Splendid Lonavala

Rainy season has arrived and I am feeling Nostalgic about it. It reminds me of college days when we used to bunk lectures and would take a short trip to nearby places. Staying in Navi Mumbai is a PERK.!!. It takes hardly an hour by roadways to reach Lonavala. It is the closest hill station to Mumbai and an amazing place for picnics and trekking.

Places In and around Lonavala :

Tiger's Leap : It is also known as Tiger's point. At a height of 650 mtr, the view is breathtaking. The nearest bus stop is I.N.S. Shivaji, rest of the distance (appx 1.5 km) is to covered b walking.

Lion Point: The place lies in between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley and gives an amazing scenic view.

Shooting Point: Another scenic point in the town of Khandala (Bazaar peth), which provides magnificent view of the Rajmachi Fort and the valley. Also the home for the St. Mary's villa.

Duke's Nose: Duke's Nose stands 12 km from Lonavla, clearly visible from the highway while driving towards Mumbai. This landmark in Khandala is popular with hikers. The cliff owes its name to the Duke of Wellington, whose ample nose it resembles.

Rajmachi Point: Rajmachi Point is located about 6.5 km from Lonavla. This point commands a view of Shivaji's famous fort, Rajmachi (Royal terrakouioce) and the surrounding valley. Regular State Transport buses ply between Rajmachi Point and Lonavla from the State Transport Bus Stand. The famous Vaghjai Dari is also located here.

Wax Museum: The 'Celebrity Wax Museum', modelled on the famous Madame Tussauds in London, is located only 3 km away from the railway station at Varsoli, near Toll Plaza is a new attraction for the tourists

Bhushi Dam: A waterfall near the dam is a popular spot between Lonavla and I.N.S. Shivaji. Buses running on the I.N.S. Shivaji Road stop here

Karla Caves: located near Lonavla, is a complex of cave shrines built by Budhist monks around 3rd to 2nd century B.C. A famous temple of Goddess Ekvira Devi is also present here

Lohagad Fort: A robust climb of about 11.2 km from Malavali Railway Station takes you to the 'Iron Fort', once a formidable battle-station of Shivaji. The fort commands a view of the surrounding hills and hamlets.

Tungarli Lake and Dam: The dam was built during the British era and features a serene surrounding. This lake and Dam come to life during the Monsoon season.

Important: Be careful while driving during rainy season as the fog affects the visibility of the roads.

Weekend getaway to Matheran

Been busy for quite a long time, my husband finally decided to take a break. We finalised for Matheran but were sceptical about it. Instead of driving we decided to take train from Dadar. After one and a half hour of traveling we reached Neral. Sadly we missed out Matheran's famous 'Toy train ride' and had to take a share cab till Dasturi point. No vehicles are allowed at Matheran as they wanted to maintain it as pollution free zone. The main market place is almost an hour walk from dasturi point. It is worth walking down the pathway with lush greenery. As we started our way to hotel the first thought that came to my mind is this what it is to be happy. Sky-high hills, roaring waterfalls and lush greenery. Matheran is nested in Western Ghats, 2625 feet above sea level.

Walking for quite a time, We reached our hotel. Matheran has the influence of British and Parsi styles, giving it a combination of global and local charm. It was a bungalow converted to a hotel, built by Hon'ble Mr. Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy. The panoramic view from hotel balcony was breathtaking. Away from the noise of the city, we could feel the fresh air, bird's chirping... We unpacked our bags, had our breakfast, rested for while and left for the market place.

Matheran is famous for its leather products and chikki. The main market is usually a busy street with a number of shops selling shoes, slippers, sandals and other leather goods. Lots of varieties of Chikki (made of peanut and jaggery). An advice, beware of monkeys as you dont know from where they will appear and snatch your stuff away. They are not harmful but dont try to mess around with them.

There are many designated look-out points in Matheran, namely Little Chowk Point, Hart Point, Rambagh Point and so on. They offers an opportunity to view beauty of the hills, valley, low lying plains and quite villages. Not to forget about about famous Pisarnath Temple. It is located on the banks of the Charlotte lake. If you are adventure freak, try valley crossing from Honeymoon Point to Louisa Point. There are many trekking routes to Matheran. Garbert Plateau being the favorite of all. The trek starts from Bhivpuri station.

The magic of Matheran has to be appreciated; if you are nature lover, no doubt this spot should definitely appear on the top of your holiday destination list. The true nature lies here..!!

Family trip to Alibaug

Cold, cozy nights, warm blankets, hot coffee. Yes its winter..!! It is time of the year when the songs you hear seems to be more romantic than ever. Sweaters appear on top of your shopping list. Catching up with friends doesn't mean party or movie but for a bonfire. It is special in its own way. Amazing climate, Christmas vacation and yes another reason for an outing.

Like every year, even this time we were planning for a weekend family trip. The place finalised was 'Alibaug'. It is around 3 hrs drive from Mumbai. One of the closest and clean beach to Mumbai. And if you are in an exploring mood then take a ferry from Gateway of India till Mandwa which takes appx an hr to reach. Later a cab or a bus till Alibaug which takes another hour. Similarly another option available is to take a ferry from 'Bhaucha Dhakka' to Rewas. Don't forget to feed the seagull while traveling by ferry (Wink).

There are many tourist attractions in and around Alibaug, but it is famous for its rich & clean beaches. To began with Kashid beach is the hotspot of the visitors. It is the most beautiful and cleanest beach. Around 36 Kms from Alibaug, it lies on Alibaug-Murud highway. It is a perfect place to relax away from the crowd. Other than kashid beach you can also visit Varsoli Beach (1 km away from Alibaug), Akshi Beach (6 km away from Alibaug), Nagaon beach (10 km away from Alibaug), Kihim-Navgaon Beach (12 km away from Alibaug).

Birla Temple is a must see tourist place in Alibaug. The temple is dedicated to lord Ganesha and is addressed as 'Vikram Vinayak Temple' by the locals. It is situated about 20 Kms from Alibaug. Other than Birla Temple, the other temples to visited are Kanakeshwar temple, which is situated on a hill near Mapgaon village, about 12 km away from Alibag and falls on the way to Mandawa. Hingulja Mandir which was built by pandwas is Situated near datta mandir, Shitaladevi Temple s around 18 kms from Alibaug.

Other than beaches and temples, the to be visited places include forts.Kolaba fort (you can also pronounce it as Kulaba) is situated in the sea at a distance of 1–2 km from the Alibag shores. During low tide one can walk to the fort. This was assumed to be the last fort built before his death. The fort used to have a sweet water well. Korlai Fort is Situated between Chaul and Kashid. Murud-Janjira is a fort situated not very far from Alibag. It was built by Siddi traders. Shivaji Maharaj failed to capture the fort from the Siddis. One can find fresh water pounds inside the fort even today.

Indeed Alibaug is a paradise for beach lovers. It makes you feel relaxed. The place is amazing be it the special sea food to the mesmerizing beaches. Its worth visiting the place once.