[StudentDriver]

The Itch for a Short Getaway
For the past few days, I had been itching for a quick road trip — something short, doable in a single day, and ideally a place where I could escape Mumbai’s scorching April heat (and trust me, it’s been a proper furnace lately).
Living in the city during this time of year, I found myself longing for cooler surroundings, some greenery, and peace — without committing to an overnight stay. After scanning Google Maps, reading a few reviews, and looking at travel photos, I finally landed on Tansa Lake. Seemed like the perfect little getaway to chill for a few hours and head back by night.


But First… A Surprise ‘Mechanic’ Under the Crysta

Just as I was about to start the drive, I noticed something under the car. Alarmed at first, I bent down… only to find a very sleepy, very fluffy ‘mechanic’ napping under the chassis — a cat that had clearly claimed the underside of my Innova Crysta as its personal workshop or chill zone.
Guess even she knew the heat was unbearable and the car offered shade. I like to think she gave her blessing to the trip before lazily strolling off. If only she knew what chaos was coming up...
"Certified Crysta Mechanic taking her afternoon nap before the chaos begins.")


Departure from Mumbai | 5:00 - 5:30 PM

I left Mumbai in the early evening, hoping to reach Tansa Lake before sunset. But right from the start, things began going sideways. The roads leading up to Tansa were in terrible shape — potholes, broken surfaces, and narrow stretches slowed me down considerably.
By the time I reached near the lake, it was already getting dark. Worse still, the area around the Tansa viewpoint felt extremely shady and deserted. It didn’t feel safe to step out, so I decided to stay inside the car and move on, rather than risk anything.
In the end, low visibility and the eerie vibe meant I couldn’t enjoy the view at all, which was pretty disappointing.


Onward to Shahpur – Or So I Thought

Wanting to salvage the evening, I decided to head toward Shahpur. But things only got more frustrating from here. The mobile network dropped, and Google Maps kept misdirecting me onto interior, kaccha roads that seemed rarely used and very poorly maintained.
Much like the Tansa area, these backroads also felt isolated and suspicious, and I again made the call to stay in the car and keep driving cautiously. A couple of times, my Innova Crysta’s underbody scraped over rough terrain — nothing major, but definitely not something you want to feel more than once in a trip.


Totally Lost, Then Relief at NH47

I ended up getting lost multiple times and spent a good while circling through unknown territory. Eventually, I made it back to the NH47 highway around 9:00

PM. Sadly, even the national highway didn’t offer relief — there were diversions all over the place, and the road quality remained poor, filled with uneven patches and construction activity.
Honestly, if I had to rate the overall road quality of the entire trip, it wouldn’t go beyond 4/10.

Dinner & the Way Back

After finally escaping the maze of misdirections, I stopped at Hotel Pariwar Garden for a quick dinner. The food was decent, and it gave me a chance to unwind after a very tiring drive. From there, I made the final stretch back to Mumbai, reaching home at 12:10 AM.


Trip Stats & Final Thoughts
• Route: Mumbai → Tansa Lake-Shahapur-NH47-
Mumbai
• Car: Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8 AT Diesel
• Total Time: Approx. 7 hours

• Fuel Efficiency: 8.7 L/100 km (≈ 11.5 km/l)
• Challenges: Bad roads, zero network, GPS errors,
underbody scrapes, shady areas
• Road Rating: Max 4/10

Disappointed, but Not Done Yet
To be honest, I wrapped up the trip feeling disappointed and underwhelmed. Tansa Lake remained unseen, and most of the drive felt more like damage control than a relaxing escape.
That said — I’m not done with this route. I still want to see what Tansa has to offer under the right conditions. I plan to try this trip again, but next time with:
• A much earlier start
• Offline maps downloaded
• A better-planned route
• And maybe even a companion or two for added safety

Thanks for reading! If any of you have done this route or have tips for reaching Tansa or Shahpur more efficiently, I’d love to hear from you. Looking forward to many more drives and shared experiences on this forum!

Rest of the pics i took a here as follows

[Iyencar]

Might seem like a stupid question, but which of these pics is of the view-point?

[StudentDriver]

That’s the funny part — by the time we finally reached the viewpoint, it was already pitch dark and we couldn’t see a thing! So, despite making it all the way there, we had to turn back without actually seeing the view.

[400notout]

Which part of “Mumbai” do you live in that made you think you could catch the sunset if you left at 5:00 p.m? I live in Thane’s closest point to Shahapur and it will take me 2.5 hrs to navigate the 68kms to Tansa lake.