Best places to visit near mumbai

Can anyone suggest the best places to visit near mumbai and pune during the mid of august

Alibaug / Kihim / Mableshwar / Lonavala

thanks but i heard that there are chances of landslides in mahabaleswar and khandala is it true?

On the way you might encounter one odd but most are taken care off. You should not face a problem until and unless there are heavy rains

Hi lijojoseph,
There are tons of places depending on what you want.

Some places which i have visited are posted online at
http://amitkulkarni.info/pics/

To be more specific:
Lonavala and Matheran (2 hrs from mum) are hill stations to be enjoyed any time. In August it would be perfect with rain and cold. Mahabaleshwar is little far at 6 hrs.

Beaches like Alibag, Aksa, Kihim are again at 2 hrs. Harihareshwar, Ganpatipule at 6 to 8 Hrs. In Aug it might be a little wet.

Lots of forts to trek in any season too. in Aug they would be beautiful green and an absolute soothing for the eyes.

Enjoy

I found Outlook Travellor series of "Weekend Breaks from Mumbai" to be a perfect guide for short trips in and around Mumbai ...with some amazing details & information .... for all modes of travel. their website is: http://www.outlooktraveller.com/

The OP has asked his question on 24th July 2006

It happens !!
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Yeah ..it happens

Enjoy the monsoons with all its waterfalls and wildflowers. If you want something really different and enjoyable, take a trip along NH3 upto Jawhar phata [9km before Igatpuri]. Turn left here and keep going. About 3km along the way comes Vihigaon with its magnificent waterfall [75m and broad]. From here, walk the rest of the way along the road which is in a dense forest along a gorge on the Vaitarna river. There are millions of waterfalls, small and big, umpteen wildflowers, not a soul in sight apart from the odd villager, its paradise on earth. You will come across a beautiful mini Niagara Falls, cut through the forest [may be slippery] and walk along the edge [be careful - one slip leads to oblivion]. When you have had your fill, walk upto the old British stone bridge. The road continues with many delightful peaceful spots all the way upto Khodala. The minus point. All this is going to disappear very shortly in the Middle Vaitarna Dam project, so enjoy it while it is still there. The monsoons of 2008 may be the last opportunity. I have been here for the last so many years and selfishly kept it as my little secret but now that it is going to be destroyed, Im sharing the location. Right now in the dry season it is possible to see all the potholes along the gorge, and also to walk along the rim of the gorge for quite a good way. It is pleasant uptil around 11am. The area is pristine as there are no tourists ever, apart from the odd nature lover like me. Food available at dhabas on the highway.

Another August paradise is Malshej Ghat. NH3 to Kalyan Bhiwandi phata, right turn to Kalyan, through to Murbad, Saralgaon, Vaisakhare and Malshej. TIP: Avoid like the plague on weekends and public holidays when it is full of drunken unruly [mostly male] revellers. On week days it is waterfall heaven, some come right across the road like a bridge. The mountains are misty and cool with lots of trails to explore. MTDC has a hotel at the plateau immediately after the Malshej tunnel. From here you can experience the boomerang effect if you throw anything light off the cliff edge. On a clear day you can see neighbouring Harishchandragad.

Bhandardara is also a good monsoon outing. NH3 to Igatpuri then Ghoti, turn right here and follow the road via Beale lake all the way to Bhandardara - Lake Arthur. MTDC has a hotel here too. You will pass Mount Kalsubai on the way at 1600+ m its the highest peak in Maharashtra. Splendid scenery. The Randha falls are worth a visit as are Amruteshwar and Ratangad. When the dam water is released or overflows, the Umbrella falls appear.

Bhimashankar near Pune is a good paradise for nature lovers, trekkers, jungle lovers and bird watchers,the best seasons to go to Bhimashankar are monsoon and winter.

There is a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimashankar_Temple

It is also home to a Wildlife Sanctuary.

My all time favourite destination though is the Murud Janjira fort, a 2 hour drive from Mumbai.
www.murudjanjira.com

There are other interesting places close by, most notably the Karnala Bird sanctuary, Kashid Beach & even alibag which is again a short drive from there.

Lonavala & Khandala are 2 mini Hill stations easily accessible from Mumbai by road/ rail. They are very popular weekend destinations especially during monsoons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonavala

Vihigaon is my secret too. No more. The dam will come up in 2010. I believe we still have two monsoons left. After Khodala, take the Suryamaal Road. There are many waterfalls between Suryamaal and Parali. They will remain after 2010 At Khodala itself, ask for Dohi waterfalls.. a 30 min walk (you will need a guide the first time).

Have you been to the Dhanushyateerth waterfalls near Igatpuri ? (walking towards Bhavli?) They are my personal favourite.
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I know the Wada Parali Suryamal stretch very, very well indeed but never disclose it ! Now it is no longer a secret. No I have not explored around Igatpuri too much, as with the continuous roadworks on NH3 it is too much effort driving up there and in any event, once we get to the Vihigaon area, there is enough to keep us occupied there for hours. I will ask you for proper directions when I go there next, monsoons most probably.

If you are interested , there is a plethora of wild orchids growing on the trees in the Middle Vaitarna site which will all be destroyed once the contractors move in, so you can encourage whoever you know to collect them, thereby continuing their propagation.

Another nice place is the flip side of Tungareshwar sanctuary i.e. approach it from NH8 turn off at Shirsat fata which goes to Vajreshwari and Ambadi fata. Shortly after turning at Shirsat fata you will come across an ashram type entrance on the right. From here its an uphill 6km climb to the highest point in the Tungareshwar range, through fairly dense forest. In the rains it is heavenly, lots of flora and insects, birds. For larger mammals you need to be lucky. This path goes on beyond one Ashram to the other more famous Tungareshwar ashram and out on the other side nr NH8 however this end of the path is litter [and broken bottle] strewn.

From Shirsat if you go to Parol fata and turn on the Parol Bhiwandi Rd [Great Escape road] you can go upto Ambrai village about 6km in, and hike in the dense forest on the RHS. Plenty of streams and waterfalls in the monsoons and lots of birdlife easily visible at other times. The local tribals here, fortunately do not shoot the birds unlike their counterparts in Dahanu and Jawhar. There is a small perennial lake at Amrai village which is full of beautiful lotuses. Unusual wildflowers and lots of butterflies post monsoons.

Go beyond Parol fata to Usgaon fata just before Ganeshpuri, and turn right towards the Usgaon dam. This is a very peaceful and scenic location. In the rains when the dam overflows there is an huge waterfall going down to the fields. There is another big waterfall on the right. Even without the waterfalls it is a delight for nature lovers who can walk around the entire periphery of the lake and into the forested hills wherever you feel like. Another option is to be ferried across the lake by a village boat and start your walk from the other end. Very enjoyable days outing. Food available at Vajreshwari and vada pao type snacks at Parol fata, otherwise pack your own.

All the above can be seen quite clearly on Google Earth.

I have been up here, both the directions, driving AND walking. Heaven in the monsoons. There is a secret waterfall at the Tungareshwar end just before the road levels out at the plateau. You will require a local or anyone who has been there.

I didn't know this... Lotuses, here I come !! Season is over though... This "Parol side below Tungareshwar" is the area where a tiger pug mark was recorded in 2003-4. No tiger discovered.

Thanks for this info too. I need such places for non-trekkers !! They want me to take them to "some place where we don't have to walk"

The first time I sat on Google Earth,, I spent some 14 hours on it. Even now I am apprehensive to login. (addictive )
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Google Earth is VERY addictive indeed ! Pl see your g mail for the pugmark pics.