For Mumbaikars, work from home triggers an escape to beach town Alibaug

As ferry services increase and remote working becomes the norm, the rural beach town has turned into a sought-after refuge for city slickers from Mumbai and Pune

Restaurateur Gauri Devidayal’s villa in Alibaug has metamorphosed from a weekend home to her preferred headquarters in the last few pandemic months. Instead of being cooped up, her family has been able to run in wide open spaces and luxuriate in a swimming pool. She and her husband, Jay Yousuf, are now managing their food businesses out of the coconut tree-lined beach town, taking the hour-long ferry to Mumbai whenever needed.

To their surprise, services in Alibaug have improved so they don’t miss any urban trappings — fibre-optic internet, direct-to-home television, AC repairs and doorstep deliveries at hand. Currently back in