[siddheshb]

Last weekend, on the way back to Pune from Goa, we decided to take a short detour to the Kaas Plateau, famous for its wild flowers.


Just 25 kms or so from Satara, the Kaas Pathaar (as they call it in Marathi) is an ecosystem quite like no other I have seen! A short steep ghat with breathtaking views takes you to a thin sliver of land perched high among the clouds between two huge reservoirs, the road snaking gently as it climbs towards the huge plateau. Spotlessly clean, with not a scrap of paper or plastic, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in Europe. Especially when, at 230 on a bright sunny afternoon, you feel the chilled air blowing against your face.







The authorities now prevent you from parking at the plateau, which is a great thing! There is ample parking a couple of KMs before, and you can enjoy a exhilarating ride in an ST bus the rest of the way. You can of course choose to tell the authorities that you are driving further to Bamnoli, and then pass Kaas by car, and maybe you will find some place to park and come back on foot.













When we reached, we were probably past prime season, but the views, the fresh breeze, the cleanliness and the overall experience was just too good to miss!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

Last weekend, on the way back to Pune from Goa, we decided to take a short detour to the Kaas Plateau, famous for its wild flowers.

Nice, "drive by", unspoilt kind of place.

OT: Have you lost the chorme garnish on the headlamps of Samara? Why are the black rivets/screws so prominent in the photos shown here?

[siddheshb]

Saw some pics from a friend who went to Kaas a few days earlier... OMG, simply beautiful, with a myriad of flowers. We got just the very end of season, I guess :(

@n.devdath, I have these additional covers over the headlamps - apparently these "protect" the lights from stones and other missiles, especially when offroading. Not much use, actually, but what the heck. Need to clean them a bit now - took a lot of dust and grime in Goa, and Dapoli, and not yet fully cleaned out!

[ampere]

Just a question:

I hope they do allow one to drive through that road to Tapola and there on to Mahabaleshwar? That looks like a beautiful road to take.

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

When we reached, we were probably past prime season, but the views, the fresh breeze, the cleanliness and the overall experience was just too good to miss!

hey, I had been to it almost the same period (21st Sept), although enjoyed the natural beauty at its best, it was bit low as compared to our expectation! We were told from local people that the actual season is yet to arrive. Not sure how much window Kaas usually has for fully bloomed flowers, and how much it had this time?

[Omtoatom]

Very pristine Siddhesh. For someone that frequents that route quite often, I wasn't aware of this Kaas Pathaar. How do I take this lovely "detour" and what is the best time of the year?

Originally Posted by ampere

I hope they do allow one to drive through that road to Tapola and there on to Mahabaleshwar? That looks like a beautiful road to take.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Am driving to Mahabaleshwar next week - might be one heck of a drive.

[siddheshb]

I have heard that Aug end to early Sept is the best window - but who knows, with the way seasons change, this might no longer be true.

The road from Kaas to Mahabaleshwar should be awesome, as long as you have time on your side and a good tank of fuel. If someone tries it, or has already done it before, please let us know!

@Omtoatom (I love your handle!), the simplest route is to get into Satara City from the Maratha Palace Hotel chowk on NH4 (turn right if you are arriving from Pune). Go straight through the city till you hit a big junction with a traffic island. Turn sharp left at the circle. Then go straight, asking for Kaas. Once you hit the Ghat, you can't miss it.

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

I have heard that Aug end to early Sept is the best window - but who knows, with the way seasons change, this might no longer be true.

Yeah, people say September is the best period to visit Kaas. Bit more interest about the timing is because was there on 19th Sept just 3 days (or at the max 10) before your weekend trip. What I saw was completely different picture, that too according to locals not in full bloom mode. A glimpse, it shows the fencing work carried-out recently. Though a neat work for tourism, the environmentalists are against it since it affects the movement of wild animals.





Finally sorry for hijacking your thread!

[Omtoatom]

Originally Posted by siddheshb

@Omtoatom (I love your handle!), the simplest route is to get into Satara City from the Maratha Palace Hotel chowk on NH4 (turn right if you are arriving from Pune). Go straight through the city till you hit a big junction with a traffic island. Turn sharp left at the circle. Then go straight, asking for Kaas. Once you hit the Ghat, you can't miss it.

Thanks Siddhesh. I guess the handle is a result of a moment of creative inspiration. I've come to like it too

Will definitely be trying your recommended route. Thanks for the directions buddy.

Btw just outta curiosity: which camera do you have? Nice shots there

[siddheshb]

@Omtoatom, it is a simple Sony HD HandyCam HDR-XR550. Just try working a little with the spot meter, and hope to compose the shot well. Am pretty clueless when it comes to other technicalities :(