Jul 19, 2001 09:46 AM
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Come the monsoon, and we mumbaiites are constantly on the lookout for places to go and have fun.Of course the main idea is to get drenched, soaked to the skin and have oodles of fun. And weekends are usually planned with these outings. We do have a lot of places,most notable being the nearest and easily approachable Khandala, Lonavla Or Matheran. Well these are good, but a wilder adventure would be the picturesque place called Malshej Ghats. And here located at a very picturesque point, MTDC has its resort.
164 kms from Mumbai (135 from Pune), This place can be approached from Kalyan Station, from where u can travel in The State Transport Buses. One visit in the rains and you'll want to come back again to these dense green valleys and cascading waterfalls, the soaring craggy peaks and fog-smothered massifs. The drive itself up the Ghats is an exhilerating experience. So many waterfalls, cascading over your bus...ah this is a blissful place indeed. June to September, Malshej Ghat becomes a wonderworld of fauna and flora. This is a haven for trekkers, picnickers, and adventure lovers. This is a serene place, except on weekends, when hordes of people flock to this place. Then you have to watchout for the rowdy, drunk crowds. Its best to take your rain gear with you when you visit this place. Other places of interest, should you have the time and inclination, are the Shivneri fort (birth place of Shivaji), a few Buddhist caves, and Harishchandragadh. The trek up this fort, around 6 hrs from the base ( a 2hr walk to get to the base from the main road), is just fabulous. Once you are up on the mountain, go towards the Konkan Kadha. This is the mountainside, shaped like a semicircular kadha (pan). From here you can see a coin getting tossed up into the air, swirling upward because of high wind velocity. The view too is just great.
So friends, when you go to Malshej, go with time on your hands and explore all around to your hearts content. And the rooms of MTDC, are priced between Rs 500/- to 850/- .Other than the MTDC, there is the Flamingo Hill Resort. You can make bookings from Mumbai (+91-22 - 8775016, 8775026) For MTDC, you have to go to the MTDC offices. The best times to visit: June - September
