds in the morning. One of the best times of years to spot dolphins in the sea and otters in the mangroves. Almost all outdoor activities can be done, except those in the peak afternoon heat.
Greenery score: 6/10
Outdoor activity score: 9/10
Culture score: 6/10
March
The transition from winter to spring to summer is quite drastic in the Konkan, and that makes March one of the warmest months of the year. Deciduous trees shed their leaves and the landscape starts drying up considerably. Day temperatures can rise up to 38 C on certain days when there is a heatwave and the afternoon sea breeze is delayed. On the plus side, nights are always cool and comfortable as humidity is still very low compared to the summer and monsoon. From a festive perspective, one of the biggest festivals of the Konkan, Shimga, is in this month – expect to see colourful folk art and dances all over Guhagar. This is also the month of our favourite sweet – puranpoli! Turtle hatching begins along the beaches of Guhagar around the end of March.
Greenery score: 5/10
Outdoor activity score: 7/10
Culture score: 10/10
April
The best time of the year to see baby olive ridley turtles hatching from one of the conservancies on the beach! Start your day early and stay out of the sun as April is another warm month, with slightly higher humidity than March but with strong and cool sea breeze in the afternoon. Hydrate yourself with kokam sharbat at our cafe and all the fresh juicy fruits that enter the market in this month. This is also the season of “Olya Kaju” which means fresh cashew nuts – a tasty vegetable is made from them. The sea temperature is now perfect to take swims in as the sea is also very calm. With the grass on the cliffs now dried, most of the hidden cliff spots are now accessible for sunset hikes. The Marathi new year of Gudi Padwa also arrives during the end of March or early April.
Greenery score: 5/10
Outdoor activity score: 6/10
Culture score: 7/10
May
With the sea breeze now active over the entire coast, the month of May is much cooler than March and April. Skies become blue and low moving clouds start dotting the sky, especially during the latter half of the month. This is the season where the king of fruits is in abundance all over the Konkan – the mango, and its most famous variety – Ratnagiri Hapus. While the strong sea breeze will moderate temperatures in the day, the nights tend to be humid. There will be some thunderstorms around the end of May.
Greenery score: 7/10
Outdoor activity score: 7/10
Culture score: 6/10
June
One of the most dramatic months of the year as the monsoon sets in and the landscape transforms from brown to lush and dense green. Thunder and lighting create fascinating skies during the first few weeks, and in the latter half of the month the rains start smashing down. One of the best seasons to do outdoor treks and trails and to visit us at Raan Guhagar begins! Get a windcheater and umbrella when you travel.
Greenery score: 9/10
Outdoor activity score: 9/10
Culture score: 5/10
July
The peak month of monsoon rains! Expect it to rain almost every day of the month. The river and streams across the property start flowing with clear water. The waterfalls all over Guhagar are full of water and you can go on swimming trips and treks on most days. Get a lot of dry fit gear because it’s tough to dry your clothes otherwise given the humidity. Temperatures stay under 30 C even in the day, sometimes not crossing 25 C. A windcheater/poncho and an umbrella is essential to bring.
Greenery score: 10/10
Outdoor activity score: 10/10
Culture score: 5/10
August
Another peak monsoon month, but generally less intense than July. The landscape is at its maximum green now, and the rain comes in short and sharp spells. All the water bodies are full of clear blue water. A perfect month to go swimming in natural ponds, except for a few days when it’s raining very heavily. Around 15th August gets busy so do book in advance on those dates. Just like July, a windcheater and umbrella are absolutely essential.
Greenery score: 10/10
Outdoor activity score: 10/10
Culture score: 6/10
September
Hands down, our favourite month of the year! With the monsoon retreating, the rain is only in a few short sharp spells. The rest of the day is partly cloudy, with blue skies as there is next to no haze in the sky. Due to abundant prey, its a very good month for birding and herping as well. The beaches can now be visited and the tides are less rough than August. Sunsets are cotton candy pink in this month, due to cloudy skies. Waterfall trips can be made on every day in this month. Culturally, this is also the month of the biggest festival of the Konkan – the Ganeshotsav. There is a joyous mood all around and ukadiche modaks made in every household! Do carry a windcheater and umbrella as well for this month,
Greenery score: 10/10
Outdoor activity score: 10/10
Culture score: 10/10
October
The best month of the year if you are a nature enthusiast. Birds such as drongos, kingfishers and hornbills are seen on a daily basis around our property. Water flow recedes but the landscape is still very green. Days can be warm, as this month is infamous for its ‘October Heat’. But what better way to beat the heat than to spend time swimming in different water bodies. A lot of treks and trails that were inaccessible earlier open up now. There is fresh catch available in the sea as boats start going out. This is also a month of festivities with Navratri, Dusshera and Diwali also around the corner.
Greenery score: 10/10
Outdoor activity score: 10/10
Culture score: 9/10