pune....

Hi,
My friend and I are making a trip to Pune in the first week of Jan... maybe for five days. Wondering if anyone can help with places to stay, couldn't find anything in the hotel reviews... Looking for a medium budget place, preferably some place thats not the regular hotel ... does pune have any bed and breakfast or cottage acco type places?
Also would love suggestions on where to go, in and around pune thats, well, 'close to nature'... any off track places one could do a short hike to? Good paths for long walks?
Thanks...

I'd recommend staying in Koregaon Park in one of the many semi-homestays - that is, local families and building owners who rent rooms, in various degrees of furnishings, to visitors. Some with kitchen, most not. There are plenty of good restaurants in K-Park. If you just show up at German Bakery with a backpack you will be set upon by touts who know all the rooms available all the time. January is still high season. Alternatively, Happy Home is a well-loved, clean and spotless place for about 300Rs a night single.

Matheran, Khandala, Lonevala and Mahabaleswar are all the hill station-nature type places that are a day trip from Pune. It's easy to get tips on these trips from K-Park travel agents or just Bakery regulars.

K-Park itself has the lovely Osho Teerth Park, open 6am-11 I think then again at 3-6pm. Lots of artsy people love Meherabad, the Meher Baba ashram in Ahmednagar. A much longer (7 hours) trip but worth it is Ajanta-Ellora caves.

Have a great time. It's a lovely, civilized city and you will meet a nice mix of locals and fellow travelers!

I am less sanguine about Koregaon. I know its where all the forens stay to go to the ashram. However, it is high priced and if you are looking for more than association with other forens doesn't have that much to recommend it. I liked being in the "college" part of town the Deccan Gymkhana. The young people are a delight and there is good eating at modest prices. To the excellent travel advice above I would add weekend jaunts to Aurangabad for Ajanta-Ellora-Daulatabad..

K-Pk is expensive, but has the advantages of 1-plenty of non-Indian restaurants for those burned out on burning food;
2-proximity of other travellers (of whatever nationality) who can share tips. Deccan is lovely and much cheaper but doesn't have so much of these things. College environments are pretty cool generally.

Also, the OP asked for a non-hotel arrangment, more of a cottage thingy. I don't know that Deccan has that, but KPk does.

Don't know if you were there recently, but there are plenty of hip young Indian professionals now hanging in KPk and also attending the ashram. They also stay in the flats nearby. In fact some local (Indian) business owners complain that "too many" Indians come there now (evidently they don't tip well). Kpk seems to have a mix of partying students, Eurotravellers, IT locals and visiting Indians looking for a "new age" weekend. KPk has become where all of Pune, and to some extent Mumbai (!) comes to party.

Didn't I say Ajanta-Ellora?

Pune offers you many trekking options:
1. Sinhagad - close to the city and a great view of the outskirts
2. Lohagad/Visapur - Simpler treks but again wonderful vistas from the top.
3. Tung/Tikona - Near Khandala

Visit www.trekshitiz.com for details on treks.

Thanks, and I had forgotten about all the forts in the region, like Raigarh (spelling?). And as Edward said, Daulatabad is supposed to be extra special and a good long climb!

Oh and don't forget Panchgani!

Thanks all... thats pretty helpful, will let you know how the trip went!

I am not much into spaced out ex-druggies so you can gather I don't get into the ashram scene. I prefer more ordinary Indian contact rather than the sycophants aping western habits. Hence, my bias against the tourist ghetto of K. Also, I homestayed in the Deccan and found it very much more friendly. That side (K) does have access to meat though. Good for a visit especially to a smuggler friend.But, I never found it appealing long term..

In the early seventies, Pune was termed the city of pensioners ! Today these pensioners(if any) have to watch their step at every nook and corner !!

The city started deteriorating from the mid-eightees and the rot continues till date.

Ha ji..

I also prefer more ordinary people, that's why I make trips into town. The real world is still there. Some people actually know how to live without a cell phone. But I think wanting to try new things and meet new kinds of people is a good western habit to "ape." The ashram crowd is increasingly yuppie and far less spaced-out than in the past.

How would you go about finding a short-term homestay in Deccan? In Kprk they are easily found.

yup Raigarh is right but Rajgad is more challenging/fun. Sirensongs : I just made couple of posts in Looking for suggestions for weekend trips from Pune as a westerner to the city what's u'r take on them. Would love to know how u feel about them? Any areas where they need to be improved upon or something? Some kind of feedback would be helpful.

Has anyone been recentlystaying in Pune aspecially the semi-homestays?

I may be heading to Pune for a few months this summer and would also like to know about semi-home stays and other medium term options. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to share....

Coming back into this belatedly, I searched contacts for homestays. As for so much of India personal contact makes the results. I went to college officials and got contacts there. It helps to meet Indians & ask accordingly. Coffee/chai houses don't get it first time but the denizens search for you. Ah, the grand old Rupali..