This is a great place to go for a one day trip from either Mumbai or Pune due to the following reasons

• The Location: A plateau with unhindered views on all sides with a view of many other forts and dams
• Drive to the location: Cross all of Lonavala’s famous view points and get to the fort through some wonderful roads OR do some adventurous driving and go through remote backroads from Mulshi
• The Trek: An easy trek of around an hour. It took us a little more with two 3 yr old kids, drink breaks and lot of photo breaks. The trek has it all – open path, an optional shortcut through a dense jungle and a flight of stairs at the end
• The Fort: Though nothing much remains of the fort, the walls of the fort are intact and you can walk on the wall for the entire circumference of around 2 km (we didn’t, though)

How to go to Korigad fort (also known as Koraigad fort) from Pune: Korigad fort is right next to the Aamby valley city and very close to Tung Fort. You have to cross Lonavala and then keep driving towards Aamby valley. The base village for this fort is Peth-Shahpur. If you start early, you can stopover at the various Lonavala points like Bushi Dam, Lions Point and the shivling peak. Lonavala traffic is very bad , at least on the one main road. So, better to go into Lonavala pretty early in the day. See at the bottom of this post for an alternative route/round trip

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Once you drive down the ghat section after the lions point and keep going for another 15-20 minutes, the hill of korigad fort should appear on your left. There is nothing else this tall in this area, so you shouldn’t miss it. There is an open area just below the hill for parking. It is just another open area, but there are touts there who demand money (and give receipts too!) saying that it is the official parking for Korigad fort. They charge Rs.20 for a bike and Rs.50 for a car. I probably could park on the middle of M.G.Road for a cheaper amount!/p>

If you want to save few hundred metres off the trek, then drive on the road to the left (just before the hill) and park near a temple (not sure abt the parking place). A path from this temple directly joins the trail. Along the normal route, you start from the parking lot, go towards the tower and then continue on. The initial path can become very slippery in case of rain and it is the path through the water flows and is very muddy. But, not something to worry about.

The path goes around the back of the hill and then your start climbing. So, the trail is not visible from the road or the parking lot. Once you cross the initial stretch, the path turns a sharp right and you start to go towards the back of the hill parallel to the bottom. After some distance, you start to see small lamp posts. These have been erected by the Sahara group to aid trekkers , as Korigad is a popular night trekking destination. When you see the first such lamp post to your right. you have two options. You can continue straight on which will take you amidst few bungalows and then take a u-turn to go up or you can just start climbing the hill right at the base of the lamp posts. It looks steep, but is not. This short-cut is an enjoyabale 10 min climb through some dense lush growth – almost resembling a rain forest.

Then come the stairs. Initially, they start off pretty ok, but the last stretch is a bit steep. But the last stretch is not too long. Also, there is a viewpoint with a big resting area. Once you cross the stairs and pass through the main darawaza, you are on top of the hill. Once you are on the stairs, you get a good view of the development in Aaamby valley city.

The main darwaza covered in moss (during monsoons) is a great sight.There were also lot of monkeys around this point.

Once on top of the plateau, if you have the interest, you can spend hours enjoying the view on all sides. The fort walls are intact and you can walk all along the wall. The top also has two fresh water ponds (another blogger said that they are good for swimming, though we didn’t try) and couple of temples. There are also many intact cannons on top.

The way down (same as the way going up) was fast and easy and took less than an hour. It also rained when we were coming down and it was fun trying to fit all of us and two kids into the 2 kids umbrellas we carried with us! All of us enjoyed the trek including the kids, as can be seen in this photo (from a photo session) taken after the trek.

There is another route to reach Korigad from Pune. You can either go through this route or make it a round trip by returning on this. But this route is remote and not advisable late into the evening. If you have been to Mulshi or Tamhini Ghat , you would have come to a fork before Mulshi and you would have taken the left. The road on the right goes to Ghusalkhamb, which is actually the base village for Tung fort. If you go to Korigad from Lonavala, you will pass this village before you reach Peth-Shahpur. But, i have read on many forums that the road condition is 50-50, whatever that means! A third route exists, that from beyond Mulshi. After crossing Mulshi and towards Tamhini, there is a road sign to the right marked as Lonavala. This goes through lot of interior roads and reaches Korigad fort and then onto lonavala. I have seen this road being mentioned only on biker forums and the reviews says this unspoilt road is amazing during the monsoons. Drop in a comment if you have been on any of these routes.

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Trek to Lohagad fort near lonavala
2. Trek to Purandar fort – in the rain
3. Trek to Tikona Fort

This peak is on the left of the Lions view point. We first stopped over at Lions point, but it was extremely misty and we couldn’t see anything beyond the cliff’s edges. Btw, these cliffs are infamous for many deaths of adventurous people who wander too close to the edge and fall off into the abyss below. Even if it is misty or cloudy, this peak presents an ominous sight. We didn’t stay long at the view point, as it is a very dirty place and not one where you would want to sit ad enjoy nature.

If you happen to drive a bit ahead, away from maddening crowds and the butta shops, you will see a clearance on the right with magnificent, unpolluted views of the cliff and the valley below. Since there is a gradual slope here (rather than a sharp drop-off at Lions point), you can try a bit of adventurous climbing here.

Next time, if you happen to be in any of the view points on the Lonavala stretch, be a good Samaritan and thrown that leftover butta or the coffee cup into a bin rather than on the ground!

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Lions view point near Lonavala
2. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala
3. Sunset point in Mahabaleshwar

During the monsoons, everywhere you turn, you see waterfalls in Lonavala. Why then a post called “Lonavala Waterfall”. This is the official lonavala waterfall, not just water which falls somewhere! A short climb after the Bushi Dam, you will come across a huge parking lot on the right with lot of shops selling the usual corn, pakodas and chai. From this parking lot, you have walk/trek/scamper down over the rocks to come to this waterfall.

I went to one of the shops and asked the way to the waterfall, as there were no signs. The guy at the shop nonchlantly pointed me towards the edge of the cliff and asked me “walk down there”, “there” –> edge of the cliff where water was falling off. I was not  convinced that this was the way as there was no path there, just random slippery boulders over which water was flowing at a steady speed.  Another shopkeeper also pointed in the same direction.

The rocks are actually not so slippery as they look. But, it was quite an experience to walk over the rocks when the water is also flowing. it would be quite difficult for old people to make it through. Once i reach the bottom, the waterfalls appeared on the right and the stream/river flowed to the left. There were people everywhere, really everywhere. But, it looked like fun. The flow was pretty fast and people enjoyed the mini-rapids. Some were even brave enough to go behind the falls and have a different perspective!

The view of the hills from the falls is amazing. You can frolic in the water and then just relax looking at the view!

Once you have had you fill of the waterfall (no pun intended), you can even go for a camel ride at the parking lot. i have no clue how or why a camel ride fits in here, of all places!

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Waterfall after Tamhini Ghat near Kundalika river
2. Bushi Dam in Lonavala
3. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala

Bushi Dam is located a few kilometres from Lonavala and is a very (very very) popular weekend hangout for Pune’ites. When the Bushi dam overflows, the water flows over a series of steps and then over some easily accessible rocky terrian. The terrain and the water make for a fun combination and this is why Bushi dam gets extremely crowded on weekend. So crowded, that a first time vistor (like me) would be left searching for the “steps” which everyone talks about, only to realise that every inch of the steps have been occupied.

Every open space close to Bushi dam will have a board “Bushi dam parking” and there will be guys literally peeping inside your car and turning your steering wheel towards their parking. Thebest place to park would be beyond the dam (on coming from Lonavala) om the sides of the road. Parking on the road also helps you to get out of the place faster. There are no single/double yellow lines to bother you here.

To reach the dam, you have to wade through knee-deep water (depending on the water level). There are lot of shops selling rubber slippers which are more suited to the water/rocks rather than your expensive fake Nike shoes. But, i noticed that many were well prepared and had worn the worst slippers that they could find at home.

Bushi dam is so commercialized to the extent that there are a few dozen shops in the small area next to the dam selling anything from corn and pakodas to chai. You can relax on the steps and order them and they will be delivered to you right at your doorstep.

Overall, this is a good place to visit if you love getting wet from head-to-toe.

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Lonavala waterfall
2. Drive to Panshet Dam near Khadakwasla
3. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala