Travel Thrills

One Tree Hill Night Trek Notes, Matheran

2015-06-13T02:46:00.000-07:00

People tend to have a gap year from work/ studies. I had a gap year of a different kind. It was from treks and 2014 was one such year. So, I was pretty excited for the first trek of 2015 and also a trek after a very long time. A night trek to 'One Tree Hill Point' at Matheran was planned, leaving 23^rd January’15 evening and returning back by 24^th January’15 evening. The hill station, Matheran is at situated at a height of about 800 meters above sea level and is located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra state of the Western Ghats range. The word 'Matheran' means 'Forest on the forehead' of mountains. The close proximity to Mumbai and Pune makes it one of the most popular spots for a weekend getaway. Matheran is an eco-sensitive region and it is Asia's only 'Automobile-free' hill station. 'One Tree Hill' as the name suggests is just one of the 38 points that one can cover in Matheran and funnily, its named after a small cliff that has just one tree on top of it. Talk about naming someplace literally!

The gang at Karjat station

I came to know of this trek through a common friend who could not make it and I decided to join the group for this trek. Planned by Salman, there were 8 of us including me on this trek. The group assembled at CST station to catch the 7.55pm fast train to Karjat. Since the train travels on the central line, Kurla station being closest to my place, I decided to hop on from there rather than meeting everyone at CST. Coordinating I did get onto the same coach, but due to the rush hour, I could not meet the group until the crowd thinned past ‘Dombivali’ station. The usual pleasantries and we reached ‘Karjat’ railway station at 9.30pm. Couple of people; Adesh and Apoorva were biking it down directly to Karjat from Panvel and were running late and finally did arrive by 10.50pm. Since, there were no vehicles available, Salman coordinated with the nearest wine shop dealer to arrange 2 rickshaws to drop us off till the base village ‘Ambewadi’. The rickshaws agreed to only drop us off till ‘Boargaon’; 3kms prior to ‘Ambewadi’. Departing Karjat at 11.15pm, we proceeded on a 45mins ride to ‘Boargaon’.

Start of our trek

3kms isn’t much for the rickshaw to drop us off considering they were headed back to Karjat town, nevertheless, we did have to walk down the cemented road. There were couple of poultry farms en route and the stench of a cramped up coop was unmistakable. We were equipped with just a rough directional map suggesting the route to be taken to reach the base village and after a while, we were quite skeptical whether we were on the correct path considering that the only company we did have apart from us was village dogs barking in the distance and no passersby to confirm. Initially, it is always quite tough to walk down a dark road, but the eyes accustom to the darkness and it’s quite simple. It was very pleasant as well walking under starry skies that have an eerie mix of calmness and a continuous blanket of silence. A 200 metre detour and quick team meeting suggested we had to continue down the original road till the base village to actually start our trek to ‘One tree hill’. The village fresh water well is the last source of water if one does wish to refill their bottles.

The team meeting discussing our route

Once you arrive at the village fresh water well, there are two paths; one that goes to the left and the other that goes to the right. The path to the left needs to be taken since the path to the right leads into the village. It is a very gradual and easy climb and bodes well for beginners. Doesn’t tire one out easily, but again we were on a night trek; heat wasn’t a factor for us. One of the village dogs and her pup followed us on the trail and we assumed that they would let go the moment we passed the village perimeter. But, the passion for a trek hit them too on this clear starry night and they decided to accompany us as well. The pup was quite energetic at first, but the gradient was a bit tough even for her. There was one tricky rocky patch that comes in between that we passed around 2.45am. I cradled the pup in my arms as we climbed this patch. The pup dozed off in my arms with my body warmth providing comfort from the chilly winter weather.

Pup sleeping whist we trek :)

Post that patch, we decided on pitching our tents and camping for the night because we were running quite late and would have reached the summit only by 5-5.30am and would not have had time to set up barbeque and eventually sleep. So, at about 3.30am we started on pitching our tents and setting up the fire for the barbeque.

BBQ being set up :)

Jyotsna, Nivedita and Manish were the vegetarians and were busy assembling their stuff. Adesh and Salman were collecting the stones, firewood and dry hay for the fire and Amey was being assisted by me in setting up the tents. Amey had a 5 person tent and Salman had a 3 person tent. I carried my 2 person tent, but wasn't required since these two tents were more than enough. Salman carried the marinated chicken as well as coal for the BBQ. It took us about half hour setting it up and everyone settled in. Considering it was a night trek, the mandatory ghost stories formed a feature though it was not received well by the girls. Being two days post the new moon night, moonlight wasn’t much of a feature on this night, but the innumerable stars provided quite a spectacle. The climate was quite pleasant with the occasional wind providing the chills.

BBQ :)

BBQ in full glory

Dawn was setting in at around 6.15am with devotional songs being played in the villages below. We noticed a group of villagers trekking towards Matheran town for their daily work schedule either as guides, horse ride jockeys, street food/ chaat dish sellers, small general store owners, helpers at small eatery joints, etc. Deciding that the time was right, we decided to call it a night or rightly, morning and slept off. Lots of village passersby were quite intrigued by the campsite and we could hear loud whispers and giggles as they kept peeping into our tents passing by. The wind was quite strong and it was quite difficult to catch a wink with the added screeches and screams of the monkeys and ‘langurs’ who had woken up. The pup had woken up and fearing that the monkeys could harm her, we pulled her into our tent and zipped it up. Initially, he was quite comfortable, but after a while, we had to let him out as he started getting restless without his mum.

My Moto E capturing the moment :)

One Tree Hill :D

We woke up by 11.45am and quickly wrapping things up at our campsite, we proceeded to finish our trek. One must ensure not to litter the place and carry the garbage/ waste products till one finds a dustbin. Just before the summit, we noticed a village couple heading back to the village and they informed us that the summit was just 15mins away. The final climb was quite demanding with the heat hitting down our backs. We reached the summit at about 2pm. The views of the valley are truly stunning through the final patch till the summit. The path to climb this small cliff with the tree is possible, but very very tricky.

Salman leading the way through the forest :)

Me doing the Usain Bolt pose ;)

Amey pointing the summit :)

Apoorva ecstatic

Manish pumped

The tricky path to climb this cliff is visible from base of the tree leading downwards

Salman suggested that we have lunch at ‘Shabbir Bhai’s’ which is considered one of the best biryani joints in the area and quite famous. Located bang in the centre of the market place in a small bylane, the restaurant cannot be viewed from the main market lane and one would need to enquire to locate the place. But, it’s a must visit the next time one does visit Matheran. It has a decent range of vegetarian cuisine as well. The restaurant is at a distance of 5kms from ‘One Tree Hill’ point and we reached the place by 3.30pm. Being an automobile free hill station, the only modes of transport in Matheran are walking, horse ride or one of those trolleys pulled by a person. Walking is the best mode as one gets to soak in the sights and the sounds and there is no time constraint, though one must keep all valuables and eatery items safely tucked away considering the population of monkeys that reside all over this region.

Walking the streets of Matheran :)

We had decided beforehand that our descent would be from the normal road route to enter Matheran that would drop us off at ‘Neral’ railway station. Share cabs from the main gate to Neral are available in plenty. 5 people in one ‘Omni’ van and it’s a 20-25mins downhill cab ride covering 14kms to the station. There is a toy train also available, but that would take about 2-3 hours to cover a distance of 21kms and with the time constraint, we decided to take a cab instead. Toy train isn’t functional during the monsoons for risk of landslides. But, the walk/ part trek up of 21kms by the tracks from ‘Neral’ station in the monsoons is quite special with greenery and spectacular views keeping you captivated. I have done this trek and would suggest it if you have the time on you. Upon reaching Neral station, we all caught the 7.58pm fast local to CST. A wonderful night trek camping under the stars can definitely be termed ‘a night well spent’.

Matheran Railway No. 740 preserved in the UK at Railworld in Peterborough

The engine used presently :)

The toy train was commissioned in 1901 and operational for the public since 1907. The start and end point for the toy train is from 'Neral' station and not from 'Karjat' station. Neral is one station prior to Karjat. The slow ride gives one a lots of picturesque views of the region and opportunity to take a lot of good pictures and to observe nature in full glory as it snakes its way through the forest. The occasional hoot of the engine reverberates through the region announcing its passage signifying glory and victory. Families of monkeys scurry up and down trees and some energetic ones run alongside the train hoping to snatch food carelessly minded by the passengers.

Post trek at Neral station :)

Pup enjoying the view with Nivedita :)

Adesh and Jyotsna

The rough trek route that we took from Karjat station to the summit :)

Costing per head:

· Train ride from Kurla to Karjat and return – Rs. 50.00

· Rickshaw ride from Karjat station to Boregaon – Rs. 300.00

· Lunch at ShabbirBhai’s; Matheran – Rs. 160.00

· Cab ride from Matheran gate to Neral station – Rs. 70.00

· Marinated chicken for BBQ – Rs. 100.00

P.S: Some of the pictures in this blog are from my Moto E phone.

Twitter Handles:

Salman - @salmanrangwala

Amey - @ameyjw

Narayanan - @MeanderinTravel

Adventure Lovers - @AdvenLovers

Facebook Profiles:

Adventure Lovers - https://www.facebook.com/Adventureloverss

Adesh - https://www.facebook.com/adesh.karve

Apurva - https://www.facebook.com/apurvachaudhary

Nivedita - https://www.facebook.com/nivedita.kathal

Jyotsna - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008290540847

Manish - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007614522205&fref=ts

Udaipur City Trip Notes - Rajasthan, India

2014-12-04T04:19:00.001-08:00

City of palaces and lakes! Udaipur truly lives up to its name. I also had heard just stories of the place and always dreamt of visiting the place. As luck would have it, a few public holidays aligned and I was getting 5 days off from work from 2^nd Oct-6^th Oct, 2014. Udaipur wasn’t even my primary plan here. But, I had prepared a rough itinerary just in case which actually proved handy. Leaving by train on the night of 1st October was quite impossible because of the rush of people headed of out of the city. I had almost given up on the travel plan. As luck would have it, ticket for a train leaving Mumbai on the night of 2^nd October was available and I immediately booked it. Just a backpack was what I required and fitted everything I need right in.

My friends dropped me off to the station and it was a 11:25pm train leaving Bandra Terminus; Udaipur Superfast Express. It is a 16.5 hour train journey to Udaipur. Travelling alone has its own joys especially in an impromptu plan that has a lot of room for last minute adjustments as per one’s own comforts. Though, I had read up on quite a few blogs, a rough itinerary was in place, but obviously kept room for experiencing something new or unique that came my way. Breakfast at ‘Ratlam’ at 8:30am the next morning that comprised of a traditional dish named ‘Poha’. It was a 20 minute train stop that gave me time to stretch my legs a bit and have breakfast at the platform. This girl from China named ‘Vivian’ was travelling from Mumbai to Udaipur all alone herself. Quickly making acquaintances, we both were travelling with just a rough idea of Udaipur and nothing else. Running nearly 2 hours late at 2pm, the train made quick time and entered Udaipur station, a minute earlier than the scheduled arrival time. Commendable! Hats off to Indian Railways!

We straight away headed to the Gangour Ghat/ Hanuman Ghat area by the lakeside to scout for places to stay for the next 3 days. We found a decent place called ‘Surya Villa’ that’s located at Hanuman Ghat. Its located at a distance of 100 meters from the lake. Lal Ghat, Gangour Ghat and Hanuman Ghat are the main three places located at close proximity to the lake. Lal Ghat and Gangour Ghat are on the same side whereas Hanuman Ghat is located on the other side of the lake. Hanuman Ghat is a quieter area than the other two in terms of the general hustle and bustle. Rooms at Surya Villa costed Rs. 600/- a night, with no complimentary breakfast or WiFi. They have a small restaurant that can serve basic breakfast and tea/ coffee. Just a couple of rooms have hot water shower facility, whereas the rest have just cold water shower only. Hot water shower rooms were booked out and only the other rooms were available.

Lake Pichola with City Palace in background :)

An hour’s break and we were off to our first stop for the evening ‘Bagore Ki Haveli’, a very old villa that houses a museum as well. Every evening they hold a Rajasthani folk dance performance showcasing the various folk dances of different communities of Rajasthan as well as a puppet show. This is an hour’s show and there are 2 shows each evening once the museum shuts by 6pm. 7-8pm and 8-9pm. The ticket is priced reasonably at Rs. 60 for Indians and Rs. 160 for international tourists. The seating arrangement is quite comfortable retaining the traditional feel which is seating on the floor on a carpet. There are no confirmed seats and it is advisable to reach the venue early to get good seats to view the show. People sitting ahead invariably stand up to click pictures and they don’t realize that they end up blocking the view of the people seated behind them. We were late for the 7-8pm show and had to settle for the 8-9pm show. We caught site of the ‘Dandiya’ dance and the immersion of ‘Durga Mata’ idol part of the ‘Dusshera’ festival taking place lake side. Dusshera festival is a 10 day festival of the good reigning over evil. We had about 15 minutes before we proceeded to catch sight of the folk dance and the puppet show and this was a beautiful sight. Synchronized dancing to the beats and the clapping of the sticks was a wonderful sight and music to the ears. The ‘Ghumar dance’ and the other dance associated with the western and arid part of Rajasthan were very beautiful.

Dandiya on banks of Lake Pichola

We befriended two other girls from China; Tracy and Cherry who were travelling across India themselves. The puppet show was a different feel and an added joy of watching some string artistry at work. Post show, we then proceeded to ‘Millets of Mewar’ a quiet little place located in Hanuman Ghat area for dinner. This place might be a little hard to locate considering very few locals have heard of it. Located in the 2^nd floor of a building, it has a two sections; one that has a sheesha feel with low cot seating and the other being the normal chair seating restaurant. The quantity of food is quite good and the price isn’t expensive as well. One thing of Udaipur is the city shuts by 11pm. Last dinner order would be taken by 10-10:15pm and the guests are requested politely to vacate by 11pm. Other than a few medical stores that are open for maybe an hour more, the whole city is quiet with just the beautifully lit city palace lights and one’s own thoughts walking the alleys.

Cherry, Vivian and Tracy :)

The second day, the four of us had breakfast at ‘Namaste Cafe’, a French bakery. The strong whiff of freshly baked breads and buns cannot be missed as one passes by this place. A basic breakfast spread of burgers, puffs and raisins were available as well. We then proceeded towards visiting ‘Shilpgram’, a place that showcases lifestyles and dance forms of various tribes of the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. This place is located at a distance of 8kms from the lake and a return rickshaw fare was bargained at Rs. 150. The museum inside Shilpgram was shut when we arrived, but the person opened it up for us. The museum showcased the various utensils used for cooking, weaponry for hunting, their cultures, the food that gets cultivated, as well as pictures of their attire that is associated with each different tribe. The museum was very dusty and was not being maintained at all. Some of the musical instruments lie broken against a wall. Inspite of taking an entry fee of Rs. 120 at the gate, one wonders the proper utilization of funds, if the main museum itself is not maintained. The area inside the venue also needs maintenance with some portions having thick overgrowth of plants and no proper directional placards kept for the visitor to find his way inside.

Shilpgram Museum

Returning back at 2pm, we caught lunch at ‘Doctor’s Café’, a quaint little café whose speciality is serving pizza cooked on woodfire. We strolled the bylanes watching the locals strut their wares comprising of beautiful paintings, handicrafts, pottery with intricate works and a lot of tattoo artists. Evening time, we strolled by the nearest bazaar located at 3-4kms away to catch sight of the holiday bustle and all of us did pick up some souvenirs for back home. Heading back was always going to be a pain with Dusshera festival celebrated here till 12 days! Idol processions blaring loud music blockage of lanes, we decided to walk it back to the hotel, than get stuck in traffic. The lanes are very narrow to begin with and are two way lanes on top of that; festival processions just add to the traffic. We bid adieu to Tracy and Cherry who left towards Jodhpur by the night bus. But, they recommended us to have dinner at ‘Dream Heaven’ which has a rooftop restaurant overlooking the lake. The sight was very beautiful with the entire city lit with more prominence to ‘City Palace’, ‘Bagore ki Haveli’ and the lights of the lake add to the feel of the place. Electricity used to go off in the entire area for about half hour each night between 9-10pm.

Street paintings

Dusshera idol procession :)

The next morning, we decided on having breakfast again at ‘Dream Heaven’ though it was quite uncomfortable this time due to the heat inspite of the curtains placed. Moving out quickly, we visited the City palace and took a boat ride round the lake by which one can get good shots of ‘Palace on the lake’ which is now a hotel run by the Taj Group. The hotel premises is welcome only to guests having a reservation at the hotel, so that was the closest we could get. The boat then dropped us off at the ‘Jag Mandir’ which is another lake garden palace unlike the name and not a temple that houses a couple of restaurants and a very beautiful garden. The boat then dropped us back at the City palace docks where we proceeded to visit the museum. Being a Sunday, the crowd was at its peak with two different schools giving their tiny tots a visit of the palace. The Museum is very beautifully maintained with the royal family still housed in one section of the palace that is not accessible to any of the tourists. A lot of artifacts of the royal family were on display such as the weaponry, pictures of the royal family, the royal army. Guided tours as well as audio tours are available, but we just strolled around soaking in the sights of the carvings, intricate glass designs famous to the era of colonial rule and the windows giving one some neat sights of the lake on the one side and the city on the other. Wrapping up the museum walk, we visited this lake side restaurant ‘Jasmine Restaurant’.

City Palace

Being a lakeside restaurant with some light music for company, it was a glad break away from the heat and the bustle of palace crowds. On arrival, we realized that it is also recommended by Lonely Planet. The kids nearby kept us entertained by doing dives into the lake to beat the afternoon heat.

Palace on lake (Now a hotel run by Taj group)

Boat ride around the lake

Jag Mandir

Gun collection of the King :)

More guns

We wanted to shift to a new place for our last day since the owner of this place started creating issues after promising us a better room for that day. We bumped into a Spanish couple who suggested the place they were put up in Gangour Ghat. 'Udai Haveli Guest House', a quiet little guest house that had cheaper options though the ones with attached bathroom were booked out, decided on a room with the common bathroom on the outside. Rs. 250 for a room was quite a steal. We wanted to visit the ‘Monsoon Palace’ that is situated atop a hill. This palace as the name suggests was built for the royal family primarily for their retreat during the monsoon season. Located at 12kms from the city, the approach road to the palace is through a wildlife reserve. Hence, only private vehicles with a permit or government approved vehicles are allowed to enter. Hiring a car from the town all the way to the palace and back was being quoted at Rs. 450 which was quite steep considering there were just the two of us. We then bargained with a rickshaw to drop us off at the reserve gates for Rs. 100. From the gate, Rajasthan government has their own approved vehicles that ferry up passengers for a cost of Rs. 90 per head and a Rs. 20 charge as entry charges to the reserve. We just about made it to catch sight of the sunset. A very beautiful sunset view on the one side and the city’s view on the other side is a beautiful combination. Hanging around, we waited for the city lights to illuminate the entire city and the view was one of the most beautiful I have come across. Lot of people had exited the palace once the sun set, but this view isn’t to be missed upon.

Mommy and baby langur :)

Monsoon Palace :)

We then proceeded back to the reserve gates in the government car and got a rickshaw that dropped us back to the city again for Rs. 100. This palace also came to fame with it housing the villain in the 007 flick ‘Octopussy’ that starred Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent; James Bond, that also starred Kabir Bedi and Vijay Amritraj. One, a seasoned Indian actor and the other a seasoned Indian tennis player respectively playing substantial roles in this movie. This flick has definitely put Udaipur on the global map, such that there are atleast 5-6 cafes that showcase this movie for free for the movie enthusiasts each evening starting 7-7:30pm. We caught dinner back at ‘Dream Heaven’ just for the sights and the food being really good and decently priced.

Rolls Royce Phantom II mfg year 1934 (Used in the 007 movie 'Octopussy')

Notice the change in the colour of logo as they have moved from the red logo to the black logo

Cadillac mfg yr 1938

Buick Super mfg yr 1946

The King's favourite carriage drawn by 6 horses!

Modern Garage convertible mfg year 1946

Another view of the convertible :)

Standard Herald convertible mfg year 1961

Rolls Royce mfg year 1924 winner of Pebble Beach Tour D'Elegance

The next morning, being my last day, had breakfast at the guesthouse itself that comprises a basic breakfast menu of Maggi noodles, bread, eggs and tea/ coffee all priced decently. We then proceeded on a 4kms walk to visit the King’s vintage car museum that houses the yesteryear Mercedes’, Cadillac's’, Buick's’, Rolls Royce's’, Modern Garages’, Standard Heralds’ and his private horse carriages. The ticket to this was Rs. 250 just to view the cars and Rs. 400 if one wants to have an authentic Rajasthani lunch on the inside. We opted for the former without lunch. The cars are still in working condition with an inhouse garage and fuel station and they do take out the cars once every fortnight for a spin within the complex. The black 'Rolls Royce Phantom II' was used in the ‘Octopussy’ movie as well. One particular horse carriage; the king's favourite used to be drawn by 6 horses. We spent an hour inside the car museum and then visited the ‘Sajjan Niwas Bagh’, a garden right opposite the museum to bite some time and relax in the quiet neighbourhood. Its a very beautiful garden. Definitely would require atleast couple of hours, if not more to cover the entire garden. There is a toy train that also makes a pass through it. We then walked back and caught lunch at ‘Little Prince Restaurant’ by the lakeside. This restaurant is right beside ‘Jasmine restaurant’. I personally liked the food here than Jasmine restaurant. We then walked the streets for some last minute souvenir shopping before my final packup. Bid adieu to Vivian and wished her luck on her future travels before I headed to the bus stand from where I caught my bus back to Mumbai leaving Monday evening.

The toy train at Sajjan Niwas garden :)

An impromptu trip; made a lot of friends and discovered this beautiful city. A holiday well spent away from home. I would recommend this city as a must visit to anyone who likes to dwell into history and the sights. Time literally stops and one does not realize how time passes by.

P.S: All pics taken through Moto E mobile camera.

Costing:

Bandra Terminus to Udaipur Rs. 1,250 (3AC)

Rickshaw from station to hotel Rs. 60

Entry fee to Bagore ki Haveli Rs. 60

Camera charge at Bagore ki Haveli Rs. 50

City Palace boat ride Rs. 430

City Palace museum Rs. 115

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on an average per day Rs. 300-350

Maharaja's Car Museum Rs. 250 (With lunch inclusive Rs. 400)

Twitter Handle:

Narayanan- @MeanderinTravel

Travel quotes at a cafe :)

Kalote Waterfalls trip

2014-07-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

Three weeks into June’13, the rains were in full swing in Mumbai and the surrounding western ghats region. The trek to Kotligad was just done the previous weekend and our group decided on a waterfall outing for a change. There are quite a number of natural waterfalls in close proximity to Mumbai. Saturday, June 29, 2013, we set towards Kalote waterfalls.

We zeroed in on Kalote waterfall for it’s a delight and it was early into the season for not too many people to be there and secondly, one could enter the pool at base of waterfall. The chance to enter a wide pool as well experience the brute force of water falling down from 50-60 feet is something as one would term ‘White sensation’.

This trip included a lot of our friends who couldn’t make it to the trek on the earlier weekend as well. All of us decided to meet up at ‘Dadar’ station being the connecting station between the central railway and western railway of Mumbai. Kris, Kevin, Hamilton and Clive decided to meet us at ‘Chowk’ junction directly as they were commuting by their respective bikes. Cleona, Duana and me met at Dadar station at 8am and took a train to ‘Karjat’ station from where we boarded an ST bus to ‘Chowk’ junction. Alighting at Chowk, we met up with the bikers. Rickshaw drivers agreed to drop us on side of the highway from where it’s a casual hike of 30-40 minutes to the waterfall. Bikes and cars can be driven up this path and parked at close proximity of the waterfall. From this parking spot, it is a 5 minutes walk to the waterfall. This waterfall is located at approximately 20 kms from Karjat station in the area named 'Khalapur'.

We reached the waterfall between 12.30-1pm. The waterfall doesn’t seem strong as one feared, but if were to sit below the waterfall, the brute force can be experienced and one shouldn’t miss out on that. There were just a couple of families there, but no one venturing close to the waterfall. So, we got a nice little spot just for ourselves. The water was cold, but a quick dip and the body gets acclimatized to the temperature of the water. One can catch sight of empty plastic bottles being strewn along with other plastic waste on the sides. This is the sad part that hasn’t been inculcated in majority of the people and it’s a long and strenuous fight against environmental pollution. We caught a guy throwing an empty plastic bottle into the stream and we picked it up and requested him to dump it in a dustbin away from the place. A condescending smile and he threw it back in away from our reach. It’s a fight that just cannot be won unless the thought is inculcated from within oneself or stringent laws are in place for the same; both which seem highly unlikely in the near future.

Munching on sandwiches all afternoon, it was complete bliss. Admiring nature’s beauty and relaxing; sharing stories amongst each other. The camera pictures are a bit blurry and hazy cause of the weather. Packing our stuff up, we proceeded towards our bikes at 5pm, in order to catch a direct bus to ‘Karjat’ station or a rickshaw to ‘Chowk’ junction. With no rickshaw passing, Kris and Clive agreed to ferry us in turns until Chowk, taking 2 people as pillion. Cleona, Hamilton and Kevin proceeded directly towards ‘Karjat’ station as they wanted to go in the comfort of the train journey while Kris, Duana, Clive and myself decided to do the return journey by bike. Returning home by 10pm, it was not a strenuous day and a day well spent close to Mumbai and full of memories to cherish.

Costing (Per head):

Train from Dadar to Karjat returnà Rs. 40.00

ST bus from Karjat to Chowk junctionà Rs. 11.00

Share rickshaw ride from Chowk to Kalote falls entranceà Rs. 15.00

Water, Foodà As per requirement

Twitter handles:

Kristopher- @krist0ph3r

Clive- @the_rhoadie

Cleona- @CleonaJ

Narayanan- @MeanderinTravel

Kotligad Trek Notes

2013-12-07T23:44:00.001-08:00

First rains of 2013 and the planning of my outings started. Trekking, being on the top of the agenda had to be appetizer of the upcoming season. Couple of days and discussion with friends, ‘Kotligad’ was zeroed upon. Relatively close to Mumbai city in the vicinity of Karjat and the reach of the local train till Karjat were all factors that helped in finalizing this destination.

An early morning wakeup call at 6am on 15^th June, 13 and a train from Kurla station to Thane to join two of my friends Kris and Kevin who were meeting me there. A quick exchange of pleasantries, we proceeded further towards at Karjat; alighting at 8am. ST buses are available from Karjat ST bus stand until ‘Chowk’; a major junction from where rickshaws on share basis would be available. Purchases of snacks, bread and the basic necessity of water and we were off to the base village ‘Ambivali’ from ‘Chowk’. The route to ‘Ambivali’ was quite scenic and pleasant. Excited about the first trek of this year’s monsoons; enthusiasm was high.

We reached the village by 9.45am and wasting no time, started the trek around 10am. Kotligad is an easy trek of 2.5-3 hours to the summit. It’s a gradual muddy/stony trail to ‘Peth’ village. This would be ideal for an amateur cause of the gradual climb of 6kms to Peth village. This climb takes on an average 1.5- 2 hours on an average. Kotligad is frequented by a lot of avid trekkers for its easy climb and the views that it has to offer of the north konkan region. The views and the greenery were beauty at its grandest. Dehydration was minimal, partly because it was a gradual climb and more importantly it was a cloudy day. Taking breaks every 40 minutes, we made good time to reach the village of ‘Peth’. The walls of the fort are easily visible from this village. Kotligad is also known as ‘Peth cha Killa’ (Marathi for Peth’s fort) for the village that is at the base of this fort. There are two routes to the top; one being a difficult one, though doable, but we didn’t opt for it. The other being the easier and more frequented one. A quick confirmation from the villager and we proceeded towards the right path. Due to excessive rains, just at the entrance of the village, there is an area of slush which is of ankle depth that one just cannot avoid. There is no general stores kind of shop at this village. The village relies on stocking up their monthly requirements from ‘Ambivali’ which they ferry it up in a bullock cart pulled by two bulls. The stock is just too heavily loaded for the two bulls to keep momentum on a constant climb. On our return, there was section where the bulls just couldn’t move and we lent a helping hand to the two villagers by pushing the cart. It took nearly 25mins to make any sort of headway before we continued down our path.

The speciality of Kotligad fort is the entrance to the fort which is a funnel carved through the inside of a rock that opens up on the top of the fort. This is one of its kind. I haven’t come across a trek with this funnel type creation, as yet. The summit or the funnel is easily visible from various sections as one starts the trek. Climbing this funnel makes for the most exciting part as one must watch out for loose rocks on the steps and constant dripping of rain water ensured the rocks were quite slippery. Please ensure only one person climbs this at a time; if not ample space between people. The view just before one enters this funnel like structure is very beautiful. This fort was used more as a watchtower for the advancing enemy and the foresightedness and engineering should be marveled at. The odd cannon is still present, not preserved, at the summit ensuring one remembers a piece of history and the purpose served. Slight drizzle through the entire trek proved a boon and the panoramic view from the summit as clouds parted ways gave a stupendous view of the valley.

There are a couple of caves with a temple at the entrance of the fort on the left side. The locals from Peth village regularly offer their prayers to this goddess for their safety and well being. This provides a nice spot for trekkers to take a break before the final climb through the funnel entrance. We reached the summit at 1pm with couple of breaks in between for capturing the views that the place had to offer. We spent 1 hour on top, relaxing and munching our sandwiches that we prepared at the summit. Generally, as every return back to the base is filled with a heavy heart, this was no different. A dog from the village kept us company all the way to the base village ‘Ambivali’. We reached the base at our own leisurely pace at 5.45pm only to realize that the last bus from the village had already departed towards ‘Chowk’ area. There was another group of 6 trekkers who were facing the same issue and at the mercy of the rickshaw drivers from the village who charged an exorbitant sum of Rs. 700.00 to ferry us to Karjat station. They weren’t ready to reduce the fee since they had the upper hand then.

We requested the rickshaw driver to ferry all 9 of us to Karjat station and he agreed. This cost of Rs. 80.00 per head could have been avoided if one had reached in time for the last ST bus of the day. Lesson well learnt for all of us. The last ST bus via ‘Ambivali’ passes the village at about 5.30pm, as intimated to me by one of the villagers, and one must ensure that they come back down by that time in order to catch the bus. Heavy rains on our return towards Karjat in a rickshaw that had only 1 headlight in working condition and no wipers to ensure a clear view of the road was tricky and exciting, but also scary. The passengers who were sitting in the front next to the driver had to keep their vigil and communicate to the driver on the road state for potholes and oncoming traffic. With darkness engulfing by 6.30pm, vehicles on the highway would normally assume a single headlight vehicle to be that of a bike until it’s too late to realize.

Thankfully, everyone reached Karjat station safely at 8 pm. Boarding the train back to Mumbai with wonderful memories of a day trek to Kotligad. This trek is a must do for everyone, simply because its easy and it’s a day trek, close to Mumbai.

Costing (per head):

Return train ticket to Karjat from Kurla/ Thaneà Rs. 40.00

ST bus ticket from Karjat to Chowk junctionà Rs. 22.00

Share rickshaw from Chowk junctionto Ambivali villageà Rs. 25.00

Food, Waterà as per requirement

Rickshaw from Ambivali back to Karjatà Rs. 80.00

Overall, the trek was done within Rs. 250-300.00 approximately on the top side.
Please do not litter the environment and ensure plastic waste is carried back by you back to the city for
proper disposal.

Note (Imp.): Last bus leaves Ambivali village stop at 5.30 pm. The rickshaw guy will charge a big fee
for however small your group is and considering the time of the day, one is at the mercy of them to ferry
you. One must stock up on food, water and basic necessities from ‘Chowk’ junction itself.

Twitter Handles:

Kris: @krist0ph3r

Narayanan: @MeanderinTravel

Sagargad Trek Notes

2013-07-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

The month of October is a pleasant one in Mumbai. The rains slowly receeding and the chillness of winter just creeping in. We decided on an easy trek this weekend for starters. It was just a week after my Konkan road trip and I eagerly awaited the trek plan. For starters, it was a trek after more than a month. My cousin was in the city and was also keen on it. Zeroing in on a location not far from Mumbai city, we decided on the trek of ‘Sagargad’. Located 10kms prior to Alibagh beach, it was an ideal getaway for a day trek.

Because of no private vehicles and relying on public transport, we decided to leave a bit early to make good our trek on Sunday, 14^th October, 2012. Two of my friends Kris and Clive were also enthusiastic for this trek. Kris gave a wild idea of hitchhiking from ‘Panvel’ to the base village. This might seem really eccentric, but since no one had hitchhiked, we decided to give it a try. Leaving home at 1.00AM from ‘Chembur’, four of us went to the nearest ST bus stand and caught the bus to ‘Panvel’. It was a 45 minute bus ride, pleasant with the cool breeze and no traffic at that point of the night. Reaching the main bus stand at Panvel, we were in for a shocker. Being a major inter-city bus stand, none of the shops were open, but for a tea stall. Apparently, the shops aren’t open post 10.30-11PM on any given day. Stocking up on water, we stood by the road waving down potential vehicles to drop us off midway to ‘Wadkal Naka (Junction)’. This junction is the point where the road cuts off towards Goa and Alibagh. An ambulance travelling in that direction agreed to drop us off 5 kms down the road. The place where the ambulance dropped us off had shops that were open 24hrs. Stocking up on snacks, we stood on the side of the national highway waving down truckers for a lift. Reality hits in; no trucker agreeing to offer us a lift till 4.30AM.

The cops also shrugged off our plea to stop by a trucker. A passing van ferrying people, suddenly agreed to drop us off at Wadkal Naka for Rs. 25/- per head. We were quite lucky because the whole idea of hitchhiking was turning into one of embarrassment. Moving on, it was really stuffy in the van and a trip of 20-25kms was painful for the back. We got dropped off at Wadkal Naka at 5.00AM. Quite tired, we decided to sleep for a couple of hours before we ventured on. The gas station and the cop station weren’t feasible. We then found a decent spot just outside an SBI ATM at the junction. We woke up at 7.00AM and tried to catch a rickshaw to the base village of ‘Shali’. The auto agreed to ferry us till ‘Poinad’ from where we caught an ST bus moving towards ‘Alibagh’. Finally, we started off our trek at 8.00AM and inspite of the events, we were quite enthusiastic.

It was an easy climb initially. We took the assistance of villagers to guide us on the right path. Watch out for spiders hung on webs spun between trees; smallest size of a spider being the size of one’s fist. This is at the start as soon as one starts the trek. Moving forward, it was a steep climb for about 1.5 hours.

We pushed ourselves and made good time mainly because of the night travel to the base village. We reached the solitary village close to the peak at around 11AM. One of the villagers agreed to guide us to the summit primarily because there are many rogue paths leading to the summit. We were quite skeptical, but agreed to his request. Before we ascended the final climb, we made our way to the quiet waterfall just behind the village. Spending an hour there proved to quite fruitful.

Taking the villager's assistance proved to be lucky because, it took us nearly 45mins to reach the summit and was quite confusing for a first timer. The sights were beautiful. ‘Vanartok’ is a pinnacle at the edge of the summit that we could access. This pinnacle is famous recognizable point of Sagargad. Legend has it that the convicts on death row during the rule of Shivaji were bundled and hurled down to their death from Vanartok. One can easily view the beaches of Alibagh and Murud in the distance as well catch a glimpse of Janjira fort in the horizon. Since we made up a lot of time, on the trek, we got an extra couple of hours to relax at the summit. Continuing downward, the villager intimated us that the village receives electricity only for couple of hours during the day. A small village school in the vicinity for kids; agriculture being the only occupation; having no access to any sort of technology; they were content people. Content with their way of life and content that trekkers and hikers made an occasional visit to their village en route to the summit. Since, our trek was in the midst of ‘Navratri’ festival celebrations across the country, the villagers were also celebrating the festival. They insisted we have lunch with them; part of the festivities. Shankar took couple of pictures of the villagers and they were quite thrilled to see their pictures on a cell phone. Running short on time, we quickly bid adieu and headed to base village filled with happy memories. We reached just before darkness engulfed the entire region.

Getting an ST bus to Mumbai was proving a painful task. Since, the base village wasn’t a major bus stop, very few buses stopped. One mini carrier van stopped and offered us a lift to the next town ‘Poinad’ from where friequency of buses are better. Finally, after an hour’s wait, a bus fully packed was our only option. Cramming every inch of the way, it was quite painful to travel back to ‘Panvel’. 2.5 hours of partly standing and partly sitting on one butt cheek was not quite what one anticipates, but left with no choice. Reaching ‘Panvel’, we bid adieu to Shankar who continued towards ‘Mulund’ since the bus was headed to ‘Thane’ and 3 of us hopped onto the local train to my place in ‘Chembur’ from where Kris and Clive rode down to their place.

An enjoyable experience of travel through the night and an even more enjoyable trek. The cost per head was approximately Rs. 300. A beautiful trek and a must do amongst fellow trekkers. Hitchhiking isn’t something for the fainthearted, nor would I suggest it to anyone; it was something to experience.

Twitter handles:

1. Kris - @krist0ph3r

2. Clive - @the_rhoadie

3. Narayanan - @MeanderinTravel

Costing per head:

1. ST bus from Chembur to panvel – Rs. 40.00

2. The Sumo hitch ride from Panvel to Wadkal Naka – Rs. 25.00

3. Tumtum ride from Wadkal Naka to Poinad – Rs. 15.00

4. ST Bus from Poinad to Shali; base village – Rs. 20.00

5. Snacks, Cake, Chips, Water – as per requirement

Ganpatipule Beach and Goa Road Trip

2013-03-15T04:42:00.001-07:00

Konkan! The pride of Maharashtra comprises the complete stretch along the coast of the state till Goa. A very unique culture and even more beautiful Western Ghats parallel to the coastline add to the beauty and scenic thrill. The entire coastal line never fails to thrill the travel aficionado irrespective of the season. Comprising of beaches and ghats, it provides the perfect destination for the water baby as well as the trek enthusiast. The coastal highway isn’t one to be missed upon.

The trip to wander the konkan side was decided late Friday afternoon on 05-Oct-12. My cousin, Shankar who is down for couple of months wanted to get away from the city for the weekend. Considering his request and me having leave on 06-Oct-12, decided to head to ‘Ganpatipule beach’ in ‘Ratnagiri’ district of Maharashtra. Catching an ST bus (State Transport bus) on the night of 05-Oct-12 from Chembur was the only option. This proved a boon which saved up on time considering the distance to be covered overnight.

Located at approximately 350kms, a semi luxury ST bus is more than one could ask for. Their best bus, a semi luxury bus was a non air-conditioned one, but with cushioned seats and priced marginally higher than the ordinary bus that ply. The bus wasn’t in that great a condition, but decent enough to travel. Tickets were available online, but I didn’t take that risk since I could only leave work by around 8PM on 05-Oct-12. Wrapping up my work, quickly rushed home to pack my stuff within half an hour and reached the ST bus stand by 10.00PM. The enquiry counter was unoccupied with the fan and electricity being wasted. This was pretty irritating considering the power shortage currently faced in the state. Enquiry wasn’t an option due to personnel’s unavailability. We enquired every ST bus stopping at the stand. After a brief wait of 15mins, we finally got our bus and the fare was Rs. 920.00 for two people. The fare was a little too steep primarily because the bus was of semi luxury nature. The fare is cheaper for an ordinary one, though wouldn’t be comfortable to travel long distance.

Though the seats are cushioned, but not well maintained, all seats aren’t retractable and you could sometimes find yourself sitting in an uncomfortable seat. The peak season for Ganpatipule had just passed; hence very few people boarded the bus. The bus journey was very comfortable through the night without any incidents. The bus driver and conductor wanted a tea break early morning at around 7AM and since my cousin and I were the only bus travelers, we readily agreed for the same. A tea break at ‘Jakadevi’; on enquiry found out that it was the biggest ‘Taluka’ of that region. The drive from Jakadevi to Ganpatipule was pleasant and scenic.

With the rains still imminent, the greenery was in full bloom with lots of palm trees dotting the horizon. We reached Ganpatipule at 8AM. We got a half day hotel stay deal with ‘Krishna Sea View’ resort. This means that you check-in at 9AM and check-out by 5PM, that very same day. It was a very good deal provided our plan was to reach ‘Sawantwadi’ by nightfall. One of the ‘Ashtavinayak’ temple of Lord Ganpati and Ganpatipule beach was just 10 mins from our hotel. A beautiful and well maintained temple, I must add. Hitting the beach, all the rumours about one of the best beaches in Konkan region proved true. Crystal clear water lapping onto our feet with the sun kissing our backs was blissful. Moving away from where the crowds were, we reached a spot which was quite far from the picnic noise one would normally encounter at various tourist spots.

We tried to catch up with a fisherman moving swiftly along the shore wanting to catch some fish and crabs. We came to a lagoon with clear water linking the sea water in between. The stark contrast of the lagoon’s fresh water inspite of mixing with the sea water struck us. A swim with mild under water currents was a chance we didn’t want to miss upon. Spending couple of hours here trying to swim against the current was fun. Beautifully maintained beach, but for parts littered with plastic waste. It just annoys me to find out that the place isn’t respected enough for what it provides to one. A sumptuous lunch at ‘Tarang’ hotel at MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) and we headed back to the hotel for some rest.

Out of the various sights of that region, one that proved kind of enticing was a visit to ‘Jaigad Fort’. Located at a distance of 20kms from Ganpatipule, it offers a panoramic view of the region. Contemplating our next move, we decided on going to the fort for a quick tour and then headed straight to ‘Ratnagiri’ railway station to either catch a train or bus to head down south.’ Jaigad fort’ wasn’t a fort of much importance, but just known for the views offered by it. Reaching the fort at 4PM, it was a complete disappointment; trees and grass completely outgrown; kids playing cricket and cattle grazing. This was apparently a tourist spot and shocking at the manner of promoting the same. The panoramic view was fabulous. If only, they could maintain the fort, could that also be included for tourism with pride than just a mere request to the tourists.

By 5PM, we headed back to the resort in order to leave for Ratnagiri station on time. The scenic views offered by the State highway SH-106 were mindblowing, especially with the sun setting down that evening. We found out that there were no buses available for Sawantwadi at 7PM and the last train was ‘Netravati Express’ reaching Ratnagiri station at 7.30PM leaving Mumbai that very morning at 11.30AM.

Our hopes were dashed when we learnt that the train doesn’t stop at Sawantwadi railway station, but its next stop was ‘Kudal’. Kudal though located in Sawantwadi district is a good 43kms away from ‘Tarkarli’ beach and with no bus available beyond 7.30PM in the konkan region, we would be at the mercy of the rickshaw guy who would definitely charge us a steep fare in order to reach our destination.

A quick discussion and we bought 2 rail tickets to ‘Thivim’; the station that is closest to beaches in North Goa. Surprised as one could be, we were as well. Saturday night, 06-Oct-12, we were actually in Goa! We headed to Baga beach and though it isn’t the peak season, the influx of tourists hasn’t dwindled. Beach shacks aren’t a feature of Goan beaches just yet, but it hasn’t deterred the tourists. A not so expensive room was taken for couple of night’s right opposite the ‘Tito-Baga’ beach lane. Goa was in party mode until 4AM. Critics would always have a say, but the bottom line is that the party destination never skips a beat when it comes to having a good time. I wouldn’t dare lie saying that we slept early. We actually came back to our rooms only at 6AM. The last 2 hours, we spent in the quietness of the beach by a bonfire. Kids working as helpers in various restaurants who hadn’t completed education gave us company. Felt at peace to be away from the panic street of Baga beach. An extended sleep and a good breakfast on Sunday morning at ‘Nisha Bar and Restaurant’ shouldn’t go unmentioned. Very few places were open for breakfast. A Goan home turned restaurant with sumptuous goan delicacies.

I had to be back in Mumbai for work on Monday and headed towards ‘Mapusa’ to book my bus ticket for Sunday evening which would reach the city by early Monday morning. Underestimating the rush, it came as a surprise when none of the air conditioned bus tickets were available. Ultimately, I settled for a sleeper non air conditioned bus leaving Mapusa at 7.30PM and reaching Mumbai at 8AM on 08-Oct-12. My cousin, though was on vacation and extended his stay in Goa for an extra day and headed down south towards the beautiful beaches of ‘Karwar’ and ‘Gokarna’, Karnataka.

Weekend well spent and worth a mention. We could not cover ‘Tarkarli’ beach, but no regrets whatsoever. This is considering the places covered by the modes of travel used and with the amount of time on hand. The budget wasn’t steep, but could have kept it to a minimum with better time management. Wouldn’t suggest ‘Jaigad fort’ as a must visit to anyone unless they spruce up the spot with a view on cashing on tourism. Not worth the effort for the time and cost. A must visit to Ganpatipule beach. Another place struck off my bucket list.

Costing:

· Bus ticket from Mumbai To Ganpatipule beach- Rs. 450

· Half day hotel deal at Ganpatipule- Rs. 400

· Hired car to Jaigad fort and back (40kms)- Rs. 1300

· Rail ticket from Ratnagiri station to Thivim, Goa- Rs. 200

· Cab from railway station to Baga beach- Rs. 650 (Rs. 150 was night fare due to our train running late)

· Hotel stay at Baga- Rs. 700 per night

· Bus fare from Goa to Mumbai sleeper bus- Rs. 500

Kaas valley of flowers, Satara, Maharashtra

2012-10-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Valley of Flowers and one would easily relate it to Uttaranchal’s Valley of Flowers. Famous as one would know, it has formed its own niche value amongst the seasoned trekkers for India’s very own natural botanical display. Maharashtra had a secret which until six years ago wasn’t discovered, whereby a group of scientists and doctors passing through this region in Satara stumbled upon this plateau/ valley comprising of various types of plants of which numerous were endangered ones.

Upon discovery and prospective lab testing, they realized these plants did have medicinal capabilities. Located on a plateau on top of a cliff, half an hour drive from ‘Satara’ city, the flowers on this plateau blooms only during the months of July-October. Spread over an area of 5 sq. kms, this phenomenon is a botanical display of colour and life. A trip to ‘Kaas’ was impending from my side for last couple of years and this year proved lucky when a road trip to Kaas was planned between my friends and myself for 15^th-16^th September, 2012.

Though, the road trip planned was for the weekend in entirety, we couldn’t leave Mumbai until 6.00 PM as one of my friends was busy in his company get together. Krishna and Vignesh both of whom reside in Chembur met me and accordingly we left towards Satara. Located at a distance of 360kms from Mumbai, it wasn’t a difficult route considering we cover the entire Mumbai-Pune expressway and continue forward towards Satara for a further 130kms. Night driving was always going to be tricky, but Krishna held his nerve through the ghats with a little accelerated, but controlled driving. We reached Satara city at 11.30PM and immediately checked into ‘Maharaja Residency’ hotel which is located at the city centre. The road trip was a welcome change especially one which was after more than 3 years for the three of us together. With minimal stops for refreshments, it was a peaceful drive with moderate rainfall in between. The hotel that we stayed for the night wasn’t that great, but was the best the city could offer.

It's very misty!!

Having a 4 hour nap wasn’t the best way to feel rejuvenated, but again, the need to reach Kaas as early as possible was our topmost priority. One reason was to escape the crowds that would start streaming in as the day wore on and secondly for the pleasant weather. Checking out of the hotel at 7.30AM, we proceeded for a pleasant drive up the mountains towards the plateau. Completely scenic, it was difficult to keep our eyes on the road. Just before the plateau, there is Rs.10.00 entry fee charged by the forest officials of Satara.

This has been started primarily because Kaas got the world heritage status by UNESCO this year in 2012. Actually, 39 spots on the western ghats got the world heritage status out of which Kaas plateau was one of them. With more publicity year on year, the number of tourists isn’t going to dwindle. The UNESCO world heritage status is an added feather in the cap. The number of tourists to Kaas has increased more over the last couple of years. Initially, people used to drive up their cars right onto the flower beds in a bid to take that one ‘classic’ picture or 2 cent video for their family. What they did was just destroy the delicate flower beds in the process for their satisfaction. The need to preserve a sensitive place should come from within oneself. And with this global heritage recognition, the influx of tourists is not going to reduce, but just explode. But, things now have changed with barricades along the full driveway protecting the flowers not only from vehicles, but also from human influx. You are allowed access to certain areas with precaution, but the decision to barricade is a really good one.

Completely misty amongst the clouds, it was really difficult to maneuver the car, but found a nice parking spot close to one section of Kaas lake not frequented by tourists. The weather was pleasant till the moment we stepped out of the car. A sudden whiff of cold breeze and slight drizzle welcomed us. The spot was an amazing one being at ground zero of the lake. It was quite windy and cloudy, seemed straight out of a scene picturing one in the midst of the Bermuda Triangle.

A visit to a secluded waterfall and it was time to head back to the plateau for a clearer view of the flowers. This time, we weren’t disappointed. A sudden clearance of the clouds and the valley displayed its true colour and vibrancy.

Vignesh chilling

Krishna in form

The moment was astounding and spectacular. A wide array of flowers draped in purple. With patches of yellow, violet, white, red and blue flowers gradually starting to bloom in certain parts, it was a sight to just cherish. These flowers will bloom within the next couple of weeks and would take over the colour of the valley in entirety. Villagers were posted all over during the daytime to handle the traffic of vehicles as well as to take care to guard the flower beds. One such villager whom we bumped into, took us on a personalized tour explaining the various types of flowers; the most famous one being “Sita’s Tears”. This has no significance to the mythological tale of “Ramayan”. The best time to visit is normally July to October with the receding rains. The remaining 8 months of the year, the plateau is barren with the initial part of the monsoon season turning it into a lush green field.

Sita's Tears!

Amongst such talk, we came to hear that the villagers living at Kaas village always knew about these flowers, but never knew of their significance and the place grew in popularity during the last couple of years only. Villagers from Kaas village were employed by the Satara forest department to keep guard all day amidst such windy and rainy weather. A gruesome job, but a job nevertheless. Another very surprising fact is that the population of Kaas village is a mere 25-30 people! One should not miss out on the opportunity to view the 'Koyna Dam'; a human marvel from the top of plateau.


Koyna Dam on extreme right

Finishing our walk across the plateau and bidding goodbye to the villager, we made our way back to Satara city at 12.45PM. Quite hungry, we bid adieu to the valley with a heavy heart. Next up was hunting down a restaurant “Manali Hotel” listed down by Nat Geo Traveller. We were thrown off track with poor directional skills by the villagers and we landed at a restaurant named “Radhika Palace”, a decent one serving authentic lip smacking Gujarati Thali. The food was very delicious and we were contemplating our luck on how we landed at that restaurant in the first place. My recommendation would be to not to miss out having food at this place. Leaving Satara city at 2.45 PM, we reached Mumbai city in record time at 7.30PM. Having your personal car is an ultimate boon for the time constraint and the distance to be covered. Going by public transport isn’t recommended, though possible.

An amazing venue for a weekend getaway and one to savour. A must do for every traveler. A visit to this place should be right on top of one’s bucket list. Given an opportunity, I would definitely go back for another weekend to witness the array of colours. The costing was primarily hotel stay cost, fuel for car and toll cost for the highway. Food and refreshment cost is separate and would approximately be Rs. 400.00 per head. Hotel cost was Rs. 1000/- per head, toll cost was Rs. 100-150/- per head approximately, fuel cost for car being Rs. 500/- per head. Leave no traces and savour what the nature has to provide.

Jude and Sherlynn colourful

Clive stunned by the natural beauty!

Sanjay Gandhi National Park Trek, Mumbai

2012-10-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Mumbai!! Concrete jungle for the quite many associated with this city. Fast paced lifestyle, minute-to-minute connotations of the daily bread earner. In the midst of this mayhem, one just cannot accept the city as a destination for de-stressing oneself over a weekend. City which will make one eat one’s own words when it comes to optimism over pessimism. Amongst all this, there is one place that will make you forget it all. Place that requires not much travelling, but will still captivate you with hope.

‘Sanjay Gandhi National Park’ formerly or more famously known as ‘Borivali National Park’ due to its proximity to the area of Borivali in Mumbai, is one such place. Spread over an area of 40 sq. meters (104 sq. kms), is a place dedicated to the nurturing of various fauna, house to the famed Asiatic Lions and the Leopards. A small hike/ trek was planned by my friends on July 22^nd, 2012. Since the venue was within the city, it was an easy one to plan.

An early morning wake up call at 5.00 AM for me since I live in ‘Chembur’ as compared to two of my friends; Clive and Kristopher who live in ‘Malad’ and ‘Borivali’. A direct bus from ‘Sion’ 448 Ltd. dropped me right in front of the national park gate at 8.15 AM. Couple of bottles of water and food for lunch was purchased just opposite the park gate from a restaurant. An entry fee of Rs. 25/- per bike and an entry fee of Rs. 30/- per person was charged. Proceeding inside, we could notice the complete transformation of the venue. Bustling with people who came down for morning walks to families wanting to spend their day and kids hooked onto the toy train ride towards the lion’s enclosure. Our plan was fixed to ride straight towards ‘Kanheri caves’; caves built in the 13^th century which is one of the archaeological sites still preserved intact with a view on promoting tourism.

Parking our bikes at the base of the caves with a minimal entry fee of Rs. 5/- for entering the caves section and we were on our way. Proceeding towards the caves, one could not help but notice the hullaballoo and noise created by families. Proceeding to our left, we took a dilapidated bridge to cross over to the other section not frequented by the tourists. Ascending the cliff, we were quite a distance away from the tourists to venture out into the valley and find out the secluded waterfall that Kris had been to earlier. For me, it was reminiscence of visiting the national park after more than two decades. Moving forward, came across lots of weird shaped and coloured mushrooms.

A good trek of 40 minutes and the waterfall as secluded as was in glory. The rains this monsoon weren’t that great for the waterfall, but decent enough for a dip. The rain gods finally decided to open up and heavy drizzle with a not so frequented waterfall was apt. It was peaceful to be amongst nature with nothing to disturb our thoughts. A bird watcher’s paradise. Not my cup of tea at all.

Time moved swiftly with discussions on future treks/ trips planned. We decided to move downwards from the waterfall instead of retreating the way we took to reach the waterfall spot. We reached a place wherein there was a massive jump required into a water hole of 10-15 feet and no side paths visible to move ahead. Situated at a lower height, but similar to the jump from ‘127 hours’ movie. Contemplating, we finally decided to venture back towards the same route that we had taken earlier. At 2.30PM we decided to make a push towards the bikes and to finish this wonderful Sunday well spent. We reached the main gate at 3.30PM and I caught the return bus back home.

Cost per person was tentatively Rs. 250.00 per head considering the food, water and entry ticket cost. Very minimal and a Sunday well spent!

Part Two of our trek in national park was done on August 15^th, 2012.

August 15^th, 2012, 66^th Independence Day festivities in full swing in our country and also Kris’ birthday. A birthday trek again by just the three of us to national park. Since, it was the country’s Independence Day, Entry cost was exempted for all. The only cost being the entry to the caves which was Rs. 5/- we reached the national park gate at 1.00 PM this time around. We decided to park our bikes next to a stream and trek upwards towards the valley to reach the waterfall that we had been to in the previous trek.

Moving rightwards alongside the stream, it was weary trek for the many obstacles that were placed signaling the trekkers not to utilize this route. After a good 45 minute trek, we reached a point where in the water was misty and quite deep. Clive decided to check out the left side of the stream for any possible route to move forward. At that moment, I froze for what I saw will always be exhilarating and scary. Five feet ahead from where I stood, a 6 foot snake lay across on this massive boulder. Hearing our footsteps, it awoke and slid into the water. Shouting out to Clive to stop and retreat who couldn’t understand the excitement in our voices. The snake’s head bobbled out of the water for a second and retreated into the water. None of us were much into studying snakes, so knowing the breed of the snake was a difficult task especially in such a confused moment.

There was no chance of entering the water now nor could we bypass it. Standing there, contemplating, the skies finally opened up. Heavy rain and all we did for the next 5 minutes was look for movement in the water. Sensing none, we decided to venture back the same route. Keeping our eyes peeled with heavy rain was a struggle, but fun. Completely drenched, we took shelter in an abandoned shelter house to gather our thoughts and to munch on some food treated by Kris. After a brief rest of 30 minutes, we went back to the spot where we had parked our bikes and rode towards the caves. A brief rest on top of the cliff and we decided to return back to the gate at 6.00PM.

Awesome experience again, but pity, we couldn’t reach the target of tracking our way to the waterfall. I just hope that the national park throws in a surprise each time one visits for these are completely unscripted.

Gorakhgad trek notes

2012-07-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

The third weekend of November loomed just like every other usual weekend. Possibility of it being a sleepy one. For starters, I couldn’t make the road trip with my friends on the previous weekend, 12^th November, 2011. That ruled out plenty of options as trips on consecutive weekends wasn’t quite favourable to any of my friends. Then, as quickly as plans do get cancelled, a plan materialised when one of my friends suggested a day trek on 20^th November, 2011. We zeroed in on ‘Gorakhgad’; situated at a distance of 100-110 kms from Mumbai around the Malshej Ghats region. Perfect way to unwind from the stress of the last one month.

Vinay Kumar, my friend, got out his bike from ‘Andheri’ and the two of us biked it the whole way to the base village of ‘Dehari’. A bike ride saved us a lot of time, approximately couple of hours, compared to the hassles of using public transport. Leaving Andheri at 5.30 AM, Vinay, picked me up from ‘Chembur’ at 6.00AM. Winter still prominent in the city, a nice early morning bike ride was a welcome change. An underestimation of the early morning winter got me back to reality. Shuddering all along sitting pillion. The usual route of Kalyan- Murbad was chosen. A quick stopover at ‘Thane’ and we were soon on our way. The roads were not that great, being just after the monsoons, but so were the condition of the bike tyres.

Gorakhgad is one half of the twin pinnacles. The other being ‘Machindragad’. Situated at a height of 1200 meters above sea level, it is a comparatively easy trek of approximately 2 hours. We reached the base village at 9.35AM. The base village were keeping a record of all trekkers trying to scale either of the two peaks. We were requested to note down our names and emergency phone numbers, in case of any mishaps. This was a real surprise to us. Starting the trek at 10.00AM, it was a complete change from the early morning weather which quickly changed into a hot sultry morning. Finding our way became a strenious task with multiple paths all seemingly possible trek paths. We kept choosing one through a trial and error basis, but, realized all these paths ultimately converged up ahead. Approaching the twin pinnacles, Gorakhgad seems too technical; a sharp conical structure, but once at the base village, you wouldn’t miss out noticing the width of the pinnacle. A complete contrast from the earlier sight. It, by the way is also the higher of the two pinnacles.

Continuing ahead, we kept good pace, though were getting dehydrated quickly with the sun bearing down at us. Vinay, having trekked quite a bit at Himachal Pradesh wasn’t feeling the brunt as much as me. We reached the entrace of the cave at 11.30AM. Took a small break before the final ascent of steps to the caves on top. Reminscing the trek, we were brought back to reality when we saw an elderly lady descending the steps after attending a religious ceremony at one of the caves. The lady completing the climb and descending struck us hard. The caves isnt exactly the actual pinnacle, but there is a 40 feet of rigorous rock climbing. Steps cut out onto the rock face, the need of ropes is mandatory. This rock climb would not be recommended during the monsoons with water and moss covering every bit of the way. This was my second climb to Gorakhgad, first being during the monsoons. Both of us were enthusiastic of climbing the final rock climb after reaching the summit. Climbing 10 feet, we decided not to risk it further. Apparently, there is a temple on top.

The adjoining view of ‘Ahupe Ghats’ were spectacular. We decided to rest for a couple of hours. Time was what we had on our hands, primarily due to the bike ride. Strong winds, shade provided the perfect setting to clear our thoughts. A welcome change from the hot sunny weather. We decided to start our descent at 2.30PM. Descent always proves to be tricky, especially the rock patches which kind of seems easy during the climb. Vinay, who was descending ahead of me, grew confident and in a moment of lapse of concentration, missed a footing and slid down 10 feet along the rock face. Luckily, the trek path snaked around the rock face which brought an end to his minor fall. Minor cuts and bruises proudly displayed; no major injury. It was a clear 60 feet drop if the trek path had not snaked across his fall. A scary moment nevertheless. We reached the base village at 4.00PM. Gathering our breath, we decided to head back to the city. Weekend traffic at ‘Kalyan’ hampered our entry into the city, but reached back home safely by 9.00PM.

The road route that we took was the Eastern Expressway to Thane, continuing all the way to Kalyan. A right turn towards Murbad needs to be taken. The left turn at Mhasa village needs to be taken. The right turn at Mhasa village would lead you towards base village for ‘Ganpati Garad’ trek. http://www.prashsubramanian.blogspot.in/2011/10/ganpati-garad-trek-notes.html

A right turn needs to be taken at ‘Shivle’ village leading you towards the base village ‘Dehari’. Cost was minimal since we dutched the petrol cost. 2 litres of water per person is highly recommended. We decided against carrying any food items since it adds to the weight and both of us weren’t going to eat much at all. These costs can be factored in on the per head basis. The cost incurred per head would amount to Rs. 200-250 per head based on what we expended.

The grade for this trek is simple, but be mentally prepared for a constant climb. Overall, a wonderful day trek organised at the last moment with just the two of us. The phrase “More the merrier” was something that wasn’t sorely missed; especially then and there.

Oktoberfest - Pune, India

2012-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

“BEER! It is the best damn drink in the world!” as quoted by Jack Nicholson. Who wouldn’t agree to this thought when I personally do love beer. Oktoberfest, an annual beer festival in Germany is a melting pot for the beer lovers from all around the world to dwell on some freshly brewed beers. The beer festival had its very own Indian leg this year, at Mumbai and Pune on the 15^th and 16^th of October, 2011. My friends definitely weren’t going to miss out on this event this year.

Mumbai, had the event happening at a suburban area, Bandra. Pune, though had it organized at ‘Corinthians’, a beer brewery. This brewery was located approximately 20 kms away from the city. The idea of the road trip to Pune for a day with some amazing beer, cancelled out the idea of visiting Mumbai’s version of the event. The plan, I must admit was made by my friends who arranged to hire a ‘Tavera’ car on the 16^th of October, 2011. Though, I was invited amongst the seven people; being the capacity of the car; I had my list of excuses ready on not making for the trip. I guess, I wouldn’t exactly know what made me change my mind, but, I confirmed my participation for the trip at the stroke of midnight. The start point for the hired car was from Panvel, where one of my friend resides. The tricky part about Panvel was that, it is located 80 kms away from Mumbai city and except for one friend from ‘Kharghar’ area in New Mumbai, everyone else were from suburban Mumbai. One of my friends Sunil, volunteered to pick each one of us up and take us to Panvel from where the journey would begin. The usual confusion of the number of people confirmed and the possible number of inductees made it a very stressful night for each one of us. Well, I can’t include myself in this as I wasn’t sure myself. The number confirmed was six from Mumbai on the day of departure, but we did have an additional friend to join in the festivities once we reached Pune. It was Vignesh, Sunil, Aroop, Srikant, Anand and myself from Mumbai with Girish joining us at Pune.

The usual excitement for a road trip was imminent, but what made this trip special was that it was the 1^st time, except for Sunil and Aroop, I was involved with friends whom I haven’t been on a trip so far! Jokes and the usual banter on catching up on things were there, but more than eager to get our hands on the freshly brewed chilled beer. The day was hot and humid. Having adequate water resource was a complete necessity. The food court on the Mumbai- Pune Expressway sufficed our requirements. We don’t tend to realize the speed at which our car travels on the expressway, but it was expertly driven by our driver to reach Pune city by 3.15 PM leavin Panvel at 1.00 PM.

Reaching Pune city was easy. Trying to find our way to Corinthians was difficult and took us about 40 mins to reach the place. An unexpected rain shower, a bumpy ride and finally at the brewery. The tables were booked weeks ago and as feared. We were ready to stand our way guzzling the beer. A last moment cancellation by one of the attendees luckily got us a table. The crowd started to gather as the evening wore on. A self titled and very ordinary standup comic act kicked off the evening. 'Irish red ale', 'Oktoberfest wheat beer', 'Apple cider', 'Smoked ale' were ready on our table. Rates were Rs. 70.00 for a pint and Rs. 100.00 for an English mug of 800ml during the happy hours which ran until 8.00 PM. A fusion live performance gave us the feel of an open air music festival.

Exploring the brewery gave me an insight on the process of brewing, with placards placed all over the place. An X-Box kinect was installed with people battling it out over games of table tennis and boxing. A game of fooze ball with random opponents added to the joy. A separate pub with a whole different set of playlist was where the intial heartbeat was, but the open air feel, a barbeque kitchen and a live music act quickly changed things.

Our plan was to come back to Mumbai the very night itself. Leaving the place in the midst of the festivities was a pain, but also, a vindication in taking part in a beer fest. This was something that had been wanting for years. Leaving Pune at 11.30 PM, we reached Panvel at 1.30 AM. Reached home by 3.00 AM. Worthwhile experience and a ‘To do’ suggestion from me to all beer lovers.

Sula Vineyard trip

2011-11-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

“Wine is a drink that should start and end with a smile”, a thought aptly put across by William Sokolin. Maharashtra presently flaunts its own winery, the famed Sula Vineyards at Nashik. Situated at a distance of 180 kilometers from Mumbai city, Nashik fitted an ideal destination for the weekend traveler looking to dwell into a variety of sweet, dry, tasty wines at the winery. 1997, was the birth of the winery and in a period of 14 years till date, has grown to be the largest wine player in Indian market and a recognizable brand worldwide.

Initially, the plan was made for visiting the town of ‘Igatpuri’. As we approached closer to the date of travel, we realized Sula Vineyard is an hour away to the north of Igatpuri. Since none of us had been to Sula earlier, the plan was readily agreed. A weekend road trip to the cool, hilly climate of ‘Nashik’ with wines at our disposal to taste, in the midst of the rainy season were reasons enough for 4 of my friends to gear up and leave for Nashik on the 14^th of August, 2011. It was a rare long weekend for us, one that extended onto a Monday as it was a national Holiday being Independence Day; 15^th of August, 2011. The trip was the one of the easiest to plan, considering the distance to be covered and secondly, the transport; Shishir’s car, serviced and readily available for the drive. A gleaming, fully serviced, mean looking ‘Maruti 800’.

The day was bright and sunny, a complete contrast of the season in which we decided to travel. But, nevertheless, Clive and Jude met Shishir at Vile Parle, who took out his car and picked me up from ‘Chembur’ at 10.30 AM. Thereafter, a non-stop ride by the Eastern Expressway until ‘Kalyan’, whereby a quick check-up of the car tyres was needed. Continuing ahead, we stuck to National Highway 3 (NH-3) via ‘Vasind’ and ‘Shahapur’ towns rather than via ‘Murbad’ town. This was primarily because the NH-3 route was quicker in reaching the destination than NH-222. The enthusiasm of taking the Murbad route was eminent, but upon realization of the route being lengthier, opted for the former. NH-3 didn’t disappoint with slight drizzle just as we hit the ghats/ climb section.

Beautiful roads with scenic views kept us on the edge throughout the drive. We passed the town ‘Igatpuri’ and stopped for a quick lunch at a highway joint around 50 kms prior to our destination. Lunch with a couple of beers prior to the wines was ideal way to start off the trip. Proper signboards are put up to reach the place, though it isn’t exactly close to the city.

Sula Vineyards is not a place that is known amongst the locals. Muted responses were aplenty. Rephrasing it as an alcohol manufacturing joint helped convey the message across to them. It’s a straight road along NH-3 until you pass “Moharir Ford showroom” on your right and “Hotel gateway” on your left. At that junction, a left turn needs to be taken leaving NH-3 and joining State Highway No 27 (SH-27). Approximately 8-10 kilometers down the road, another left turn needs to be taken when you pass “Shakti mining Equipments Private Limited” on your left. A right turn needs to be taken again after 1 km. Continuing forward for approximately 5 kms, a left needs to be taken. Here, you will notice the change in surroundings as you start passing a lot of vineyards on either side. The scenic paradise with slight drizzle amongst the hills was the best mix of weather and nature. The thought of tasting some good old wine was exciting, atleast in this weather. The driver of the car needs to be really careful with the narrow bumpy roads and most importantly watching out for drivers who are on their way back, all boozed up. An unfortunate incident when a speeding “Tavera” car travelling at 60kms/hr in those narrow roads hit the mirror on the driver’s side and was completely shattered.

We finally reached the place at 3.00 PM. The place was bustling with the weekend travelers, music and lot of wine flowing. Finding a suitable parking spot was a tough task. Once inside, we immediately hit the counter for two bottles of wine. The cost, as expected, was much lesser than what we would pay at Mumbai or at a retail wine shop. Quite a variety of wines were available and being an amateur wine drinker made that choice a little difficult. We decided on "Sula Chenin Blanc" and "Sula Mosiac Chenin Sauvignon", both being white wines and the cost being in the range between Rs. 200/- and Rs. 300/- each. We tasted the "Madera" wine as well. Cheese and fruits with the wine was a perfect blend. A wine cellar threw light on the variety of wines available, the process of brewing and the successful launch of Sula in 1997.

A vineyard tour for Rs. 250/- was available between 11.00 AM and 4.30 PM, but was sold out for the day due to the heavy number of people who had already enrolled themselves for the 14^th August, 2011. The wide open balcony provided a clear, unobstructed view of a section of the vineyard. We ended up having quite a bit of wine and it was an experience to savour. With the evening light diminishing rapidly and nightfall imminent, we left to search for accommodation for the night, with a heavy heart but, quite happy. Wanted to spend more time, but finding accommodation was the next priority.

We headed towards Nashik town as that was the best bet considering the time involved in travelling and the cost involved. We tried our luck at a couple of hotels/ lodges just on the outskirts of the city. “Hotel Annapoorna” was decided at first, but seemed difficult to locate. Ultimately reaching the hotel, the caretaker was adamant on not letting us stay claiming it was booked out. The hotel/ lodge though wasn’t out of the ordinary, but definitely gave the creeps with not a soul in sight. Moving on, we found a highway joint with a decent room to stay for the night. It wasn’t a surprise that couple of the guys dozed off as soon as they hit the bed after a tiring and enjoyable day. On the eve of our country's Independence Day, it was relaxing to watch the movie “Sholay” before dozing for the night. A tired, and lazy Monday, 15^th of August, 2011 beckoned us for the return trip back to Mumbai. Quickly, all of us headed back to Mumbai with the rains imminent and certain other commitments for the rest of the day.

The ghats provided the extra thrill with visibility of not more than 10 meters and heavy rains. A quick breakfast and we reached Mumbai at 12.30 PM. An exciting weekend road trip successfully done and complete enjoyment. Costing was minimal as the car was my friend’s and so only fuel cost was divided which came to Rs. 500/- per head. Wine expenses came to Rs. 300/- per head for quite a bit of wine divided amongst 4 of us. Room rent was minimal at Rs. 600/- a night. Breakfast, lunch and other sundry expenses can be added or adjusted according to your requirements. We parceled a couple of wines for home. Never was a wine connoisseur, and still wouldn’t say I am! A truly enjoyable experience and lots to savour. Cheers!

Kolad white water rafting

2011-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

In the words of Robert Louis Stevenson “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” With this thought, the two public leaves that were available to us back-to-back during the last week of August provided a time to retrospect on which activity to indulge in and the place to travel to. A trek seemed an amazing option, but was immediately stroked out due to the possibility of other interesting options.

Activities such as trekking, as mentioned above, waterfall rappelling, road trip were given a thought. But, the best part was an activity zeroed upon, which was always on top of my bucket list, was to raft. White water rafting; the name does give out its usual fearful questions and the most accompanying questions of ‘What ifs?’ followed mostly the unaware one such as ‘Is it possible in Maharashtra?’

Kolad, a small fishing township located on the beautiful, scenic Konkan strip of Maharashtra. It falls on the Mumbai Goa National Highway No. 17. Located at a distance of approximately 150 kms from Mumbai gives it a feel of a not so strenuous road trip as well as providing for some exhilarating white water rafting experience. The plan didn’t take long to be finalized upon as none of our group had rafted earlier.

We contacted ‘Sai Farms’, a beautiful scenic resort off Kolad for a day package keeping in mind the weather and a place to recuperate before heading back to the city. August 31^st was the day when our group started the trip by car at around 3.30 AM from Malad. Enroute, a couple of my friends and myself alighted at Chembur and headed towards the national highway. The odd hour is one that is very much necessary mainly for two reasons; the distance to be covered and a sumptuous breakfast awaiting us at the resort and secondly the rapids at Kolad are not of a natural source, but by manual intervention. Rapids here are generated when the dam to the ‘Kundalika’ river is opened up dedicatedly each morning at 9.00 AM. This excess water flow generates rapids of Grade 3 along the 20kms river stretch.

Initial plan was to travel by train or ST bus, but after substantial coordination with the resort owners and online forums, I came to realize that a hired vehicle would fall cheaper than actually travelling by public transport. This is because the stretch from the railway station or ST bus stand to the resort, stretch from the resort to the rafting start point which is around 20 kms, to head back to the rafting start point after the rafting experience to gather our luggage and to head back to the resort would each result in rickshaw travel with a fare of approximately Rs. 400-500/- each way. This would mean Rs. 1600-2000/- just being expended for travelling within the location. Hired car gives us the comfort of having our own vehicle to commute as well as not running against time which is a major factor coming back to Mumbai after a day’s travel.

‘Innova’ car was what was chosen for the travel and an excellent car with 6 of my friends this time and the driver. All our enthusiasm was cut short when we got stuck in traffic at ‘Penn’ village for more than an hour between 6.00 AM to 7.15 AM. Thoughts of actually not reaching the rafting site on time were fast becoming a reality with the traffic mainly due to the chaos of people exiting Mumbai for the two day mini holiday. Two public holidays back-to-back ‘Ramzan Id’ and ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ was enough reason for the mass exodus of people. Rafting, as instructed to us, would sharply begin at 9.00 AM due to the dam opening time and missing the deadline would mean missing the activity altogether. Vague rumours were floating all around with cops posted on the roads informing us that the traffic extended all the way to ‘Ratnagiri’. Traffic eased down completely once we passed ‘Wadkal Naka’ which was around 8.30 AM. Bucking up speed, we reached the venue latest by 10.30 AM. Since, it was a public holiday, we were informed that the dam would be opened up in two phases; one at 7.30 AM and the other at 11.00 AM. I would count us to be lucky to catch the 2^nd cut-off timing for the day on time.

A quick 20 minute safety gear and rafting rules alongwith our rafting instructor; Mr. Amar got us all excited as we finally boarded the raft and out onto the calm stream before the storm. Quick team shout and last minute reminders and we were off. Initially, everything seemed calm and some of us were getting a bit fidgety. This was because of the considerable heat that was bearing down upon us. A while later, everything was mayhem; right at the centre of rapids and one of my friends and myself being at the head of the raft were going at it. Huffs, puffs, instructor shouting out instructions, you would grapple to just sit relaxed and enjoy the view. We knew what to expect and we were right in the epicentre. A sudden rain storm took over and made the rafting that much more exciting. Mr. Amar quickly acknowledged that we were the most vocal group that day, with constant innovative team chants; primarily to keep us calm and dedicated and secondly to intimidate the other rafts of our presence.

Unique way of remembering the rapids that we covered were that all were named. Names such as ‘Fisherman’s Clove’, ‘Morning Headache’ and ‘Johnny Walker’ were assigned based on their difficulty. It was not much of a surprise that ‘Johnny Walker’ was the toughest of them all. ‘Morning Headache’ also preceded the rapid ‘Johnny Walker’. Keeping the raft in control was a big difficulty with quick continuous rafting. Credit of control of the raft should be truly given to our instructor Mr. Amar, who has been employed at Kolad only for the last 4 months, prior to which he used to raft on the rapids at Manali and Rishikesh which are of Grades 5 and 5+. Rafting, as he put it, requires a sense of calm and determination, losing any one results in the whole purpose of rafting being lost. As a neutral, I would never recommend white water rafting as an adventure sport, but for only those who look for that extra tinge of adventure and excitement. The final leg of 2-3 kms of the stretch, our group decided to swim with the strong current as a measure of relaxation and dwelling on what we experienced.

Reaching the place is quite easy though. You have to reach Panvel and hit the Mumbai- Goa national highway. You have to pass ‘Karnala Bird Sanctuary’. A left turn at ‘Wadkal Naka’ puts you on a straight route towards Goa. Various factories would be passed en route such as the ‘Johnson and Johnson’, ‘Jindal Plants’, and ‘Reliance’ over a distance of 30 kms. Ghats section of approximately 2 kms would be encountered after which the village ‘Khamb’ would be passed. ‘Kolad’ is the village to reach. Post ‘Kolad’, at a distance of around 1.5- 2 kms, a green signboard on the left hand side which reads ‘Pune-117 kms’ and ‘Vilhe- 21 kms’ would be sighted. At this juncture, you would need to take a left and head towards ‘Vilhe’ village which is at a distance of 21 kms. Immediately, on taking the left from the highway, would you pass a railway crossing. Moving forward, at the end of 21 kms at the village centre, a right needs to be taken and ‘Hotel Deep Sahyadri’ would be spotted on the right hand side which is next to the office of ‘White Water Rafting’. The direction to reach the resort would be tracing back to ‘Khamb’ village. Post ‘Khamb’ village’, at a distance of 1.5 kms, a left needs to be taken and red signboards of ‘Namrata Garden’ would be noticed. 8 of these signboards would need to be passed. The signboards are pretty illustrative in this region and keeping a watch out for the smallest of signboards is mandatory. 5 kms of travel and a signboard which reads ‘Dr. farms or Sai farms- 1 km right turn’ needs to be taken.

Overall, the experience was exhilarating and high adrenaline pumping one. Keeping in view that a person is closest to nature at these resorts; cell network coverage is very poor to not having any network at all. Other activities such as ‘Kayaking’ are also carried out on the river. My next target would be conquering the rapids up north in India. An exciting day finally comes to an end when we reach back to the city at 11.00 PM.

Total Cost per head:

Rafting: Rs. 1200.00 (Cost could vary- seasonal)

Day room package with food: Rs. 500.00 (Cost could vary- seasonal)

Hired car: Rs. 12.00 per kilometer (Cost could vary)

It would approximately come to Rs. 2200.00 to Rs. 2400.00 per head.

Ganpati Garad trek notes

2011-10-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

In the quote of Jeff Rasley “You got to get lost before you can be found”, the same applies to this wonderful place that we decided to trek and explore on the 23^rd of July, 2011. The planning started when the rains decided to open up in the city of Mumbai over the entire week; the excitement of trekking was too strong to resist.

Two days later, four of us were on our way to this wonderful place called Ganpati Garad. A place situated approximately 2.5 hours from Kalyan station in Mumbai. A discreetly located place, not frequented by many people, that piqued my interest when I stumbled upon a couple of snaps put up by some trekkers. Not many blogs are available online pertaining to this trek. The trek is comparatively easy to complete, but reaching the place via public transport is a strain considering there is no direct transport to reach the base village ‘Sonavle’. Private transport at your disposal to do this trek would be a boon considering the distance to be covered and the time taken to travel the same.

Four of my friends decided to trek Ganpati Garad and all of us decided to meet up at Kalyan station at 7.00 AM. Two of them camped out at Chembur as it wasn’t feasible to travel from Malad to Kalyan by the early morning trains. Reaching Kalyan, we were greeted by a small drizzle that was enough to remind and check the packing of our stuff and electronic equipment, though that consisted only of the cellular phone.

The starting point for our trek was Kalyan bus depot, which is right outside Kalyan station. From here, State Transport buses (ST buses) to Murbad are available. Buses are very frequent to Murbad and with a fare of Rs. 24/- and a travelling time of approximately one hour, it is an awesome way to catch up on a quick nap or to revel in the scenic village views once the bus leaves the town limits. From Murbad, share rickshaws; named ‘Tum Tum’ are available to the village called ‘Mhasa’, fare being Rs. 12/- for a distance of 20 kms. Tum Tum’s are these wide rickshaws running on diesel having a cramped up capacity of 15 people on the inside. A third changeover onto a private vehicle; ‘Sumo’ car; operating as a cab in ‘Mhasa’ will take you all the way to the village ‘Dhasai’. The driver of this car ferries kids who hang on the outside of the private vehicle, trying to return home after school. Direct ST buses are available from Murbad to Dhasai, but lack of clarity on the time of bus and time constraint, we decided for the former route. Mhasa to Dhasai takes about 30 mins with a fare of about Rs. 25/- for a distance of 12kms. Since we were pressed for time, mainly for the time we still had to cover up and secondly, due to the number of people still to take their seats (11 more people; total capacity was 15 people in a ‘Sumo’ for each trip) before the driver starts his trip; we decided to hire the entire cab agreeing to pay Rs. 250/- to the driver to take us up to Dhasai. The sights of Sudhagad and Naneghat, all flash across menacingly when travelling from ‘Mhasa’ to ‘Dhasai’.]The final leg from ‘Dhasai’ to the base village ‘Sonavle’ is at a distance of 7 kms and covered in 20 mins approximately by a ‘Tum Tum’ for a fare of Rs. 10/-.

Once at the base village, the caves of Ganpati Garad can be viewed giving an indication of the place where we were headed to finally. Some of the villagers warned us about the trek route indicating that there were quite a many rogue paths leading into the forest and it wasn’t a difficult way to actually wander off track unless we knew the path perfectly. This threw us into a tentative and speculative meeting at the end of which we decided to go in for a guide. The decision to not hire a guide was made instantly when the charge of Rs. 200/- was quoted to us.

The trek through the village finally started at about 11.40 AM with a possible time frame of 1 hour to 1.5 hours to reach the caves. Though, the caves were our destination, it was situated at a height of only 1/4^th the size of the mountain. This mountain according to locals needs a full 1 day of trekking by a different route all together with a small village located on top. Coming back to the trek, it started wonderfully; cloudy skies throughout our journey, walking through rice paddy fields, and the seemingly unknown task of trying to figure out the trek route in front of us. It was wonderful for the trek to finally materialize from a possible group of 12 people to finally end with up with 4! It was a trek of firsts for a couple of reasons as well. One of our friends was coming with us for the trek for the 1^st time and secondly, the trek was not the top of the cliff, but 6-7 caves located on the face of the mountain.

Legend has it that the caves used to accommodate Luv and Khush, the two sons of Lord Rama. Shivaji Maharaj in his pursuit to have an exit strategy in place for contingencies built a tunnel from the back side of the cave temple all the way to somewhere close to Pune. This tunnel, though, has been blocked and unfrequented. Considering that only about 4-5 groups of trekkers carry out this trek a year gave us a sense of pride as well as optimism. Pride for being amongst the lucky few and Optimism for the trek and the challenges that lie ahead.

Luckily for us, we came across a village boy named Mr. Yogesh who was herding his cattle and agreed to take us to the foothill giving us a clearer picture of the route to take to reach the caves successfully. He was kind enough to not charge us for the effort. But, as a token of appreciation, we did provide him a bit of cash. Continuing ahead, our endeavours of ‘Chasing the monsoons’ was becoming a kind of cumbersome task with no rains in either of our earlier treks. This was just before the rains decided to finally open up. The trek seemingly became easier to carry out once the rains started. The path was easy at first until the foothill and then, it turned into a gradual climb and a steep climb for the entire distance. Though, the distance is approximately 1000 feet above sea level, the views and the streams we had to cross and the final ledge walking just before reaching the caves gave us enough steam to believe that this trek though easy, was challenging enough. The site of a massive waterfall falling right across the face of our cave greeting us was simply fabulous. ‘Nature has its own ways!’ one could have added. The very idea that this trek was not frequented by many trekkers also got us involved close to nature in this beautiful season with only the sounds of nature to communicate with. The scene from the movie ‘Apocalypto’ will definitely be worth a mention.

The path to the caves was a bit tricky, but we always kept to the right. Passing two beautiful streams could be considered landmarks to consider that right route is being followed. Trekking during a dry weather wouldn’t be recommended, but a beautiful trek nevertheless to complete. The caves; a total number of around 7-8 are small and tricky. But, one cave which is the temple is massive and spacious and is regularly swept clean by the villagers.

Resting for a while after soaking in the sights from the caves, we had to leave back down considering the last ‘Tum Tum’ from the base village to Dhasai was at 4.00 PM. Though, this was a slight bother, we needed to reach the village on time. On our way down, the sight of rain and a small waterfall, changed our plans and in a jiffy all of us were in that waterfall. We were still halfway down at 4.30 PM when we decided that camping out at the village in case we miss our transport wasn’t a bad idea considering the next day was Sunday. But, as all our trek winds up, we lost our way, thanks to one of my friend who took a seemingly known wrong turn expecting us to lead us to original path quickly. Instead, it lead us deep into the forest in double quick time. In this, we also crossed an extra stream twice. With the rains now lashing, daylight on its fag end and no torch or light available with us, we bucked up our speed to reach the dam of Sonavle village. Once crossing this dam, we came across a farmer who pointed us that we were on the right track; just had taken the alternative route and had to just follow the road down. We reached the village at 6.00 PM to find one villager waiting for the ‘Tum Tum’ to take us back to ‘Dhasai’.

From ‘Dhasai’ we caught another ‘Tum Tum’ that took us straight to ‘Murbad’, from where an ST bus to Kalyan. An eventful and tiring day but worth the effort and the time involved. The trek, if being done would be easier if you start very early in the morning considering the distance and the change of transport to finally reach the village.

A beautiful one day trek, approximately 2.5 hours from Kalyan, away from the hustle and bustle of the city with a 1.5 hour trek is a complete stress buster and worth a recommendation to each one and all.

Trek Start point and route: Kalyan bus depotà Murbadà Mhasaà Dhasaià Sonavle

Base Village: Sonavle

The Total costs: Rs. 200 - Rs. 250/- per head (Based on the transport we ferried by-From Kalyan depot)