Ecstasy of Nature in the Monsoons – Lonavala

I had been hearing from my friends about the scenic beauty of Lonavala that comes alive in the monsoons and finally the last weekend, we (me, my husband and two other friends) decided to visit Lonavala.  

We kept it short to one day only. As we wanted to reach early with no traffic, we started at 5.30 in the morning. It is around 96 km away from Mumbai and is accessible through the expressway.  The greenery, the scenic view and cool rain showers made our entire drive very pleasant. Soon I realized why Mumbaikars call Lonavala “a must visit” place in Monsoons. The travelling itself seemed a destination.

We reached there around 8 am and our first stop was at Bushy Dam. I just can’t get enough words to describe the feel that I got as I stepped out of the car. It was a breathtaking view. It appeared as if the entire place was wrapped up in the velvety green blanket. This dam is a much sought after picnic destination in Lonavala. Visitors flock in with their families and friends in huge numbers. Striking rain drops from above and the flowing water on the steps at below were making it extremely enjoyable. Eating hot ‘bhutta’ (maize) in the cool rain was a fun.

Bushy Dam

After this, we went to Tiger Point and Tiger Fall. Walking on Tiger point was like a walk in the clouds. It was very misty and wet. It was a nature’s paradise. The rain-showers every once in a while with cool breeze made the atmosphere so enchanting. 

Tiger Point

This place was full of waterfalls flowing everywhere. Once in a while, we stopped at chai (tea) shops to sip hot ginger tea in cool foggy weather and to enjoy kanda bhajia.

Finally we visited “Karla Caves”. We had to climb around 300 steps to reach the caves. But the beautiful weather didn’t let us get tired and easily we reached there. While climbing up, you would see a magnificent view from heights. It took around 15-20 minutes to reach the caves. There was large hall in the center with few small rooms around it. The caves enriched my historic experience. 

Scenic view from the steps to Karla caves

By the time we came down from the caves, it was 3.30 pm and we all were feeling hungry. We stopped at a nice highway restaurant. After finishing lunch, we headed towards Khandala (aati kya Khandala…..) and then finally to the sweet home Mumbai. 

View from Khandala Ghat

There were also some other places of interest such as Wax museum, Lohagad fort, Rajmachi fort etc but these we saved for our next trip as we were completely drenched and were tired too.