Travel is the best form of adventure, learning, fun and rejuvenating. This summer I squeezed out a weekend and once again headed to Maharashtra, but this time for an altogether different experience.
This time it was all about adventure.
We started our journey from Mumbai and this time we had opted for Zoomcar (First of many firsts). Zoomcar is a really great option if you want to explore hidden destinations anywhere but, if you are looking for speed, you are in for a huge disappointment as they have locked up speed of 80 kmph. But Zoomcar is not our point of discussion so let's move on with the trip.
Our first destination was Kamshet where we were planning to do paragliding. One of the safest and a picturesque site. Since the timings were from 3 pm to 6 pm, we had ample time to cover Pawna lake en route. Pawana Lake is an artificial lake in the vicinity of Pune. The lake was created after the construction of Pawana Dam, and now it is one of the most happening camping sites. We had a brief photo stop at the lake before moving along for Kamshet.
Kamshet is located 45 kms from Pune and apart from open fields, picturesque views and paragliding there's isn't much to the place. There are a couple of sites for paragliding, so it's advisable to do your research and preferably booking beforehand which also makes a scope for negotiation. We did not pre-book but we were lucky that there were only a handful of people before us. Since paragliding in Kamshet is a lesser known activity, you can find little or no rush. Also, this activity is done mostly in summers when the winds are flowing westward and the pressure is bit high. There is a common site for gliding and there are a couple of operators operating from the same place. The gliders there are professional and with 2500 Rs. for gliding and 500 Rs. for photos and videos, they provide an exhilarating experience for 15-20 mins in the sky where you can see the farms drenched in the golden hue of setting sun, the scarlet evening sky and the air kissing your face. For me, it was a special experience because, with my build, I never thought I would fly and that too in India.
Tip: You might feel nauseatic, so keep something handy to chew. Also, there are no stores or restaurant on the way so, carry your own water and stuff.
After this adventure, we headed for Pune where we had booked our stay. Although the distance is quite less, it takes a lot of time to reach Pune owing to traffic.
Travel Hack: If you are not on a leisure trip, you can save a great deal of money on accommodation. We had booked rooms for 5 people @ 7000/- for 2 nights and there was nothing to complain about it.
Next day, next adventure was river rafting at Kundalika. Kundalika is a small river in the Sahyadri and is 100 kms drive from Pune through the western ghats. They provide pick up and drop service as well. Here, it is a must to pre-book since there is a limited time and limited rafts available. There are a couple of things you must take care of here:
1) If you are driving yourself, make sure you have the co-ordinated beforehand as there is no cell reception in Kundalika.
2) If you are driving yourself make sure you have a driver with you else be ready to shell out an extra 700 Rs. for pick up and drop from service provider's outlet to rafting site and back.
3) Carry along an extra pair of clothes.
4) Rafting charges are 1500 Rs. but the charges for photos and videos are negotiable.
Now, about rafting. It is conducted by trained professionals from Mercury Himalayan Explorations (MHE) who used to conduct rafting sessions in Rishikesh. At Kundalika, every morning water is released from kundalika dam which creates currents and rapids suitable for rafting. The rafting starts around 8-8:30am and it takes around 3-4 hrs to cover the stretch of approximately 15 km. Before the start of the journey, you are provided with all the instructions and the guide comes along with you, so that's not a worry. Rapids are fun. The best part is jumping from the raft and floating in the cool and calm water, carefree. We did some group photography, individual photography and underwater photography. I am scared of water and so for me, it was a liberating experience.
We were wet, tired and hungry after the ride but the joy of doing it was overwhelming.
From there, we drove back to Pune and spent rest of the day at leisure. (Hard rock cafe was booked for a private party, so that plan got cancelled and we turned our rooms into a mini club. So, no regrets there.)
Next day, we started for Mumbai and reached by late afternoon. After seeking blessings from Siddhivinayak Temple, we headed for one of the best things in the world- PIZZA!
Lighthouse cafe, Worli, provides some of the exotic options for pizzas (Even in Jain preparation). We ordered Chicago style dip dish pizza which took one sweet hour to be prepared but, God, the wait was worth every second. Must try!
From there, we roamed about a bit, had Starbucks, dropped our car and headed for Sardar Pavbhaji. Another must have in Mumbai. After a 45 min wait, we could finally hog onto the delicacy and then we started our return journey from Mumbai Central.
This trip was special in many ways. The experiences we had, they were unprecedented and beyond anything we could imagine. We began this journey as ordinary people, but when we returned, we were not the same. We returned a little braver. And a lot happier.
This time it was all about adventure.
We started our journey from Mumbai and this time we had opted for Zoomcar (First of many firsts). Zoomcar is a really great option if you want to explore hidden destinations anywhere but, if you are looking for speed, you are in for a huge disappointment as they have locked up speed of 80 kmph. But Zoomcar is not our point of discussion so let's move on with the trip.
Our first destination was Kamshet where we were planning to do paragliding. One of the safest and a picturesque site. Since the timings were from 3 pm to 6 pm, we had ample time to cover Pawna lake en route. Pawana Lake is an artificial lake in the vicinity of Pune. The lake was created after the construction of Pawana Dam, and now it is one of the most happening camping sites. We had a brief photo stop at the lake before moving along for Kamshet.
Kamshet is located 45 kms from Pune and apart from open fields, picturesque views and paragliding there's isn't much to the place. There are a couple of sites for paragliding, so it's advisable to do your research and preferably booking beforehand which also makes a scope for negotiation. We did not pre-book but we were lucky that there were only a handful of people before us. Since paragliding in Kamshet is a lesser known activity, you can find little or no rush. Also, this activity is done mostly in summers when the winds are flowing westward and the pressure is bit high. There is a common site for gliding and there are a couple of operators operating from the same place. The gliders there are professional and with 2500 Rs. for gliding and 500 Rs. for photos and videos, they provide an exhilarating experience for 15-20 mins in the sky where you can see the farms drenched in the golden hue of setting sun, the scarlet evening sky and the air kissing your face. For me, it was a special experience because, with my build, I never thought I would fly and that too in India.
Tip: You might feel nauseatic, so keep something handy to chew. Also, there are no stores or restaurant on the way so, carry your own water and stuff.
After this adventure, we headed for Pune where we had booked our stay. Although the distance is quite less, it takes a lot of time to reach Pune owing to traffic.
Travel Hack: If you are not on a leisure trip, you can save a great deal of money on accommodation. We had booked rooms for 5 people @ 7000/- for 2 nights and there was nothing to complain about it.
Next day, next adventure was river rafting at Kundalika. Kundalika is a small river in the Sahyadri and is 100 kms drive from Pune through the western ghats. They provide pick up and drop service as well. Here, it is a must to pre-book since there is a limited time and limited rafts available. There are a couple of things you must take care of here:
1) If you are driving yourself, make sure you have the co-ordinated beforehand as there is no cell reception in Kundalika.
2) If you are driving yourself make sure you have a driver with you else be ready to shell out an extra 700 Rs. for pick up and drop from service provider's outlet to rafting site and back.
3) Carry along an extra pair of clothes.
4) Rafting charges are 1500 Rs. but the charges for photos and videos are negotiable.
Now, about rafting. It is conducted by trained professionals from Mercury Himalayan Explorations (MHE) who used to conduct rafting sessions in Rishikesh. At Kundalika, every morning water is released from kundalika dam which creates currents and rapids suitable for rafting. The rafting starts around 8-8:30am and it takes around 3-4 hrs to cover the stretch of approximately 15 km. Before the start of the journey, you are provided with all the instructions and the guide comes along with you, so that's not a worry. Rapids are fun. The best part is jumping from the raft and floating in the cool and calm water, carefree. We did some group photography, individual photography and underwater photography. I am scared of water and so for me, it was a liberating experience.
We were wet, tired and hungry after the ride but the joy of doing it was overwhelming.
From there, we drove back to Pune and spent rest of the day at leisure. (Hard rock cafe was booked for a private party, so that plan got cancelled and we turned our rooms into a mini club. So, no regrets there.)
Next day, we started for Mumbai and reached by late afternoon. After seeking blessings from Siddhivinayak Temple, we headed for one of the best things in the world- PIZZA!
Lighthouse cafe, Worli, provides some of the exotic options for pizzas (Even in Jain preparation). We ordered Chicago style dip dish pizza which took one sweet hour to be prepared but, God, the wait was worth every second. Must try!
From there, we roamed about a bit, had Starbucks, dropped our car and headed for Sardar Pavbhaji. Another must have in Mumbai. After a 45 min wait, we could finally hog onto the delicacy and then we started our return journey from Mumbai Central.
This trip was special in many ways. The experiences we had, they were unprecedented and beyond anything we could imagine. We began this journey as ordinary people, but when we returned, we were not the same. We returned a little braver. And a lot happier.
