Then, we went to Pataleshwar Cave Temple and Ayappan hill temple near Dehu Road. These two were on the radar for quite some time as we had passed these two temples en-route to many other places.

The first big trip of 2011 was a weekend trip to Murud. This set a nice precedent for 2 more trips to the Konkan region over the year. The murud trip had many beach visits including Murud beach, Kashid beach, Aakshi beach and the imposing Janjira sea fort (post pending!).

The next Konkan trip happened soon after, with a 3 day trip to Diveagar and Harihareshwar. The Diveagar beach is one of the best on the coast (among the one closer to Mumbai/Pune) and the coastal drive from Diveagar to Shrivardhan is too beautiful to be described!

In March, i went on a trek to Tikona fort along with colleagues. We started pretty early in the morning and it was a good decision as it got very hot by around 10. The trek to tikona fort is moderate, but offers wonderful views of the surrounding areas including Lohagad fort and Pavana Dam. Also, the final ascent on the stairs is wonderful.

Then, we had a get-together of friends at Splendour Country club. This was my second visit to the place (post pending!) and it is quite a mixed bag. The condition/cleanliness of the infinity pool depends on your luck, but the location is awesome.

There was a weekend when Vidhya and Akshara were out of town. So, i went on a local sightseeing trip to places which Vidhya might not come along. I went to Shinde Chhatri – architecturally good , bur was undergoing renovation, a butterfly park about which the lesser said the better and then to Chaturshringi Hill Temple, a gem of a place within the crowd of the city(posts due!).

Saturday was gone and i went for something more adventurous on the Sunday – a trek to Kalavantin Durg (post due!). This turned out to be most exhausting day of my life. But, not because of the nature of the trek. It is an awesome trek and the final climb on the rock-cut steps (some more than a metre high) is mind-blowing, particularly for the slightly-acrophobic ones like me!

The monsoon had arrived and it was time to go-green! Our first monsoon trip was to the ever-enchanting Neelkanteshwar temple. If you have never been there, make sure you do (not in the summer though). A place straight out of Amar Chitra Katha, you can not only admire the natural beauty of its location, but also learn a lot about indian mythology.

Though very scenic, i try to avoid lonavala and its surroundings during the monsoon as it gets very crowded and insane. A trip to Korigad fort where i had pass through Lonavala reaffirmed my faith in avoiding the place. Korigad fort though was a revelation. Relatively easy to climb and in midst of nature, it was a wonderful trip with friends.

No monsoon is complete without a visit to Tamhini Ghat and thoseghar waterfalls. I have been so many times to these places and yet, i am not tired of them. The visit to tamhini was, as always, combined with a visit to the broken roads of Chalkewadi windmill farms.

Then came a visit a beautiful temple in a beautiful place – hadshi temple. One photo of this temple on some forum convinced me to pay a visit and i wasn’t disappointed and neither have been all the people to whom i have recommended this temple. I have been there twice, once during the monsoon and another time just after – on a clear and sunny day.

We tried yet again on 15th August to go to Raigad fort, but our calculations proved wrong once again with a 3.5 hr wait for the cable car. So, we had to return (for the second time) with just a view of the cable car and the mighty fort beyond the horizon.

But, all was not bad with the trip. We came back through Varandha ghat and we got to see the best of what Varanda is famous for. Outstanding greenery as far as the eye can see and more waterfalls than we could keep count of!

Then finally, in October with some meticulous planning, we were able to see the king of all forts, Raigad fort (post due!). It was worth the wait, as this fort is an exemplary example of the might of the Marathas. The amount of history within the walls of his fort is amazing. We had combined a trip to Raigad with another new destination on the konkan, Karde beach.

End of 2011, beginning of 2012, lots to look forward too. Starting with a trip to Rajasthan, courtesy my company. So, what’s in plan – Malshej Ghat, Bhadandardara, Ganapatipule or Goa, some lesser known temples around Pune, Shivneri fort and more…

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Introducing the “Pune Travel Forum”
2. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala
3. New Year Weekend Trip to Daman

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

Tikona fort, also known as Vitandgad, is one of the easier forts to climb and would be a good introductory, yet interesting trek. The fort is close to Pavana Dam. The fort is on top of a ~3500 foot hill and offers unhindered views of the entire region including the forts of Tung, Lohagad and Visapur.

How to go to Tikona Fort from Pune (Magarpatta): Go towards Swargate, then tilak Road, karve Road and then Paud Road which will take you to Chandni Chowk. Then go in the direction of Mulshi/Tamhini. You will first cross Pirangut (Ghat) and then reach Paud Village. You have to take a right towards Pawna dam in this village. There are signs marked as Tikona/Pavana for this turn. After this, it is one long straight road until you start seeing Pavana dam on your left. Here you will see signboards for Tikona. You have to take a right towards Tikona Peth, the base village. the distance is approx 70 kms and should take you approx 2 hrs to reach there. Other alternate route is through NH4-Kamshet-Pavana-Tikona.

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There are 2 paths to trek up. One starts right behind the houses in Tikona Peth. This is the slightly tougher, but shorter, one and can be avoided if you have newbies in the crowd. To reach the other path, you have to go ahead of the village on the dusty road for around 0.5 km and you will reach a clearly marked parking spot. From this place, a path goes in the direction opposite to the one where you see the fort. It is because this path is a gradual switchback which goes up and turns 180 and then stedily climbs towards the fort.

This is an easy trek because of many factors. One is the presence of a clearly marked trail. The other is the presence of many shelters/small caves after you are halfway up on the trail. Once you go up the initial slope and turn towards the fort, you are on a ledge with valleys on either side. You keep walking on this ledge for quite a while before you reach the base of the hill on which the actual fort resides.

At one point, you will enter a darwaza(gate). There is an overhanging tree next to it. This makes for an excellent photo stop.

Around the halfway point, you will see a shall shrine and also a cave. If you had taken the other path, you would have reached this place. After this, the paths converge. There is also the remnant of a stone grinder, the kind pulled around by animals. From this point, the final (and a little steep) ascent to the top begins.

The final stretch called “Shivaji Trail” has recently been restored and hand railings have been added on the steep sections. The steps are split into 2 sections. There is a viewpoint at the end of the first stretch. If you wander to the sides, you can see small caves which are again good photo spots with Tung Fort in the background.

The stairs are steep, no denying that. Each step is much bigger than a regular step and it is broken at many places. But, the good part is that the entire stretch is in shade and is not more than 15-20 steps. This part would easily be the talking point when you get back home. There are steel ropes attached at the sides to help you climb. Do not hold on to them! if you do, you will get your knuckles scraped against the rough stone walls. Instead, just put your palms on the stone walls for support. Again, a photographically beautiful place. We spent a lot of time in crossing this as everyone wanted photos in all sorts of poses. Check out the video to get a better idea of the difficulty/ease of the stairs.

There is not much of the fort remaining except a few walls and gates here and there. Once you reach the top of the plateau, the view is amazing. It should be pretty cold in the winter months as there is nothing around the plateau and the wind is pretty strong. From here, you get an excellent view of Tung Fort with Pavana dam in the foreground. One can also see Lohagad and Visapur forts from the top.

The way down was much faster and of course, we stopped for more photos on the steps An enjoyable trek with colleagues!

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Trek to Lohagad fort near lonavala
2. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala
3. Trek to Purandar fort – in the rain

Bedse caves would complete the trio of Buddhist caves around Lonavala and Kamshet along with Karla Caves and Bhaja caves. But the bedse caves relatively lesser known to the touristy crowd and gets much lesser visitors than the other two. This was actually a good reason for me to go and visit this place.

How to go to Bedse Caves from Pune (Magarpatta): Take the NH4 towards Mumbai (Don’t go on the expressway). Once you reach Kamshet, take the road going to Pavananagar or Pavana Dam. Keep going on this road for around 7-9 kms until you see a turn to the right marked as “Bedse”. The bad road starts here. For the next 2-3 kms, the road is pretty bad, but some patient driving can get you across. Then you will reach the village of Bedse , which is surprisingly big for its remote location. Park your vehicle here and then walk on a clearly visible trail for around 0.5 km until you see the stairs leading to the top. If you have Google Earth, use this KMZ File to see the exact location. Once you open this in Google Earth, zoom out to see the roads from Kamshet.

I went to this place in early winter. It was still green. Judging by its location and its surroundings, this place should be amazing during the monsoons. But, the last 2.5 kms road would be pretty tough during the rains. The stairs are very properly laid out. The climb is easy and you should reach the top within 20 mins. We did, with so many small kids with us!

There was also the remnant of a huge waterfall just next to the steps. This should be a great sight in the rains. Akshara insisted on climbing herself for quite a distance and the steps were not so huge that it was possible for her to do so.

The actual caves are smaller than Karla or Bhaje, but interesting nevertheless. The unhindered view from the top is good. Also, the side walls of the caves are very conducive for climbing up and displaying your i-originated-from-monkeys skills. Akshara was pretty keen on climbing up the rocks and she actually did a decent job of it!

A good half day trip from Pune. A must-visit during the monsoons for its scenic location and remoteness.

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Karla Caves near Lonavala
2. Bhaja caves near Malavali Village, Lonavala

Karla and Bhaja caves are kind of sister caves, as in most tourists visit both of them in a single day as they are less than 10 kms apart. Karla caves are also of Buddhist origin and look similar to the excavations at Bhaja.

How to go to Karla Caves from Pune: Take the old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH4) from Pune. Around 6 kms before Lonavala, you will come to a junction where right turn will take you to Karla and a left will take you to Bhaje. Few kms from this junction, you will climb up a small hill and come to the official parking at Karla caves.

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Karla caves are actually much bigger than Bhaje, but the presence of a temple outside the cave makes this place extremely crowded and noisy. The place is a deadly combination of piety and pav bhaji with dozens of shops lined all through the way up to the cave. I don’t know whether it is us, the people of India or the government (or Archeological Survey of India) which is to blame for the utter lack of appreciation of places of natural or historical significance. There were large groups of rural and urban party-goers who had parked their vehicles all over the place. One particular group’s actions were to utter disbelief. The men in the group had sat down by the side of the road consuming alcohol, the women were cooking on a makeshift open-air kitchen and the kids were happily defecating in the open, all within a few metres of the so-called ASI office. If you dislike all this, skip Karla and go over to Bhaje. Otherwise, the climb is good, especially in the monsoon. it is moderate climb for around 20 minutes and if you take pav-bhaji/cool drink breaks, you won’t be even realize the climb.

Photographically, the place is beautiful with many small openings in the rocks to give you that perfect light, especially in the evenings. You can climb to the upper level through stairs , also cut on the rocks.

The adventurous can go to the side of the main caves and there is path which goes all the way to the top of the rock. I heard that it is pretty narrow and there may be lot of snakes in the undergrowth. But, i saw lot of guys going on that path. We too went ahead a small distance, but turned back as there were lot of dragonflies and it was difficult to balance on the narrow path while carrying Akshara.

It is a good half-day outing and if you have the energy and time, you can combine it with Bhaje caves.

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Bedse Caves near Kamshet
2. Bhaja caves near Malavali Village, Lonavala
3. Trek to Lohagad fort near lonavala

A beautiful fort in a beautiful location, good roads to the base and an easy climb make Lohagad fort one of the more popular destinations to visit close to Pune. But thankfully, it has survived the commercialisation and the mess that Sinhagad fort has been subjected to. The fort is still in a good condition and relatively clean. Many of the structures on the fort are still intact and climbing the fort would give you the feeling of actually climbing a fort rather than walk on “made in 21st century” concrete steps!

How to go to Lohagad fort from Pune: There are multiple approach routes to go to Lohagad fort, each of them unique in what the route presents.
Though Malvali Village/Bhaja Caves: This is the route taken by all the trekking groups and the one which doesnt need the use of a personal vehicle. Go to lonavala by the local train. Take another local to go to Malvali village. From Malvali village station, it is a walk of around 2 kms to Bhaja village, the base village for Bhaja caves. An upward path (stairs) would take you to Bhaja caves, but if you follow the winding path (wide enough for a car) next to the stairs, it would take you to the village of Lohagadwadi, the base village for Lohagad fort. This route is around 5-7 kms long and would take around 2-2.5 hrs on foot. But, if you have a vehicle, you can drive on this road (unless the rains have been very heavy) and go close (not exactly to) the base village. If you want to drive to Bhaja village, check out the direction in the other post of Bhaja caves.
Through the Mumbai-Pune Expressway: This is the fastest way to reach the base village. Go on the expressway from Pune. When the Sinhagad institute appears on the side of the highway, look out for an exit from the road. This is not very obvious though. Get off the exit, go under the highway and enter into a village. If you are doubtful as to whether this could be the route through the village, then you are on the right track! Once you cross the narrows lanes of the village, take a right onto the main road and travel 5-6 kms until you reach a junction where there are lot of tea shops. if in doubt, ask anyone for the route to Lohagad. if you have Google earth, download this kmz file, this will show you the route from the village to the junction. At this junction, take left to go to the base village.
Through Pavna Dam and Dudhiware Khind: This is the route i took when i went to Lohagad. I returned through the 2nd option(highway). This was one of the greenest routes i have ever driven on. Pavna dam and Tung fort in the background (separate post) were a sight to behold. Go to Chandi Chowk. Then cross Pirangut. Once you reach Paud, you will see a junction. On this junction, turn right towards Pavana dam or ask anyone in Paud for directions to Pavna dam. This is one straight road and you cannot get lost. You will drive through pristine villages and there is greenery all around (during monsoons!). The climb down to Pavna dam is awesome. Once you cross Pavna dam, you will come to a T-junction. Taking the right will take you back to Kamshet and Nh4. Take the left and climb up towards Lohagad. On this road, you will cross Dudhiware Khind, a pass cut through the mountains. It is eerie as well as amazing to drive through this pass, particularly when it rains. Given below is a snapshot of the route i took.

The climb to the top of the fort should take around 20-25 minutes without any photo-stop. But, you just cannot pass by such scenery without stopping. So, allow anywhere from 45mins – 1 hr to reach the top. There are steps for most of the way, but they are of stone and pretty big and sometimes uneven. But, this is what adds to the fun. Also, during the rainy season, water flows on the steps making them a bit slippery.

The adjoining Visapur fort is visible for most part of the climb. There are panoromic views at many points on the way up. You get to see the pavna dam backwaters and even the tung fort at many places.

Akshara enjoyed the walk up as it was also slightly drizzling throughout. Only concern was her constant wish to go/see “keezha” (downwards). She wasn’t ready to move from many viewpoints until she got a first-hand look of what was below!

The top of the fort is quite expansive and offers uninterrupted views in all directions. The highlight of Lohagad is its Vinchukata fortification (resembling a scorpion’s tail). This structure juts out from the main section of the fort and requires an additional 15-20 mins of walking to reach the edge. We didnt go for this as were pressed for time, but you can see in the last-but-one pic below (taken from the bottom), people walking on a narrow ledge towards this structure. The last pic is from google earth showing this feature (the shaded region)

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala
2. Trek to Tikona Fort
3. Trek to Purandar fort – in the rain

Lions view point was easily the best part of my lonavala trip. The moment you reach the edge of the cliff after walking across the road, you just cannot avoid saying “wow!”. The view is majestic and panoramic. You would see dozens of small waterfalls all over the place with one waterfall pretty prominent in the view. If you know what the waterfall which appears in the middle of the pictures above and below ( and know the way to reach it), do leave a comment.

The wind is extremely strong at this place and it was quite thrilling to see many adventurous (or some may say foolhardy) people get close to the edge to get “that” living-on-the-edge photograph! On the left , you see a conical hill, which i came to know was referred to as the shiv-ling. Lions view point is a must-visit on a trip to lonavala.

Similar Places Around Pune:

1. Shivling peak near Lions Point, Lonavala
2. Lonavala waterfall
3. Trek to Korigad Fort near Aamby valley, Lonavala

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