“Rain clouds come floating in, not to muddy my days ahead, but to make me calm, happy and hopeful.”
The Plan
Ditching our usual trio of 3, we decided to get a couple more people into the fold for the monsoon adventure. Friends and friends-of-friends made the trip happen, adding to the surprise element of spending time with unknown people. Adding to the stories as we trudge along through life in hopes of fun and adventure..
Travel & Stay
We booked a private vehicle including the driver in order to not put our less-than-illustrious driving skills to test on treacherous mountainsides. The deal was 5000 INR for two days including travel within Lonavala. We stayed at a spacious villa with gorgeous views and enchanting little terraces in each bedroom. The villa was part of a gated community with staff available on call. For 6000 INR a night including the cook, a very good deal indeed! The overall cost per person came upto 5000 INR for a comfortable weekend.
Places To See
We headed out from the villa to Lohagad in the morning. Luckily, we were in for a treat with pleasantly cool climate adorned with bits of crystal raindrops adding to the misty mountain view! The climb to the top was fairly easy, though I recommend trekking/sports shoes to be comfortable during the trek.
A word of caution: There are naughty monkeys everywhere! Be careful if your're carrying food, they are quite feisty! :)
The views on the way to the top were fantastic, keep going even if you're panting with exertion. The views from the top of the fort are breathtakingly glorious! The sweeping views and panorama of little villages and streams flowing in the vista will thoroughly charm you!
Our adventure the next day took us to Kune falls. The route is a narrow winding path that leads to Rajmachi trek. The views are spectacular, the path is fairly risky. Make sure you have a good driver behind the wheels! Kune falls is a lesser-known waterfall, you have a secluded water body all to yourself! Be lazy, float around, sit on the rocks, have a good time away from the city..
On the way to the villa, the car passed by a beautiful temple, Narayani Dham. Popular with the locals, the temple has a huge compound with a shed for housing cows and other domestic animals. The architecture of the temple is clean and simple, the style-modern. At night, the whole place is lit up with colorful lights! It makes for a splendid view, and I wanted a chance to explore it from the inside.
The rest of the crew being un-morning persons, I was left to my own devices to explore the temple in the morning. A 7:30 am walk in drizzling lazy morning weather, locals gazing curiously at a city girl up so early, I headed to the temple. Inside, the temple was even more dazzling. The deities were clad in colorful silks and adorned completely in semi-precious stones. Awe-struck, humbled, and feeling slightly religious, I headed back to the villa.
Last Thoughts..
Give Tiger point and Bushy dam a skip. There's so much more to Lonavala, this post doesn't even begin to cover it. Get away from the crowd, forge your own path..