Travel Guide To India

If you are in Mumbai, India and need ideas for a two day weekend, We have already covered Alibaug and Murud-Janjira. Now, in this article, we cover Lonavla & Khandala - the most popular weekend destinations for Mumbai people. Many people in fact own weekend homes there. Lonavla and Khandala are situated next to each other with a one mile drive between them. The best time to visit these places is the rainy season from mid june to mid september and in the winter season from November to February. Lonavla and Khandala are situated in the Sahyadri hills, two-three hours from Mumbai.

In the rainy season, the region is teeming with waterfalls. People come all the way from different places to enjoy bathing in the natural waterfalls. It is a paradise for nature lovers. People who love trekking will have an awesome time exploring the various trails in the forests and hills. One of the most popular places there is the Bhushi dam. After it has rained substantially for a month or so, the reservoir behind this dam overflows and the water comes down on the steps (stairs) at the edge of the dam. Tourists sit there splashing in the water and have fun eating hot roasted corn and the local vada pav among other delicacies.

Another must visit is the Tiger point which is situated at a good height and involves an uphill drive. It is a very foggy route in the monsoon season and you will love it. Visibility is hardly three-four meters at most. It is a surreal and heavenly experience. Make sure that you take a good wind cheater along. If you are a history buff and also like trekking, you can visit some of Shivaji's forts situated at some distances from Lonavla. An hour away is the Karla caves, which is thousands of years old and still boasts of wonderful architecture.

The local food items to take home from here are chocolate fudge and chikki (made of peanuts and other nuts). Two days are enough for exploring these two places.

We have already covered Alibaug, Murud-Janjira and Lonavla-Khandala. we cover Vajreshwari and Ganeshpuri - relatively unknown but fun to visit for a single day picnic. These two places are at a distance of one mile from each other and are famous for their natural hot water springs. You can drive down there in your car. It will take you an hour from the Mumbai outskirts to reach there. Find directions from google maps. Rainy season will be a great time to visit.

I suggest that you plan this trip in the traditional way. Pack a big picnic hamper with sandwiches and snacks and take it along with you. Take a big cloth which you can spread out on the ground so that you can eat sitting on it. First make a quick visit to Ganeshpuri and visit the temples there. Spend some time sitting in the peaceful surroundings there. From there, go to Vajreshwari. In Vajreshwari, visit the main temple which is a like a small fort and over two hundred years old. From there, ask locals about the hot water springs and check them out. If you go after it has rained considerably, you should visit the river flowing behind the water springs. Find a nice picnic spot here to have your lunch with nature as your partner. There isn't much to do in Vajreshwari and Ganeshpuri apart from seeing the temples and hot water wells. If you have a group of friends going along with you, you can play some outdoor games for a while.

Before going home, visit a local eatery to try out the Maharashtrian dish - Usal misal pav. Drive back home by 5 pm so that you can avoid the evening traffic. We hope that you have a good picnic. And don't forget to take a camera with you.