Mighty waterfalls, gurgling streams, enchanting mists, mesmerizing views, pouring rain and meandering roads – If these excite you, read on!
Monsoon is now at its youth and the weather has become intoxicating. The landscape has turned lush green already and the time is ripe for a long drive in the rain to soak in the bounty of the season!
For people living near Pune and Mumbai, there are plenty of places to visit and take in the views to enjoy the blessings of nature.
They often visit Lonavala, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar or Matheran to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and roaring, white waterfalls. Maharashtra is endowed with abundant natural beauty that is greatly enhanced by the rainy season.
However, instead of always going to these well known places, let us try a different escape this weekend. Take a drive to Lavasa to enjoy the vistas that the bounty of this season creates.
Lavasa, once a promise of the urban future, was India’s first planned and privately built hill station. It could easily have been an example for other smart cities to replicate the model. Unfortunately the hill station got caught in political crossfire and also become target of environmental concerns. As a result, the city right now is nothing more than a ruin of a promising hill station.
However all this could not take away its natural beauty, because that is created by God and not humans, and hence remains unaffected by human action or inaction.
Nevertheless, we will not get into the history of Lavasa, rather, let’s delve into the beauty of this place. It has so many waterfalls that after a while you will give up counting or clicking pictures.
Lush green valleys, numerous waterfalls and forever rain makes this place a haven for monsoon lovers. Here is how you can plan you trip.
From Chandni Chowk, take the Mulshi road and reach Ghotawade Phata and take a left from there. You will now be on Lavasa Road and this will take you straight to Lavasa gate.
However reaching Lavasa gate is not important, but the journey. Its about 20 km drive till the gate from the left turn. Out of which, 15 kilometers are pure bliss. On the way, you will see Temghar Dam and if you are lucky you can see the overflow of the dam coming down like a stream of milk.
As you drive further, the road winds up to the backwaters of Temghar dam. You can stop here to take in the views and feast on bhuta, kanda bhaji, misal pav or anything you fancy with a cup of hot tea.
The road from here gets seriously steep and please be careful while driving. No stunts here, as there are sharp hairpin bends and the gradient is steep and it gets very slippery during monsoon. All along the road, you can view the Temghar reservoir from different angles and waterfalls all around.
Clouds and mist sometimes cover the road ahead of you and its always better to stop for a while on the side of the road with your car’s blinkers on and wait for the visibility to improve.
This winding road will lead you to the top of the mountain and the real fun begins here. The visibility drops drastically and you must employ all your driving skills and caution, to drive in the fog that reduces visibility to a mere few feet. Put on all possible lights of your car and drive very slowly and carefully, while honking on turns. A stretch of 2-3 kilometers of this road is right on top of the mountain, which at this point is about 3200 feet above sea level.
You now reach Lavasa entry gate. In case you wish to enter Lavasa, you will have to pay Rs. 500 as vehicle entry fees and there is no fees for occupants. Once you enter the gate, there is another 15 km drive down to the Lavasa Valley where you can enjoy driving or walking around the town.
Lavasa was built on the theme of Portofino in Italy and it still has reflections of that town intact. Take a walk down the promenade by the lake and enjoy while checking out the shops there. Boating is not allowed during the monsoon months but by the time you are in Lavasa and walking around, you already feel as if you are soaked in water. The rain is so heavy and constant that umbrella or no umbrella, you are bound to get soaking wet.
There is a lot to do in Lavasa, like trying out various restaurants, playing games or driving around the town (the town is built around Lavasa Lake) to take in the views and enjoy being surrounded by waterfalls.
Word of Caution
The entire region is landslide prone so be careful while driving. Do not get carried away by the mesmerizing beauty of the place and take care of yourself and kids, especially near waterfalls due to the risk of rockfall. Do not enter waterfalls. Do not ever try to enter the lake during monsoon. If your car has a sunroof, it is not advisable to stick out of the sunroof because of low tree branches and the risk of falling rocks.
Make it a point to return before it gets dark because the road is tricky with steep gradient and sharp bends.
If you keep these points in mind and are ready to enjoy responsibly, then Lavasa is waiting for you this weekend with its mighty waterfalls, overflowing lakes, lush green valleys, enchanting fog and dodging mists!
