[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Dhanushmenon - I really enjoyed reading your travelogue. Malshej Ghat is my most favorite drive road near Mumbai, the waterfall near the tunnel needs to be experienced to be believed! The top of the Ghat is 63 kms from Kalyan, then you go further to meet the Nasik Pune highway at Ale Phata, left to Nasik, right to Pune and straight to Ahmednagar. 7 kms before Ale Phata, there is a dip in the road which I use to test the handling performance. The Ahmednagar stretch after Ale Phata is also full of gentle curves, a driver's delight, lovely to look at and very picture-friendly. I take my testing cars from there as it is the shortest way to reach the high speed trat track at VRDE Ahmednagar from Mumbai. With responsible but spirited driving, you can do it in around 3 hours with a Vada Pav halt at Ale Phata thrown in for good measure!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[poised2drive]

One more of your travelogue [ though without Mr.X this time] and I lay here cursing myself for not living the life your way !

And this one invokes, amidst all this chaotic concrete jungle, the sweet scent of the mud in rain across the fog draped leaves and all the joy that entails it.

And the pic of the 'eagleeye' with his Friendly guy was so perfect and touching which appears to be a testimony to the eons of friendship between humans and dogs and no wonder they are the [hu]mankind's best friend.

And in the pic of ' waterfall on the road, is it a boulder that fell off the cliff? If yes, then that path is particularly dangerous during monsoons . But as they say - beyond fear lies freedom !

Thanks for such a wonderful travelogue again.

[deetjohn]

Just WOW!

Even though I am seeing these pictures for the second time, it takes nothing away from the joy to be had while looking at those beautiful snaps. And the crown jewel is that pic of a house on the mountain by EagleEye. Brilliant!

Amazing location! Should be de facto place near Mumbai for all our official reviews.

Thanks for sharing this with all of us here Mr. D!

[voyageur]

Dhanush,

I must say you are one of the best travelogue writers in here. I have read all of your travelogues, and yet I look forward to next. And another best thing about your travelogues is your amazing pictures. Every single TL has something that will make me want to visit the place. The same has happened with this TL again. I am definitely visiting Malshej ghat sometime, in the monsoons hopefully.

I have rated this thread a very well deserved 5 stars.

Cheers!

[rsm97]

Great pictures Dhanush. Reminded me my years in Mumbai during early 2000, Some hillocks around Nerul turn delightful during long monsoon. I once traveled to Chiplun for work during peak monsoon and will not forget the experience. Miss that one season in Gurgaon surely. Keep it up..

[hillsnrains]

Thanks Dhanush for sharing amazing pics accompained by nice narration. You made my day, i could recollect my 2005 bike trip to Malshej from Pune after reading your travelogue. Lush green hills with numerous water falls brings life and unique charm to pictures (this is all about my handle ).
As you rightly said, water will be very cool until you get wet. But once you enter into water falls, believe me water will be luke warm.

[rajeev k]

When people prefer to stay indoors and do nothing and sing Rain Rain Go Away.., you have ventured out and provided a destination for others.
As usual, excellent narration and wonderful clicks. Keep going.

[V.Narayan]

Dear Dhanush Menon and Eagle Eye,

Kudos to both of you 'Shikshith Berozgar' gentlemen.....that means 'Educated Unemployed ..... your days of unemployment are over ..... hope is in sight. Happy to hire both of you as photographers!!!

Thank you for this delightful thread and the poetry.

Best wishes,
Narayan

[cunnuvila]

Amazing travelogue and breathtaking images. Good one, guys.

[dhanushmenon]

Thanks everyone for your very kind words.
I feel really humbled.
Especially when these accolades flow from many of the established travelogue & travel gurus.
Thanks a lot guys.
Really meant a lot.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

For an August trip the place looks very green. Would have thought you did it during peak monsoon season.

Thanks Suhas.
You are right; for the month of August, the place is very green.
However, the preceding week of our ride saw considerable rains in the Mumbai area. That would've definitely contributed, I am sure.

Originally Posted by ampere

Oh Man Dhanush! You ARE living the good life! Maharashtra in monsoon is a different story; a truly a different poetry. Have not been able to do that till date. But will always remember to cover that one! In fact the whole of ghats in MH south of Pune. Keep rolling!

Thanks ampere.
Really honoured.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

You wait months to write the report, then upload it exactly when I don't have a second to spare for months at work.

Wow. You should be rewarded.
That you did'nt have time, still you took out time to reply on the thread.
Who is your boss? I shall tip him about a person who peeps into Teambhp whilst in Office

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Excellent snaps! Great to see the ghat roads in the perfect climate. Monsoon drives have it's own charm, I personally love the sound of the tires on the wet road.
It's one of my dream to drive on the Western Ghat roads.

Thanks gearhead_mait.
I am sure that your dream would materialise soon. It's only a bit of determination which you need. The rest of the things will conspire to get that true.

Originally Posted by avingodb

Thanks for the report, your pics are nice.

BTW which part of which Maniratnam movie was shot there?

Thanks a lot avingodb.
Much of the movie Raavan was shot in Malshej Ghats; including the climax.

Originally Posted by Ashir

So tempting place to visit! Thanks for sharing Dhanush!

Thanks Ashir.
India is much enchanting. No doubt about that.
And more enchanting are the places which are not much famous.
Places which are off the tourist maps.

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Dhanushmenon - I really enjoyed reading your travelogue.

The top of the Ghat is 63 kms from Kalyan, then you go further to meet the Nasik Pune highway at Ale Phata, left to Nasik, right to Pune and straight to Ahmednagar. 7 kms before Ale Phata, there is a dip in the road which I use to test the handling performance. The Ahmednagar stretch after Ale Phata is also full of gentle curves, a driver's delight, lovely to look at and very picture-friendly. I take my testing cars from there as it is the shortest way to reach the high speed trat track at VRDE Ahmednagar from Mumbai. With responsible but spirited driving, you can do it in around 3 hours with a Vada Pav halt at Ale Phata thrown in for good measure!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thanks Behram.
That was quite some information; which would be useful for many who would want to plan this drive in future.

Originally Posted by poised2drive

One more of your travelogue [ though without Mr.X this time] and I lay here cursing myself for not living the life your way !

And this one invokes, amidst all this chaotic concrete jungle, the sweet scent of the mud in rain across the fog draped leaves and all the joy that entails it.

And the pic of the 'eagleeye' with his Friendly guy was so perfect and touching which appears to be a testimony to the eons of friendship between humans and dogs and no wonder they are the [hu]mankind's best friend.

And in the pic of ' waterfall on the road, is it a boulder that fell off the cliff? If yes, then that path is particularly dangerous during monsoons . But as they say - beyond fear lies freedom !

Thanks for such a wonderful travelogue again.

Thanks for your kind words poised2drive.
You definitely have a flair for words.
In so precise words, you have given so much of praise.

Yes, that looked like a boulder which had fallen from atop the cliff.
As you said- "Beyond fear, lies freedom"

Shall I pop a Mountain dew?

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Should be de facto place near Mumbai for all our official reviews.

Are the mumbai review writers reading this??

Thanks a million for your encouragement deet.

Originally Posted by voyageur

Dhanush,

I must say you are one of the best travelogue writers in here. I have read all of your travelogues, and yet I look forward to next.

Thanks for your rating buddy.
Along with your drive to Malshej this time, I also hope that you would be able to quench your thirst for Meghamalai too.
Long overdue, I know.

And, thanks for your very very kind words; for I do not know whether I am worthy of so much.

Originally Posted by rsm97

Great pictures Dhanush. Keep it up..

Thanks rsm97.
Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by hillsnrains

Thanks Dhanush for sharing amazing pics accompained by nice narration. You made my day, i could recollect my 2005 bike trip to Malshej from Pune after reading your travelogue. Lush green hills with numerous water falls brings life and unique charm to pictures (this is all about my handle ).

Thanks hillsnrains.
Hoping to find travelogues about your escapades too, to hills with rains.
On after thought, I could settle with mountains too.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

As usual, excellent narration and wonderful clicks. Keep going.

Thanks rajeev_k.
Really glad that you liked it.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Dear Dhanush Menon and Eagle Eye,

Kudos to both of you 'Shikshith Berozgar' gentlemen.....that means 'Educated Unemployed ..... your days of unemployment are over ..... hope is in sight. Happy to hire both of you as photographers!!!

"Shikshi... what?"
I think I need to learn more of hindi now.
Good that you translated it, lest I would've been running behind my hindi speaking friends to have mercy on me.
I learnt two new hindi words today.

Thanks V.Narayan.
Really glad that you liked it.

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Thanks for your rating buddy.
Along with your drive to Malshej this time, I also hope that you would be able to quench your thirst for Meghamalai too.
Long overdue, I know.

I had long forgotten this place. Thanks for bumping this place up. I wish our Cochin bhpians step up this time. The chances are unlikely though

I think you might do that place well before me at this rate.

[EagleEye]

Really, Dhanush, I had an amazing time on the trip and I had an even more amazing time reading your travelogue because through your words I relived those moments once more!

One of the best things about that trip was how we were able to breeze through all the toll gates without having to pay a single paisa, thanks to Mr. Dhanush.

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by cunnuvila

Amazing travelogue and breathtaking images. Good one, guys.

Thanks cunnuvila.
Welcome to the forum; and that's quite a unique handle you've got there.

Originally Posted by voyageur

I had long forgotten this place. Thanks for bumping this place up. I wish our Cochin bhpians step up this time. The chances are unlikely though

I think you might do that place well before me at this rate.

If you wait for Kochi Bhpians for a long drive, you might as well wipe that off from your wish list.
However, they would team up with a huge grin and glee for a short drive or meet.
You know that very well.

Though I wish to visit Meghamalai, now that I have relocated to the Eastern Coast, it looks much closer to "not feasible".

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Really, Dhanush, I had an amazing time on the trip and I had an even more amazing time reading your travelogue because through your words I relived those moments once more!

One of the best things about that trip was how we were able to breeze through all the toll gates without having to pay a single paisa, thanks to Mr. Dhanush.

Ah! At last!!
I was till now wondering where the main character of the story vanished!
C'mon man, I expected a response from you earlier than this.
However, I pardon you; for you have the Monday Blues to look after.

[NOX]

WOW! Such a lush landscape. India has so much beauty to offer. This place is going down my wish list, but coming in from the south might make this trip a long one. The road and weather makes for a perfect wet track condition. 4x4 would have paved the way for a bit of off-roading venture, especially the place where the road seemed to end with a small stream . An amazing trip none the less. Thanks for sharing such place.

[Dodge_Viper]

My monsoons always start with this drive . NH222 from Murbad all the way till Malshej is just a brilliant piece of tarmac. Specially if you cross this patch early morning, there is not a single vehicle for kms apart. Entire road becomes your private playground. Plus the beauty of Malshej, the car spa near tunnel topped with piping hot vada pavs and tea. Bliss!

One of the glimpses from my many visits to this.