1. The most peaceful of the sights is the weathered fortress on the shores of the sea in the town of Malvan. There are limited places to stay, but the destination ensures that you can stay clear of crowds.
2. Sawantwadi works well as a hub to visit places like Amboli and the Nagartas waterfalls. The monsoons are no more looked upon as a daunting season to travel. With some amount of attention to the leeches, enjoy the relentless rain from a balcony and enjoy a good book in Sawantwadi.
3. The ‘Dashavtaar’ art form of Sindhudurg is famous for its ritualistic dance and drama style. During festive occasions, the temples host shows for the locals and travellers. This 11^th century art form is a great opportunity to get connected with traditions.
4. Kunkeshwar Temple – The temple was built in 1100 A.D and was frequently visited by the famous warrior, Shivaji. For those who are not looking for a spiritual connect, Kunkeshwar is also famous for coconut, palm and mango plantations and a variety of seafood.
5. Tarkarli – The search for an isolated beach, unhindered by touristy crowds is finally over. Enjoy this narrow beach stretch with some great Konkani food and options to tent on the sandy stretches.
6. Shiroda Beach – Sparkling blue water and a destination that is replete with nature & wildlife, this beach is great for those who have a sense of adventure. The salt deposits and the Cajurina plantations are a delight for travellers here.
7. Karvi – Karvi is a small village in the Amboli range of mountains which is famous for a type of flower that blooms once in seven years. A short hike is the best way to go searching for these flowers. Ensure that you have a local with you!
8. Hiranykeshi – A place dedicated to Lord Shiva, Hiranykeshi is great to go during Shivaratri when pilgrims come from far away to pay homage to the temple here. The colourful festival is great for photo-opportunities.
9. Dhamapur Lake – Spread over 5 acres, the Dhamapur Lake is situated on the Western part of the district. Many local tourists visit here for the lure of a peaceful destination with some fun activities like boating.
10. Moti Lake – Sawantwadi town has yet another attraction amidst the green landscape – Moti or ‘Pearl’ Lake. This looks brilliant by the night.

So if you are looking for a peaceful holiday away from the rush in Mumbai, the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra offers a variety of places, the most relaxing being the unassuming beaches.

This guest post was written by Mahindra Homestays, who have a range of homestay accommodations throughout India and run the popular India Travel Blog. They have a collection of Sindhudurg homestays.

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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…

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1. Introducing the “Pune Travel Forum”
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3. New Year Weekend Trip to Daman

First a lesson in Geography! When we started research on places to go for the new year weekend, one of my friends suggested Daman & Diu, which was immediately lapped up by all as a visit to an Union Territory seemed as exotic as Kilimanjaro for all of us And so began the process of finding out the details. A simple google search gave the usual suspects – Daman Fort (moti and nani), Diu fort and some gardens. Next, we moved to Google maps to plan the exact itinerary based on the distances. Having zoomed on to the forts in Daman, i next typed in Diu fort. I was in for a shock. the maps applications zoomed out and kep on scrolling westwards and over the sea (and lots of sea!) and finally zommed into the Diu fort. I kind of blamed it on google. It was then i realized that Daman & Diu, though being a single entity in terms of a UT are hundreds of kilometres apart – 600 kms apart by road and around 300 by sea! If you already knew this, be proud. If not, be happy that you learnt something new

Where is Daman and how to go there? Daman is to the north of Mumbai and it would take (approx) 3 hrs from Mumbai and around 7-9 hrs (depending on how much you get stuck in Mumbai traffic) from Pune.

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Beaches in Daman: There are two beaches in Daman, Devka beach and Jampore beach. An amusement park is also there at Devka beach, but we found that most of the play-area items were broken or in a condition that you wouldn’t want your kids to go near them. We went to Devka beach a little after noon and the water had receded a long way. This was the first time i had ever seen the effect of tides. I had never seen a low tide before. Devka beach is a very rocky beach and not considered safe for swimming or wandering into, particularly during high tide.

Jampore beach is a much better option. A very clean beach with soft sand, Jampore beach also has many sporty things to do. We went there early in the morning and the light was just beautiful. The water was still coming in slowly and it was amazing to watch this.

Mirasol lake garden, a few minutes drive from Devka beach, is a nice place to spend the evening with family and kids. There is also the Mirasol water park next to it. The lake garden is an artificial one with all the elements of so-called paradise – a lake, many bridges on it, boating and even a swan boat! There is also a toy train going around the garden.

Daman is split into two by the Daman Ganga river- Moti Daman (big) and Nani Daman (Small), though Nani Daman is much bigger than the moti one! Moti Daman is entirely inside a fort, a beautiful one. Driving inside the fort is like driving inside a movie set. The portugese influence is very visible in the architecture in the dwellings inside the fort. Driving on the narrow road outside the fort will take you to the lighthouse. We went a bit late in the night, otherwise, you can climb up the light-house for a wonderful view of Daman. Jampore beach is close to Moti Daman. Both the sides are connected by a bride. You can also take a boat ride from one side to another.

The pier/sea front on the Nani side is beautiful. The main highlight is the fort of Nani Daman right next to the river bank. The church of Our Lady of the sea is the main building inside the fort.

The boats anchored on the river banks change position based on the tide. When we were there (around evening), it was low-tide and all the boats appeared beached on the river bank.

There are many sandbars which get exposed during low tide and you can take boat-trips to each of them. Depending on the distance you want to travel and also whether you want to get down on the sandbars (more time), the price ranges from INR 20 to around INR 50 per person. We just went for a short 15 min ride into the sea. The evening breeze was awesome and we also got good wide-angle views of both Moti and nani Daman

and of course, the last sunset of 2010 on the Arabian Coast. This should also go down as my first encounter with the Arabian sea as i don’t remember anything from my only prior trip to Mumbai (when i was in 2nd class!)

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1. The year 2011, in travel

Ramdara Temple is an old temple with idols of many deities. The main shrine is that of Shiva, but the statue is famous for the idols of Ram, Lakshman and Sita. Next to the temple is also an ashram of Shri Devipuri Maharaj also known as Dhundi baba. The temple also has am impressive Nandi. There is a small pond next to the temple. The location of the temple along with the abundance of trees in the vicinity makes this place very calm and beautiful.

How to go to Ramdara Temple from Pune (Magarpatta): Ramdara temple is around 20 kms from magarpatta city. Go on the Solapur Highway (towards Solapur), cross Hadapsar, proceed towards Manjiri. Once you cross the toll gate, you will cross a bridge. Just after the bridge, you should see two boards (on the left of the road) pointing to the right, one having “Loni Kalbhor” and the other “Ramdara Mandir”. Take this turn, proceed into the village for around half a km, take the first right in the chowk and this road goes directly to the temple (and nowhere else!). The landscape changes a lot within this 7 km and the latter part is kms of emptiness on either side of the road. You don’t see temple until the last minute as it is hidden within few hills and the last turn will take you to a big parking lot covered by trees.

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The temple as such is very colourful and the right light will make it enjoyable to take photographs. The trees in the area (as there are no other trees in the vicinity) attract lot of birds. On the whole, a relaxed drive to a beautiful place.

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1. Balaji Temple at Narayanpur Village
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How to go to Harihareshwar from Pune: Harihareshwar is around 190 kms from Pune. Irrespective of whether you are staying at Diveagar or Shrivardhan or harihareshwar itself, the easiest route to take would be through Tamhini Ghats, then Mangaon on the goa highway, then the road to Mhasala (it is called as Masla and not as masala as we were referring to, when asking for directions!) and then onwards to Diveagar (turn right at a fork) or Harihareshwar (turn left). The stretch from the goa highway down to the coast is also a ghat section and pretty remote. So avoid a late night trip on that.

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I had heard a lot about the pradakshina marg and was more interested in that rather than the temple. So, the religious/tired among us decided to stay back at the temple and the rest went on this tour around the temple. The steps start right behind the temple. Check with anyone around the temple about the conditions of the tide as it is quite dangerous to go on this train during high tide. The trail starts off with around 60 steps – 60 long steps and then you have to climb down around 140 narrow steps (a beautiful cut in the cliffs) down to the sea.

We were there at the wrong time of the day, just after noon and hence it was not good both in terms of energy as well as good photography. Otherwise, the 60 steps are not much of a hassle and they offer great views of the harihareshwar beach. The coastal rock formation just at the bottom of the stairs are amazing. We had to pull ourselves out of the place ( as we had a long drive back to Pune) , otherwise we would have spent the entire evening monkeying around on the rocks. Also, my research about the pradakshina marg was incomplete. I thought that it would be from within the temple and photography would not be permitted. So, i left my SLR back in the car and took along a compact camera, which doesnt work that well in such conditions.

As you go around the cliffs, you see lot of interesting sea caves. The waves were quite strong and the splashing of the waves against the rocks was wonderful to look at. I definitely want to go back in the monsoons and see how bad/beautiful the conditions are here. The whole Pradakshina should take around 30 mins with minimal stops and comes back in front of the temple on the beach. If you do visit the temple, don’t forget to go on this trail

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Karde beach is a non-descript beach to the north of Dapoli. If you are looking for a nice, clean beach without the maddening crowds, then this is a good option. The waters are calm, the sand clean and the beach is quite long too. You can do parasailing/ATV in the evenings and boat rides for dolphin watching are available in the mornings.

How to go to Karde Beach from Pune (from Magarpatta): Cross the ghats either through Tamhini, Varandha or Mahabaleshwar, reach NH17, cross it, drive to Dapoli. Karde is around 9 kms north of it. More Details: Check the map below. There are multiple ways of reaching Dapoli. There are shorter internal routes once you cross NH 17 (Goa highway), but many are pretty deserted and it would be difficult to get any help if needed. So, it is better to stick to NH17-> Khed -> Dapoli -> Karde, rather than try to reach Karde through Mandangad. Regd crossing the ghats, your choice depends on multiple factors like familiarity/time available and interest. Pune to NH17 through Varandha is the fastest. Both Varandha and Tamhini are very scenic in the monsoon, but varandha is more deserted. If you are travelling in the late evening, go for the Mahabaleshwar route, though the descend into NH17 through the Poladpur Ghat is a bit tedious and long (again, very scenic in the proper season). The last 2 kms from Dapoli to Karde are through kuchcha road and the vehicle can take quite a beating, but there is a ST bus on this route too!

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On the konkan side, it is fanciful to name hotels such as beach-side, on-the-beach, sea-view etc, but more often than not, the sea view is from the terrace on the 4th floor! But, in Karde, every hotel is on the beach because, they cannot be anywhere else. There is one kuchcha road passing next to the beach and this is the only road in this area. So, all hotels are right there. The arrow in the image below shows the hotel where we stayed –> Hotel Seaface, 1000 bucks a night with a great balcony facing the sea.

We went to the beach in the evening as well as in the morning. It was a cloudy day so the golden light during dawn/dusk was absent. But it was fun with Akshara bravely (bravely, because she had refused on all the previous trips to the beach) getting into the water and playing with Hari.

But then, we had come here with a purpose, a holy purpose! Our first attempt at getting the kids to immerse the Ganesha was washed away, literally, by a wave! Then, a small search for the missing Ganesha was done and we found him, wet but still in one piece. Then Vidhya went a bit further inside and did the holy immersion.

Places to see near Karde: If you go a little to the north, you will reach the fishing village of Harnai. This place is famous for the fish auction which happens twice a day. Also, there are three forts/structures next to each other worth a visit along with the suvarnadurga island fort.

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Driving further north will take you to Anjarle. The Anjarle Ganesh temple is noteworthy for the Ganesha idol with the trunk turned the other way. There is a long bridge connecting Harnai and Anjarle which makes for a good viewpoint. To avoid going through the extremely narrow streets of Anjarle, you can take the bypass (MSH4 – scroll a bit in the map below). The views of the coast are amazing from this road.

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A heavenly place for both the young and the aged alike. While the young go about enjoying the scenery, the aged can relax in the serenity of the temple. It is not often that you can find a quiet and clean temple, but this is definitely one. This temple at Hadshi temple is run by the Sathya Sai trust and has idols of Pandurang (Krishna) and both the Sai Babas. They also do all the aartis like the ones at Shirdi Temple.

I saw a photo of this temple on a blog. One look at the photo and the location convinced me to go there and i wasn’t disappointed. I have been there twice already. On one occasion, it was pouring like crazy and the other time, it was a sunny dry monsoon day. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a place to take visitors out for a drive.

How to go to Hadshi Temple from Pune: Google Maps doesn’t recognise either Hadshi or Hadshi Temple. You have to go to Chandni Chowk, then Pirangut, then Paud –> In the direction of tamhini/Mulshi. In Paud, take the right turn just after the Bus Stand. After this. keep going straight towards Pavana Dam/Tikona, then you will start seeing signboards. At a fork after around 15 kms, the road to the left will be marked with an arch saying Hadshi Temple. You have to be really talented to miss this. Then, the narrow road climbs up a small hill to the parking lot of the temple.

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The first floor of the temple has the Pandurang Shrine while the ground floor has both the Sai Babas. The late sathya Sai baba visited this place in 2009 (surprising that i didn’t read about this in any newspaper) and the photos on the wall show thousands of followers on the lawns of the temple listening to discourses.

An added attraction is the good canteen. They had poha, sabudana kichdi, pakodas, bhel and lots more. Btw, learnt from my second trip that the hot pakodas are made only on Sundays! So, for those not religiously inclined, drop the ones who are so at the front steps and make your way to the canteen.

We had also packed lunch and had it just on the way down the hill close to a stream. It was a lovely evening with the sun playing hide-and-seek with the clouds. Then, we drove all the way to Pavna dam to see Tung Fort and the backwaters and then we retraced the same way back to Pune. If you have a few hours and need a place to go, this would make an excellent destination.

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Tamhini Ghat is the name which most people recollect if you were to ask for the best place to drive through for watching waterfalls during the monsoon. But this is mostly because of the famous mulshi dam in its vicinity. Not many are aware of Varandha ghat. A mention of this ghat usually is accompanied by comments like “not a place to go alone”, “lonely” etc. This is what makes Varandha ghat such a wonderful place to go to.

There are lot of waterfalls in tamhini, but most of them are hidden within the thick forests on the sides of the road. In Varandha, the volume of water flow in the waterfalls are much higher. The kids along with us kept referring to them as “Milk Shake waterfalls with the dirtier ones becoming the chocolate shake waterfalls! They are also easily accessible with dozens of big ones just on the road. It was difficult to keep an eye on the road while driving with every turn bringing another waterfall into view.

How to go to Varandha Ghat from Pune: Go to Nh4 and towards the kapurhol crossing. When going from Pune, you would see the left turn for the road to Narayanpur Balaji Temple. Just 10-20 metres ahead, a small road goes to the right. You can easily miss this, so watch out for the exit after you come to the Narayanpur road. This is the road to Bhor. This is a narrow road which goes through Bhor Ghat and then a long flat section and then climbs into Varandha Ghat. If you cross Varandha ghat and get down on the other side, you would touch NH17, the Goa highway. The third point marked in the map below is the main view point.

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Some points about the drive through Varandha Ghat

• Going from NH4, the last civilization is at Bhor. After that it is around 40-50 kms of wilderness. It is better to go in more than 1 vehicle as a puncture will leave you totally stranded.
• There is no network coverage for most of the distance on the ghat. We were travelling 4 cars. One of them had gone a bit ahead while we were at a waterfall. The next time we could establish contact was at Bhor after 30 kms.
• The road is narrow, though in a better condition as compared to Tamhini w.r.t potholes. But the sides of the road are jagged and you have to be careful if you go too close to the edge of the tarred section

Though there are dozens of points along the way to consume your entire time, the main view point is the Waghjai Mata mandir, where you will find many tea shops. The view (when there is no mist) is incomparable. You can see waterfalls as far as your eye can see. There is a huge valley and on the other side, there are steep cliffs. There are two huge waterfalls visible to the north east corner (as you see from the road). These are worthy enough to be named (i am sure that americans would have done so!). It was also extremely windy at this point because of the surrounding valleys. The swaying of the grass due to the wind was a sight to behold. Watch the video below. Nature at her best!

We spent a lot of time close to this view point, not exactly close to the tea shops, but just before the u-turn at the end. We came to Varandha from Nh17 and just as we turned, the whole vista spread out before us.

if you have the time and interest, you can do a round trip from Pune – go through either Tamhini or varandha ghat and come back the other way. We went through Tamhini and came back through Varandha. It takes a toll on your body and vehicle, but it is worth it

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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.

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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!

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