[shishir_bn]

Hi Guys,

Planning for one more circuit as mentioned in the subject line.

Will be doing this circuit in Dec. Places that will be covered are

1. Lonavala
2. Matheran
3. Bushi Dam
4. Karla Caves
5. Bhaja Caves
6. Visapur fort
7. Lohgad
8. Pavana Dam
9. Mulshi lake
10. Lavasa
11. Pirangut
12. Kadakwasla
13. Singhad Fort
14. Panshet Dam

All these places were choosen with the help of HV Kumar and some of my friends. Please add places which I have missed.

So my questions are like this

1. From the google maps it says that to reach Lohgad from Visapur fort we have to go all the way to Lonavala and then reach Lohgad. IS this right?. If not then please tell me what route I should take.

2. From the maps, the road ends near lohgad and Visapur (if we start from Lonavala). Is this right?. I mean does this road end at the bottom of the hill/fort and do we have to walk all through??

3. To reach Pavana dam, do we have to take the NH4 and then deviate after passing the Bhaja caves?? Don't we have any routes from Lohgad??

4. The google maps shows that to reach lavasa we can directly go from Tamhini instead of going via Pirangut. But I don't see any roads from Tamhini.

5. Please give me some good hotel name at Lonavala and Pune. The last day plan is to finish Panshet dam and Singhad fort and then start to Bangalore. So a good hotel in Khadakwasla will also work for me.

6. Planning to halt at Hubli and then if time permits planning to finish Hampi also. So a good hotel at Hubli is also required

7. Last but not the least. Any roads where I have to be very careful. I means roads like Matheran and Mulayanagiri?

Please help me with the above info

Thanks in advance

[misguidedmisile]

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Hi Guys,

Planning for one more circuit as mentioned in the subject line.

Will be doing this circuit in Dec. Places that will be covered are


So my questions are like this

1. From the google maps it says that to reach Lohgad from Visapur fort we have to go all the way to Lonavala and then reach Lohgad. IS this right?. If not then please tell me what route I should take.


2. From the maps, the road ends near lohgad and Visapur (if we start from Lonavala). Is this right?. I mean does this road end at the bottom of the hill/fort and do we have to walk all through??

3. To reach Pavana dam, do we have to take the NH4 and then deviate after passing the Bhaja caves?? Don't we have any routes from Lohgad??


Please help me with the above info

Thanks in advance

Hi Shishir,

I have some idea of a few of the things that you have listed above. Hope these inputs help you in some way.

1. You will need to take the Old Poona-Bombay Highway and avoid taking the ExpressWay, as you exit Pune. About 30-40 Kms after you get on this Highway, you need to take a road towards the left, which will take you into Malavli village. Please understand that Lohagad and Visapur are two forts on top of the same mountain range. Malavli is the base village from which point, you need to trek and go to these two Forts. The google maps says you need to go to Lonavla because it has chosen the New Expressway as the route, where you cant get off the Highway at Malavli.

2. Yes, you need to walk all the way up from Malavli village. This is a 2-3Hour trek

3. Again, you need to take the Old Poona-Bombay Highway and avoid taking the ExpressWay. About 25-30kms down the Highway, you need to take a left for Kamshet. From here you can ask someone the route for Pavana Dam which is towards the right, after you enter Kamshet. Bhaja caves is also a small 20min trek from the base of Malavli village; this can be combined with Lohagad/Visapur instead.

Will try to get more details on the exact turn off points from the Poona-Bombay highway

Cheers!
Varun

[himavanth_m]

You have missed the most famous one:
Mahabaleshwar. It is a great place to see, but i think it is becoming overcrowded now a days.
If you like forts, Rajghad too is an excellent fort. For this you have to cross Mahabaleshwar and can be clubbed with Mahabaleshwar.

Another good place to visit is Varandha Ghat. You can just take a diversion on NH4 drive there and again drive back. Nothing to stay.

If you are of the trekking type, do check out Neelkanteshwar.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post2122539

Also, Karnala bird sactuary can also be checked out as there is a trek route to some peak here.

Drive to Matheran is through steep inclines and narrow roads. Most of the other places you have mentioned are also through Ghats, but roads are much easier to drive to

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by misguidedmisile

Hope these inputs help you in some way.

Will try to get more details on the exact turn off points from the Poona-Bombay highway

Thanks Varun. Will wait for more info.

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

You have missed the most famous one:
Mahabaleshwar. It is a great place to see, but i think it is becoming overcrowded now a days.
If you like forts, Rajghad too is an excellent fort. For this you have to cross Mahabaleshwar and can be clubbed with Mahabaleshwar.

Thanks for the info. Will add this to my list.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

So my questions are like this

1. From the google maps it says that to reach Lohgad from Visapur fort we have to go all the way to Lonavala and then reach Lohgad. IS this right?. If not then please tell me what route I should take.

2. From the maps, the road ends near lohgad and Visapur (if we start from Lonavala). Is this right?. I mean does this road end at the bottom of the hill/fort and do we have to walk all through??

3. To reach Pavana dam, do we have to take the NH4 and then deviate after passing the Bhaja caves?? Don't we have any routes from Lohgad??

4. The google maps shows that to reach lavasa we can directly go from Tamhini instead of going via Pirangut. But I don't see any roads from Tamhini.

7. Last but not the least. Any roads where I have to be very careful. I means roads like Matheran and Mulayanagiri?

Please help me with the above info

Thanks in advance

Shishir, misguidedmisile is partly right.
There are two ways to do Lohgad - Visapur forts.

1. You can go by the route misguidedmisile has suggested, park your car at Malavali and trek to Lohagad. It is about 2 hrs trek. At base of the fort, there is small village, Lohgadwadi. From here the stairs of the fort start.
You have to return to Lohgadwadi and go to Visapur. I have never been to Visapur but guess it is another 2 hrs trek.

2. As you have already mentioned, the google maps route is the other route. If you take this route, you can take your car upto Lohgadwadi. For this you need to readh Lonavala from Pune and then take the road to Lohgadwadi. This would be a small road hence you have to enquire about it in Lonavala

I don't have any information about how to reach Pavana dam.

As far as route to Lavasa is concerned, I am not sure what you mean by Tamhini. It is a ghat route but there is no place called Tamhini. And as far as I know, this ghat lies beyond Pirangut. So if you start from Pune, then Pirangut will be the first place you will touch before Tamhini.

Road to Matheran is small and has more twists but don't think that should be an issue. But you should know that the parking for your car would be at place 3 km before Matheran. So your car will be left there for 1 or 2 days.

[Fauji]

What about Malshej Ghat? Add this to your list.

[heman_369]

Malshej ghat is either a moonsoon or a dec-jan destination when you can see flamingoes. Trekking to rajgad is more intresting than Lohagad or Visapur if you fancy a 3-4hr trek. Avoid mahabaleshwar and matheran, these are 'typical touristy' hill stations.

[jesrani]

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Hi Guys,

5. Please give me some good hotel name at Lonavala

Have stayed in Hotel Citrus in Lonavala last year. Very good, modern but typical hotel, okay for couple or maybe small group. Rooms bit small.
Had gone in June with other couple friends and everyones kids and we stayed at Hotel Gautam. We really liked it as it has open space and we could all sit and chitchat whereas kids could play within our eyes view.

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by Fauji

What about Malshej Ghat? Add this to your list.

Thanks for the input. Let me see if I get time from the above then will visit this also.

Originally Posted by shipnil

Shishir, misguidedmisile is partly right.
There are two ways to do Lohgad - Visapur forts.

Thanks for the help

Originally Posted by heman_369

Malshej ghat is either a moonsoon or a dec-jan destination when you can see flamingoes. Trekking to rajgad is more intresting than Lohagad or Visapur if you fancy a 3-4hr trek. Avoid mahabaleshwar and matheran, these are 'typical touristy' hill stations.

Wonderful Info. I also going in Dec. Let me check my luck then

Originally Posted by jesrani

Have stayed in Hotel Citrus in Lonavala last year. Very good, modern but typical hotel, okay for couple or maybe small group. Rooms bit small.
Had gone in June with other couple friends and everyones kids and we stayed at Hotel Gautam. We really liked it as it has open space and we could all sit and chitchat whereas kids could play within our eyes view.

Will check out this hotel. Thanks for the info

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Thanks for the input.

Make sure you enjoy some local cusine as well.

a) Shrewsberry Biscuits - Kayani bakery

b) Sabudana vada - Vaishali (run by Mangalore shettys, Puneites flock here for Crispy dosas. Being Bangalorean, you enjoy Sabudana Vada here)

c) We tasted excellent Vegetarian Maharashtrian Thali in ASHA Dining Hall, Apte Road

d) Missal Pav in Bedekar Missal

Puneites pls add to the list

[honeybee]

Regarding Matheran, the road from the main road towards the hill station is extremely steep and narrow. Unless you are able to closely follow the curve of the road, you will struggle to find and give space when faced with oncoming traffic. There are a couple of locations where signs have been put up to warn motorists to switch to first gear while climbing. And believe me, the ascents are STEEP!

Since the Neral - Matheran mini train has now commenced operations (it remains closed in monsoons), you will also have to watch out for the train, as there are several train crossings (unmanned, of course) and some of them are treacherous as you can't see the tracks. Halting en route means you have to slip the clutch generously to get the vehicle start moving up again.