Travel With a Couple

If getting out of Mumbai means Lonavala and Khandala for you, then read no further. Not that Lonavala and Khandala aren’t beautiful. They are indeed. But then, let us grow up.

Here are five weekend monsoon getaways from Mumbai.

1. Go beyond Malshej Ghat. Malshejghat is a regular and hugely popular monsoon weekend getaway. Misty mountains and unlimited waterfalls. An MTDC resort facing the valley. Most people from Mumbai travel to Malshejghat via Kalyan for a day trip or a weekend trip. Here is another alternative: Hit the Mumbai–Pune expressway and take a left at Wadgaon to Chakan and then proceed to Narayangaon and Junnar. Stay overnight at Junnar. Spend the evening at Shivneri fort. Leave early morning. Junnar to Lenyadri and then to Malshejghat. The drive from Junnar to Malshej ghat is simply awesome. Stop for lunch at Malshejghat. Laze around and reach Mumbai by late evening.

2. Saputara. Saputara is a tiny hill station in Gujarat, at the Maharashtra–Gujarat border. Snuggled in the tribal district of Dangs, Saputara has some interesting drive through the forests and by the rivers. Take off to Nashik from Mumbai and then via Dindori and Vani to Saputara. A total of over 250 km. Stay overnight at Saputara. Gujarat tourism has hotels and there are a few private hotels as well. Walk to the sunset point. And to the sunrise point the next morning. Once again a circular trip. Return via Waghai, Vansda, Chikli and Valsad (a total of 345 km). Stop by the massive Gira waterfalls before Vansda. Vansda National Park is closed during monsoons.

3. Igatpuri via Jawahar. Igatpuri is also well-known and popular weekend destination. However, for the monsoon driving pleasure, take this longish route. Get on to the Western Expressway. About 60 km from Borivali is Manor. Take a right and via Vikramghad, reach Jawahar. At about 1,800 ft above sea level, Jawahar is also a mini hill station. Either stay overnight at Jawahar with some local sightseeing thrown in or head straight to Igatpuri. Igatpuri too has some options to stay. Return via Shahapur, Kalyan and Thane.

4. Coastal ride to Guhagar. Take the Mumbai–Goa highway till Khed. At Khed, get out of the highway and take a right to Dapoli. From Dapoli to Dhabol. Take your vehicle across the river on a boat and head to Guhagar. Guhagar is one street village/town with clean beaches. There are hotels, but look for some homestay. Every one in the village knows each other and someone will guide you. Next morning, head to Velneshwar beach and then to Chiplun. From Chiplun head back to Mumbai through the Mumbai–Goa highway.

5. Coastal ride to Harihareshwar via Murud–Janjira. Mumbai to Alibaug and then to Murud. One option is to stay overnight at Murud. Though the beach is clean, it might get overcrowded on weekends. A better option might be to continue to Hairhareshwar on the same day. Take the narrow roads through various villages to Srivardhan and then to Harihareshwar. Harihareshwar has a nice MTDC resort. There are a few private resorts as well. Head back to Mumbai next day around lunch time.

In the past three years or so, we have visited a few places in Maharashtra. One thing that has been common in many of these visits was MTDC ( Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) resorts that offer reasonable boarding and lodging. We have now become a fan of MTDC resorts albeit it’s difficult to get accommodation without advance booking.

(Mahabaleshwar)

MTDC is present in most of the important tourist places in Maharashtra. Simple and basic accommodation. Clean toilets. No fancy stuff. Will fit any backpackers / travel lovers’ budget. Some of these resorts are leased out to private contractors, who have to pay a certain rent for the building and a share of revenue. In some cases, only the restaurants are contracted out.

(Mahabaleshwar)

But food certainly is not a gourmet’s delight. If you are a foodie and would like to give an equal weightage to the food experience, MTDC might not satisfy you always.

As a first mover, MTDC’s resorts occupy the prime locations in these places.

MTDC resort at Mahabaleswhar is in a sprawling estate with accommodations of various types.

(Lonar)

The resort at Lonar, (the only lodging place in Lonar) overlooks the crater. This resort is fairly new.

Ajanta has two resorts – one of the luxury type and the other, a basic one.

Raigad has many old-style cottages, but recently renovated.

(Harihareshwar)

Harihareshwar resort is set very close to the beach, flanked by beach almost on two sides and a hillock on the third side. Almost all the rooms are cottages and pretty cool.

The resort at Koyna Nagar offers beautiful view of the Koyna lake from top.

(Bordi)

Bordi resort opens to the beach itself.

Pench (Nagpur) is now privatized, but still offers the MTDC comforts and is the only accommodation available at Pench, Maharashtra.

(Pench-Sillari)

Amboli resort borders the forest

More after we visit the remaining ones.

A rubber factory is an unlikely place to be written about in a travel blog. And certainly not a rubber factory in Harihareshwar, a quite village known for its temple and pristine beaches.

Harihareshwar for sure did not have a rubber factory. But we did find something closer to that. More like a factory’s waste yard. A little away from the beach, on the rocky coast, we saw loads of abandoned, worn-out, damaged pieces of footwear. Laced with a few plastic bottles as well. Plastic bottles are no surprise, since they already form part of our natural environment, nurtured carefully by all of us.

We did not understand how there is so much of these chappals, concentrated in one place. And could not ask anyone about this ‘unnatural’ wonder.