Maharashtra
If you live in Maharashtra, the gigantic state of Western India, you are blessed. You will never run out of places to visit in Maharashtra. Maharashtra is a traveller's paradise when it comes to monsoon. Bhandardara, Satara, Lonavla are some of the places to visit in Maharashtra in monsoon months. The state is spectacular with its clean beaches and mesmerizing greenery during monsoon months. The city of Mumbai is no doubt the most popular city of the state closely followed by Pune. Maharashtra is home to hundreds of forts and set of caves. If you are in love with history, Maharashtra has a lot to offer.
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My first impression of Tadoba jungle and a rendezvous with Matkasur, the dominating male
Dressed in a brand new sleeveless top and trousers, I clumsily sat in the elevated middle seat of the jeep. The husband was away with the driver to attend to the paperwork. We were about to embark on our first safari in the wilderness of Tadoba jungle. It was 2 PM and the glare of the Sun was at its worst. I was counting the number of tourists on the other jeeps. Most had 6, some 4. Our jeep would have only 2 — an easy choice for a tiger. In my mind I already pictured myself dead. Things were not always like this. I had performed meticulous research-work, and…
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Tadoba National Park: How to plan a trip to Tadoba
Tadoba Andhari tiger project, popularly known as Tadoba national park, lies in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is frequented by wildlife enthusiasts who enjoy spending time in the company of wild animals. Bengal tigers are the main attraction of the national park but it also hosts Indian leopards, gaurs, chital, barking deer, bears, wild dogs, a range of rare birds and some exotic reptiles. Out of all the national parks in India, Tadoba’s tiger sighting statistic is the most favourable one. If visited during the correct time of the year it is almost impossible not to come across a tiger during the safari. Things to know before safari…
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The Lure of the Arabian Sea – Ganpatipule beach, Maharashtra
If you are seeking solitude and peace then Ganpatipule, a Konkan coastal village approximately 300 kilometres away from Mumbai can give you the much needed relaxation.
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Kalsubai trek: On top of Maharashtra
“Bye, happy journey. Come back soon,” our hosts shouted out to us when we left for Kalsubai trek. Shades of grey adorned the sky. The storminess of the weather catalysed our willpower to scale Kalsubai. Little boys and girls were going to school. On the two sides of the road, lush greenery extended for miles. It was difficult to separate the grasses from patches of paddy fields. Rain drenched trees populated the slopes of the hill. Dhoti-clad men donning white caps were walking on the village path with us. Bari village is really tiny, abruptly rising around the vicinity of the temple and ending on the bank of a seasonal…
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Lavasa trip, the Portofino of India – A visit to the picturesque lake town where tourists are the only ‘locals’
Recently, on a lazy weekend we went for a Lavasa trip from Mumbai. I (Tania) still remember gawking at the giant full-page newspaper advertisements of Lavasa city, a boutique city near Pune. I was a mere child in high school then. My father expressed interest in buying an apartment there but we were way poorer to afford anything so luxurious. Fast-forward a decade (almost) and I was standing on the soil of Lavasa. No, we didn’t get rich or anything. Unfortunately my life is no movie. I just happened to migrate to Mumbai and Lavasa is doable from the city. I never imagined I will say this but after visiting…
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Fanaspada, Kharghar Waterfall – Two wildlings chasing wilderness in a city
In the monsoon of 2017, Kharghar, a locality near Mumbai in India pleased us in many ways. The Kharghar waterfall area has a role to play in it. Our first attempt of getting close to the most popular waterfall in Kharghar failed. So the second time, we attempted getting close to the second most popular waterfall in Kharghar. Husband had been here once before in 2016, so he was very confident it would be a success this time. I know there are people who live in Kharghar yet they have no idea about the existence of this seasonal cascade. Pandavkada, the most popular one is famous owing to its location.…
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Kharghar Hills in Monsoon – Tale of two Bengalis with tummy full of Biryani on a hilltop in the lashing rain
Kharghar is a part of Navi Mumbai, India. Those in Mumbai may frown a bit when I drop the ‘Navi’ and call Kharghar just a part of Mumbai, but for everyone else, it doesn’t matter much. The Kharghar hills wear a coat of green in monsoon. A local train on harbour line from CST (ChattrapatiShivaji Terminus) station of Mumbai takes around one hour and fifteen minutes to reach Kharghar. Technically, it is a valley surrounded by hills; hills with cute heights, not the high ones. The golf course and the Central Park opposite to each other are the lungs of this suburb. The south to north running hills along the…
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Bari Village, Maharashtra: Experiencing the three ‘H’- Hut, Hospitality and Homestay
In 2016 the husband went on his life’s first trek. It was Kalsubai, the highest point in Maharashtra, India. When he showed me the humble photos clicked on his cellphone, the first thing I remember asking him was the name of the base village. “Bari village,” he replied. He went on a ‘pre-arranged group trek’ with a gang of around 40 trekkers. The downside of going on group tours is that you miss out on the one-to-one conversations with locals. Locals rarely approach a large group of travellers for casual chat without any self interest. Things are different when you are vulnerable. So on August 2017, me and the husband…
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When Maharashtra Blooms: Kas Pathar Satara, Deccan India’s Valley of Flowers
“Hey, so what are you planning as your next destination?” asked our friend. “Did you say plan? Oh I am a great planner. But, the universe seems to dislike the planned version of me,” I replied. In 2013 I was trying to plan a hiking trip to the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. Two months prior to its execution, India saw one of its worst natural calamities. Multiday cloudbursts in Uttarakhand killed thousands of people, animals, and destroyed roads and trails. In 2016, from the Facebook group Globetrotting Girls India, I got to know about Kas Pathar, another valley, or more accurately, plateau, of flowers near Satara city of Maharashtra.…
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Kalavantin Durg Trek : The Unplanned Day Trek in The Sahayadris
We never venture out without doing proper research. Our love for research is so great that we may equate the happiness we get out of it with the happiness while doing the actual travel. But, our experience on the Kalavantin Durg trek was different. It was spontaneous, and we had very little idea of what to expect! Where is Kalavantin Durg? Panvel is a suburb of Mumbai, India. It is well connected with Mumbai through local trains. The trail to Kalavantin Durg starts from a village named Thakurwadi. Thakurwadi is about 45 minutes away from Panvel. Auto-rickshaws from Panvel railway station charge near about INR 300 for a one way…
