And as for the cuisine all we can say is welcome to gourmand land!

Leave your nutrition regime behind and know that in Sindhudurg you will surely eat like a King. So gear yourself up well, for the women of Sindhudurg prepare the most delicious fare in a jiffy. Though you may find it spicy at times, the rich aromas of freshly ground coconut and masalas that permeate from the Malvani kitchens will drive you to become a carefree 'foodie' in no time.

Fish and meat extravaganza
Seafood whether crab, prawns, or the local bangda (Kingfish) is always a fresh catch. Chicken vade saguti is also a local favorite, where succulent pieces of chicken is marinated in freshly prepared masalas for hours and dunked into a gravy and is eaten with vade, a thick puri or bread equivalent.

Vegetarian fare with a natural difference
Traditionally, in most homes vegetarian food is eaten on Mondays and Thursdays, so veggie lovers will never go hungry as most vegetables are farm fresh and are delicately spiced, thus bringing to the fore the natural flavor and crispness of the vegetables.

A must-have beverage
'Sol kaddi' a coconut cream based digestive made with 'kokum' a locally grown tangy berry is a quintessential part of every meal, as it neutralizes all the spices and digestive churning that you may experience after a hearty meal.
The Kokum fruit extract, when combined with sugar and then diluted in water or soda (sparkling water) is also used as a cooling and refreshing drink especially in summer.

Fruits and berries
Although summers are hot, it is the best season for alphonso mangoes, the King of Mangoes which are grown in abundance especially in the northern Devgad region of Sindhudurg. It's also a wonderful time to relish fresh cashews, love apples, jackfruit, pineapple and other local fruits and berries such as karonda, awla, kokum amongst plenty of other locally grown fruits.

Special requests at our homes
In Sindhudurg, the lady of the home has a reputation that precedes her. As part of an eclectic culinary tradition, the ladies in Sindhudurg ensure that every taste bud on your palate is satisfied. So if you have any special requests, preferences or in certain cases allergies to spices or any other food ingredient, once expressed it would be taken very seriously without a fuss or complaint in the Malvani kitchen.

Eating out
Sindhudurg is dotted with tiny simple eateries or 'Khanawals' in the local language, seen along highways or in small towns or by the wayside which serve a traditional 'Thali' or a set meal in vegetarian and meat options. These meals are always freshly prepared, so you can be assured of delicious authentic local fare at amazingly affordable prices. A local would be able to guide you easily to the better restaurants in the local area. Our recommendation however, when in Malvan town is to definitely tuck into a meal at Chaitanya hotel on one of the main Malvan market roads. They have several options of the 'Thali' meal and have delicious varieties of fish, chicken and special vegetarian on their menu card.

In-between munchies
For in-between snack meals, there is not too much of freshly prepared food stuff on offer except for the famous kanda bhajji-pav (batter fried onion pakoras or dumplings with typical white bread ) or vada-pav ( batter-fried potato cutlets with typical white bread) and 'chai' ( the quintessential masala Indian tea) prepared fresh on small carts in the afternoons. If you are on a long excursion it is a good idea to buy fruits and packaged finger food, which are available in local shops also termed ironically as 'bakeries'.

Keep yourself well hydrated
Branded mineral water, bottled or tetra packed aerated and non-alcoholic beverages are freely available as well all across Sindhudurg. The local favorite thirst quenchers are lemon-soda and 'kokum-soda' made from the tangy berry called Kokum. These are safe and very refreshing.

In high spirits
There are a few wine and alcohol shops in the bigger towns but one would need to really hunt for them in smaller places where locally prepared often adulterated spirits are more commonly consumed. If you wish to go out and sit in a small café or pub for a drink you will be sorely disappointed as there are no credible options at all.