On 14th March 2009 I went on a solo ride to Lavasa for my biker club and enjoyed the ride and posted the ride details on my website.
While I am writing this review of the actual Lavasa hill station read which no one has told you yet.
1) Lavasa is not a hill station. Its a valley station situated at a very bottom of a valley next to a fresh water lake.
in March itself the water has substantially dried out god know if people can play cricket on the lake floor in May vacation.
2) Air is very heavy. The entry gate of lavasa at the hill top is very pleasent and thin air. When you reach the bottom its heavily loaded with moisture, stink of algae and planktons from still water(same as you get from wells in a village).
3) Its all steps and steps every where . You need to be fit with a good stamina because town hall, convention centre, service appartments are 10 feet high and the main walk way is 15 feet low. So people with arthritis cannot move arround in this area. For the NRI investors who cannot walk they have a temporary portable lift kept for taking to the 10 feet high convension centre which presently works as the marketing office.
THIS PLACE IS HANDICAP UNFRIENDLY
4) The townhall and the main walkway is sitting at the bottom of the valley in the centre while bunglows are built on the hill side. Ironically to walk the distance you need to be good trecker with stamina or should have a 4X4 to traverse the steep roads. Any ways people who are spending crores on these row houses would have a good deep pocket to foot the fuel bills.
5) Unlike whats mentioned in google maps as a petrol pump. There isn't any in Lavasa. There is a small open area which has 2-3 barrels of Disel and a hand pump to fill the tank of dumpers / tippers. There is petrol available from a grocery shop ment for the worker which is stated to be spurious but the nearest pump is about 40 kms away so no choice really if running in reserve.
6) Eateries: There is only 1 restaurant which is small and will open only after 31st March and feel grossly insufficient for visitors and would be too expensive when it opens. Only thing you can eat is samaosa's, Bhaji, jalebi from a small grocery store nearby but rates are reasonable. There is stated to a restaurant at the fortune hotel but damn thing would blow my pocket. I cannot afford a lunch for 2000 bucks for a person in a 5 star hotel.
7) No place to rest your back. Thats true. in this entire hill station or valley station there is no place you can rest your back except the convention centre. There is no place you can sit and take rest. May be there is a place they are making next to the Town hall but its useless. First you need to walk a lot and then there is no place to sit down. Strange isn't it for a hill station?
My conclusion: Its a fantastic ride to the 61kms from Chandni Chowk in Pune, nice wide road without a single pothole but an agonizing traffic with frequent jams till half way of the journey.
Entire area suceptible to land slides since its lose soil and large rocks so during monsoon there would be frequent accidents.
UPDATE after 6 months -
In July there were 2 truck accidents in the area within a week where 9 persons lost their lives it was never reported in media.
All construction by small time third party contractors and not by HCC themselves but they insist the construction has to be done only through them.
Cement unbranded and of lower quality but price from customer for top grade.
Construction quality is poor where HCC is maximizing its profits.
Most plots in existing phases are sold out to NRI investors.
- Thank You! We appreciate your effort.
