It was all of a sudden plan to visit Khandala followed by Lonavala. I and Shailu were sitting on the couch watching TV on 9 August 2017 and he suddenly asked me 'let us go to Khandala and Lonavala (twin hill station) tomorrow to invest our holidays and celebrate your Birthday'. I liked his plan and as such, I never say no for traveling. So, he booked a room at Duke Retreat Resort for two night after exploring the internet. On 10 August 2017, I woke up early around 6:00 am as I have to do the packing. To be honest, packing is a huge task for me even if I am going for a two-day trip. We started from the house at 8:15 am to avoid Mumbai traffic. We got stuck in traffic for some time but as we reached eastern expressway (8:51 am) drive was easy.
Drive to Khandala, Lonavala is picturesque and surreal. One would not even know how the time passes and you reach the destination admiring the beauty of nature. We reached Khandala at 10:30 am and had breakfast (Dosa, Vada Pav, Dahi bade and buttermilk) at Kamat Restaurant, Khandala, on Old Bombay Pune road.
After breakfast, we headed towards the resort and it was merely three minutes away from Kamat in the opposite direction towards Mumbai. Before coming here Shailu read the review of the Duke Retreat resort which was good. So, we were excited to explore the resort as well. But as our check in time was 13:00 hrs so we decided to explore Lonavala rather than waiting at the Resort. As Khandala/ Lonavala are twin hill stations it hardly takes any time to drive from Khandala to Lonavala. We went to the Lonavala Lake prominently known as Tata dam, which was approximately 2 km from the market area. Lonavala lake is a man made reservoir built by Tata Group to store water for power generation.
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| Lonavala Lake |
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| Lonavala Lake (This pic is of 10 August when we were on our way to Lion's Point) |
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| Tata Dam |
The dam itself is beautiful with lots of greenery surrounding the lake where one can admire nature's beauty and click photographs. There are no shops around, so it's better to take some snacks with you. I noticed only one bhuta (corn) stall near the Dam but we didn't have corn as we just had breakfast. We took some pictures near the lake and spend some moments there enjoying the fresh breeze. One thing I didn't like was the litter (Plastic cups, Wrappers of snacks) spread near the dam. I don't understand why it is so difficult for some people to keep the public places litter free. It's not only government's duty to keep our country clean but it's a responsibility of each one of us to keep our country clean.
After spending some time near Lonavala Lake we headed back towards the Resort. We reached the Dukes Retreat Resort at 12 pm. It is a perfect place for spending leisure time with your loved ones and let your soul-drenched in the abundance of natural beauty surrounding the Resort. I will take you to the Dukes Retreat through the picture I have taken during my stay:
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| The entrance of the Resort |
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| Dukes Retreat Khandala location |
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| On entering the Dukes Retreat Resort |
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| This pic I have taken from the fourth floor; there is a sitting area on the roof from where you can enjoy the beautiful view with a cup of coffee/tea |
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| Gallery with this beautiful plants arrangement adjacent to the rooms which I just loved |
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| This is the mesmerizing view from the Dutchess Restaurant which is inside the Dukes Retreat Resort |
There are two restaurants inside the Dukes Retreat Resort. One on the top floor which is in open space and another one on the third floor which is air-conditioned and give a 180-degree view of the ghats with many waterfalls as you can see in the above picture, which is just an amazing experience. Food is awesome and there are many options in the breakfast especially.
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| Swimming pool, Dukes Retreat (This pic I have taken while having dinner) |
There is open space, gardens, spa facility, indoor games, swimming pool, a small library and last but not least a wow location with breathtaking views to make your holidays memorable.
Now, will give you a tour of the room where we were staying:
We booked executive rooms for the two-night stay which cost us Rs 16,000. It's on the costly side but believe me its worth every penny. Rooms are beautiful, spacious and clean with an amazing view. My best corner of the hotel room was the sitting area near the glass window where I loved sitting enjoying the surreal view with a cup of hot tea and snack. First, we got a room on the second floor from where the view was not very clear. We requested Hotel staff to change the room and after some waiting, we got a room on the third floor, from where the outside view was stunning. All other five-star perks are available there. Iron, hairdryer, slippers are available as part of room service. Altogether our stay at the Dukes Retreat Resort was amazing. It's one of the best places to just relax and unwind yourself.
After settling in the room we decided to take rest and not to go anywhere for the day as I was feeling little sick. In the evening after having tea we went out for a walk inside the resort only. Around 8:30 pm we had dinner and made a list of the spots where we wish to visit on next day. We wanted to visit those spots where we don't exert ourselves unnecessarily. There are some tourist spots like Koregad fort, Rajmachi fort where snakes are spotted during monsoon. I was terrified by the fact that I canceled these places straight away. So, the places which were on my wishlist were Pavana Lake, Karla Caves, Tiger's leap, Lions point and Rajmachi Park.
Next day on 10 August 2017 after having breakfast we started from the resort around 9 am for Pawna Lake. We went to Pawna lake through Bhangarwadi route. The distance to Pawna lake through this route is about 21 km. Though this route is quite bumpy due to the potholes on the road, it's worth taking the bumpy road as it provides a tranquil drive with nature providing mesmerizing greenery, waterfalls on craggy hills which just seize the moment. It's a must-visit place for the traveler to drive down to Pawna Lake. The Pawna lake is a perfect laid back place to relax, for a picnic with friends and family. This place is also famous for a host of activity like Paragliding and camping. The picturesque Pawna dam and Pawna lake are must visit place in monsoon when the rain just enhances the beauty of the place. Literally, I was spellbound by the serenity of the route. I was like where to see because we were surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty. When we reached the Pawna lake we stepped out of the car and felt lucky to witness the charm of nature. After letting the pristine environment sink into our souls, we seized the moments with our camera. Below are some of the pictures which I took en route and at the Pawna lake:
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| Potholes on the road |
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| Picturesque Route throughout |
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| I took this pic of Pawna Dam through car window...... |
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| This location comes in between the route which I find extremely beautiful |
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| Pawna Lake |
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| Pawna Lake from different angle |
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| On returning we took Kamshet route (32 km Lonavala town) |
Do carry water bottle and snacks with you while visiting Pawana Lake. There are hardly any shops in the route to Pawna Lake.
Our next destination was Karla caves. Karla caves are located on Pune-Mumbai highway at Karla. We got skeptical about the turn to take for Karla caves in front of a random Wax Museum on Pune-Mumbai highway. So, we asked one of the locals for the direction. After asking we got to know that we have to take the village road on the other side of the Museum. Though there was a direction board on the road it's hardly visible.
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| Random Wax Museum |
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| Entrance gate leading to Karla caves |
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| Karla Village |
Driving down for 2 km inside the gate we came across a booth which collects a local tax of Rs 10.
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| Tax collecting booth |
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| Payment slip |
After this booth, the parking area for Karla caves is half a kilometer away. This half a kilometer distance is steep. The hill looks magnificent from the base of the hill.
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| Look at the view guys! Isn't this lovely? |
On reaching the parking area again we paid Rs 30 for parking. It was a struggle to park there as the parking area was jam packed. After some struggle, we got a parking space. As we parked our car it started raining heavily. We waited inside the car for approximately 10 minutes for the rain to stop.
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| Parking fee slip |
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It was raining and we were waiting...
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| Way leading to Karla caves |
We stepped out of the car as the rain stop. Before moving ahead we went to the washroom. There is washroom facility too on the right side corner when you enter the parking premises. From the parking area, it takes around 20 minutes of steep climb walking with water flowing across the stairs to reach the caves. Be careful while walking on the stairs, wear comfortable clothes and comfortable footwear. There are stalls throughout the stairs. On reaching the top we bought two tickets of Rs 15/- person as an entry fee. Entry fee for Indian citizen is Rs 15, entry fee for foreign visitors is Rs 200/- person and video camera fee is Rs 25. I have put some pictures clicked by me related to the details of entry fee structure and history of Karla caves below:
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| Entry fee slip |
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| Details of Entry fee structure and Introduction to Karla Caves |
After paying entry fee we moved inside and guys trust me the view which was in front of us was just amazing. Karla caves are really worth the climb. Small waterfalls flowing over the caves just add to the beauty of Karla caves.
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| Karla Caves |
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| Waterfall flowing down the Karla caves...Isn't it lovely.... |
After admiring the beauty of the Karla caves from outside we went towards the main cave. There is a temple also adjacent to the cave. By the time it started raining again. At the gate of the main cave, the guard checked our entry slip told us to open our footwear outside the cave as its a holy place. I took some pictures outside as I was amazed by the architecture and to look how magnificently these caves were carved at the time. After taking some pictures of the carvings we went inside the cave.
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| Entrance to the main cave |
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| Just look the amazing carving |
The main cave features a large, intricately carved prayer hall, dating back to the 1st century BC. This is one among the largest rock-cut prayer hall in India. The arched entrances and vaulted interiors made of wood make the interior of caves mesmerizing.
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| Main hall of the cave |
As we were admiring the amazing architecture, Guard approaches us and asked us to come with him. He took us near the pillars and said I would like to show you something which other wise goes unseen. It was so dark that my husband switched on the mobile light and we were so ecstatic to see the paintings on the pillars which are hardly visible. I tried to take some pictures of the paintings.
Paintings on the tombs
Karla cave location is just perfect for all the nature lovers. The view of the valley from the caves is absolutely astonishing and panoramic. You can see different shades of green in the valley.
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| View of the valley from the Karla caves |
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| Lush green valley view from the Karla caves |
As we came downstairs again it started raining. We stepped into the car and started our journey back to Lonavala. We decided to have lunch at Kailash Parbat Restaurant in Lonavala at Mumbai-Pune Highway. Food and service at Kailash Parbat are good.
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| Kailash Parbat |
After having lunch at Kailash Parbat we went towards Tigers leap and lion's point. While going towards Lion's point Bushi Dam is on the way. The dam location was over crowded and littered with plastic cups and plates from the nearby shops. It's not worth going as the place is accident prone (slippery) and over crowded.
The Lion's point is approximately 12 km away from Lonavala city. The drive is enjoyable admiring the nature's beauty. Weather changes in a minute from clear sky to foggy and hazy one in Lonavala. Weather is so unpredictable here. As we were heading more close to Lion's point it was so foggy due to which visibility was so poor that we were hardly unable to see anything. We decided to go for a drive to Amby Valley in a hope that while returning back we would be able to enjoy the view from Lion's point and Tiger's point. Below are the pictures I took on our way to Amby Valley:
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| Korigad Fort from the road near Amby Valley |
We went for a drive to Amby valley enjoying the serene surroundings. By the time weather was clear, we thought now its right time to go back to lion's point and Tigers leap. But as we reached there it all foggy and hazy.
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| All foggy and Hazzy around Lion's point and Tiger's leap |
We have been at Tiger's leap and Lion's point earlier last year in February. So, we decided not to wait anymore to visit the Tiger's leap and Lion's point and head towards our next spot Rajmachi Park Khandala. Rajmachi Park is nestled on Pune-Mumbai old Highway to have breath taking views of Khandala Ghats which makes it a perfect picnic spot for the tourists. We parked our car at a distance from Rajmachi Park as we wanted to walk and sink in the beauty of the place. After walking a distance we entered the park, the park was muddy with swings for Children with a number of monkeys jumping here and there which is little scary for me. Few people were feeding monkeys. There are stalls outside the Park from where you can buy snacks.
We went towards the railing for getting the view of the Ghats and Mumbai-Pune expressway and trust me guys the view is just breathtaking. From Rajmachi Park you can also view the majestic Kune waterfall which one of the favorite picnic spot.
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| View from Rajmachi Park |
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| View of Kune Waterfall from Rajmachi Park |
After chilling around for some time we went back to Duke Retreat Resort. At night after having dinner we slept early after a long tiring day. At midnight Shailu woke me up and surprised me with a yummy cake specially made for my Birthday by Resort's chef and a lovely red rose. I wasn't expecting this at all. I have no Idea when Shailu was materializing this surprise and indeed his surprise swept me off my feet. The cake was fluffy, soft and so yummy. After celebrating Birthday we slept.
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| Birthday Surprise |
11 August 2017 was the day when we were leaving for Mumbai. We woke up early and after having breakfast we left for Mumbai. We reached Mumbai before noon. It was one of the most Memorable trips of my life. I didn't like Lonavala for the first time when we visited in February last year when there was no rain but this time I loved Khandala and Lonavala. So, it's my suggestion to visit Khandala/ Lonavala during monsoon. Khandala's and Lonavala's beauty is at its peak during Monsoon.
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