White-water rafting at Rishikesh – Dec 2009

Rishikesh, the white water rafting hub of India, with the turbulent waters of Ganga at Shivpuri beckons all Travelarkers. River rafting as a sport has reached new heights in these parts of the country and the thrill delivered under optimised safety protocols just makes it all the more worthwhile.

It is surely must be experienced by each and every adventure enthusiast.. and here we give them a chance and a reason to celebrate their adventure quotients with our ‘White water Rafting’ event at Rishikesh on the -

Christmas eve from 25 – 28 Dec ‘09
New years eve from – 29 Dec ‘09 to 1 Jan ‘10

Itinerary Ex-Delhi: 3 Nights / 3 Days package

For more details – please visit Travelarks Blog: Rishikesh Rafting Dec ‘09

Cheers ~~~

Dhak-Bahiri, 11 Oct 2009

Bull shitting under the pretext of religious sentiments in India has reached alarming levels long ago and the amount of stink that has permeated the atmosphere is suffocatingly stinky!

Had a close encounter with the filthy stink yesterday on one of the very popular hiking trails in Sahyadri – The Dhak Bahiri. What was the stink about?

Have these -

Females, not allowed. If they try to pay their obeisance to the deity, it renders them impious, and may be, even amount to sacrilege!

However, chaknas and liquor seems to be the prasad offerings to the deity. A lot of the stink-causing villagers, who maintain their double standards, threatened us with dire consequences if the female accompanying us were to climb upto the ‘pious’ cave. However, they carried gallons of liqour atop and created nuisance in the cave.

Behead a live chicken in the cave, cut it, cook it and then savour it along with the liquor. Goes down well with the deity? eh? Utter bull shit. Nuisance values!

No issues with us, since the girl accompanying us had been there twice earlier and not being there for the third time did not bore holes into our souls and egos! But this nonsensical fuss did, maybe..

Other than that …

No offense to the day; it was a perfectly beautiful day with all the frills attached – less humid, not-a-scalding-heat, the freshness of green post monsoons and more importantly a good group to share all this with.

We started from Jambhivali village. Jambhivali can be reached from Kamshet (15 kms from Lonavala, on Pune-Lonavala route).

It takes around 30 minutes to reach Jambhivali from Kamshet. From Jambhivali a good trek of hour and a half brought us to the col between the Kalakrai pinnacle and the Dhak massif. Another 5 minutes to reach the famous rock patch of Bahiri.

The heat, even though not  scalding, was hot enough to try and seek some shade. The cave was left in pathetic condition by the rampaging villagers.. the hooters!

The final stretches of Bahiri patches, need to be negotiated with care. In summers, more so because chances of sun-stroke increases manifold owing to the extremely hot temperatures and completely exposed stretches.

We paid a quick visit to the cave and decided to descend towards the Karjat side. Descending to Sandshi village from Dhak is no-easy task. Why? No defined route as such.. Lot of thickets to negotiate and plenty of avenues to lose the way and get stranded in the jungle as the sun sets down on you and no other option than to spend a night out in the jungle.

We were about to end up doing the same (spend night in the jungle), but for some correct decisions and route finding. After a very long traverse, we reached Kalakrai wadi and then to Mangaon (near Sandshi). It was 7.15 PM by the time we reached Mangaon, the final 30 minutes being in darkness.

From Mangaon, we managed to hire a rickshaw ride till Karjat and the 8.41 PM fast train to CST. Good trek with the fellows, apart for the mind-numbing senseless display on the villagers part. Who were they..? Not worth discussing..!

Check out the photos here -

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/rohanrrao/DhakBahiri#

Cheers ~~~

Arthur’s seat – Chandragad (Dhavale) Trek: Sep ‘09

Another one with a night out in thickly forested jungle infested with wild carnivores! Another night out in a jungle after an encounter with the deadly venomous Bamboo Pit Viper! Another night out in a jungle after some tired bodies with scared souls insisted on walking no further! Another night out in a jungle besides a gushing stream and a bliss..

Well, mid September is surely not an advisable time for the Arthur’s Seat – Chandragad trek, but then not paying heed to deterrent advice is what distinguishes this bunch… ready to rough it out kuch bhi..kaise bhi.. kabhi bhi…

Then what was the worrisome factor? That we were 14 of us and all of them weren’t prepared for kuch bhi and  kaise bhi..!!!

So the much awaited Friday night came as we boarded the Mahabaleshwar bound Asiad and after a bit of quiesence dozed off..! Came dawn and we alighted the bus at 6.00 AM and surprisingly Mahabaleshwar was neither chilly nor were there any traces of rainfall! Quite unusual..

Read complete treklogue here – The Travelarks Blog

Naneghat trek on 6th Sep

I have been to Naneghat 18 times before, but have seen nothing like this one! This was amazing and exhilarating!

“Rohan, mala parat jaychay, mala var nahi yaycha! Var jaychi kaay garaj aahe???” It means in Marathi, “Rohan, I want to go back. I don’t want to complete the trek. Whats the need? Why take the risk?” Not usuallr are these words associated with Naneghat; this time it was!

Read and see (pics) more at http://travelarks.com/blog/?p=69

The group – 25 in number, 19 participants and 6 of us to manage them; an apt ratio of 1:4. Whoa! good figure And I dare say that ratio was not required. It was very much, considering the heavy down pour, chilly winds, ever increasing levels of water gushing down against us threatening to throw us off balance and the reduced visibility due to very thick fog! … just an excerpt

Onam – Kerala’s Biggest Festivity

Surely the biggest and one of the most colourful festivities of Kerala, Onam, is just three days away. The entire state don’s an attire soaked in joyous spirits, floral fragrance and an aura unmatched by any other festival in the state.

Homes, shops, businesses and each and every living soul exuberantly let their spirits and the contagious aura free.

The Onam day is on September 2, 2009, but  major Onam celebrations will get underway on September 1st and will continue for an entire week. The best places to catch the action are Trivandrum, Thrissur, and Kottayam.

Read complete blog post about Onam and Kerala’s fervour at http://travelarks.com/blog/?p=63

Strings attached? Elasticize them!

One of the most pertinent dilemmas in an outdoor enthusiasts life is to balance the outdoor activities and domestic responsibilities. This becomes even more of an important issue in country like India where domestic bonding and attached responsibilities stake a greater claim on ones life than everything else. How many times do we find a trekker complaining that he did not find the time to satiate his hunger for outdoor quotients? Probably a zillion of times.

Finding the right balance isn’t always the easiest thing to do when you are pulled bilaterally with equivalent forces – inevitably though time tells which of the force would incline you to their side. And more often than not it is the domestic pull that wins the tug of war. However, I don’t find it surprising that domestic pull is greater – not only it is the societal pressure but also a in-vivo conscience that leads one to attend to domestic chores first.

Usually one thinks that once the domestic responsibilities are taken care of, (when one is well beyond 40) he can fulfill his long cherished dream of undertaking a travel spree. But then what about the children – SSC, HSC, Graduation and so one – the unending cycle continues.

When can a true outdoorsy soul lead his life and cherish his desire unbound with no strings attached? Only when there are no strings attached. This doesn’t necessarily mean to severe the strings; but one need to learn to have elastic strings and if it is already too late to elasticize, one can always learn to append extension slings.

Is Mont Blanc really that dangerous as the European make it to appear?

Well, Mountaineering in itself is dangerous sport, leave aside the dangers involved at different venues, temperature, avalances and other factors. Asia, being the apex and offering pure joy of actualy high altitude climbing with its massive Himalaya and Karakoram ranges, takes pride in hosting the highest peak in the world and some of the most deadly and difficult ascents with the likes of K2.

Americans go ga-ga over the Rocky and Andes, while Europeans would never cease to boast of the true Alpinist spirits, something which I cannot really fathom. The highest peak in Europe, Month Blanc is claimed to be one of the deadliest peaks in world.

Well, Mont Blanc is dangerous. No doubt about that. So would be any other peak in Himalaya. But why this highlight of Mont Blanc? Because of the number of people dying on their expedition to Mont Blac. Well, just for record, recently four Italian climbers died on the Aiguille du Midi. Two young Britons were killed the previous weekend in the Gervasutti Couloir and 58 was the total number of climbers killed last year with ten other climbers still missing and presumed dead.

A year before that, the summer month in 2007, 30 climbers died. Mont Blanc, a huge mountain massif straddling the French and Italian border, is one of the most undertaken expedition in the world. Lots of people are killed and injured on it every year, and still they come in hordes to ascend to the roof of Europe. Why? Because the climbing is that good. Approximately it take 20,000 summitteers every year. Well and with less than 100 death of such a huge number of ascenders, when one looks at overall success rate and causalties, it is very small and insignificant when one compares it with the treacherous climbs of K2, Annapurna, Kanchenjunga and Everest via Northeast ridge.

So, a simple equation does stand out of this hazy mirage obscuring the simple fact, glaringly staring and inviting everyone who can leave behind their overblown  gas balloons of Alpinist glory to have a look at the obvious – More adventurers –> More would be misadventures. But that doesn’t stop the adventurers spirits; be it Asia, Europe or any other region.

But I acknowledge one thing and really profess to be charmed by it – Alpine style is true and purest form of mountaineering, as opposed to the expedition style. Well, and this credit again goes to the European climbers / Mountaineers like Reinhold Messner. But again true alpine style won’t be really practical a solution in the extremes of Himalaya (exceptions rule), like K2 where even a month long schedule proves insufficient sometimes. More details about Alpine vs Expidition style in followng posts.

Cheers~

Mumbai – Sindhudurga Tour

Total Distance – 1076 Kms
Bike – Honda Shine 125 CC
Top speed – 105 Kmph
Onwards breaks – Wadkhal Naka, Poladpur, Sangameshwar
Return breaks – Lanja, Mangaon
Districts involved – Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurga
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It was the month of December and the winter chills had not yet set in, at least across Mumbai and suburbs. We (Me and my pillion) decided to experience if our hinterlands in Konkan have some winter chills in their depot for us. None better than a breezing bike across the smooth boulevards. It was not a surge to escape the mundane, but the real passion for driving long distance that led to our Sindhudurga bike tour being realized. The enchanting and exhilarating beauty of the trip was overwhelming.

Embarking bytes – Departure from Kalyan 9.30 PM
As always with most of our bike tours, we started off from Kalyan well past the sunset with and sunrise aeons away. It was 9.30 PM when me and my pillion saddled on my Shine and embarked on our long tourney.  The street of the suburb was still bustling with activity and the deafening decibels were effectively at work as always. However, a cognizance of leaving behind all the mundane madness was reassuring and we revved our way towards our destination.
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Wadkhal Naka break – 11.00 PM to 12.00 PM break; Distance covered – 60 Kms
The ride to Wadkhal Naka took us just an hour and a half to cover. It was 11.00 PM when the ignition key was turned off and the side stand pulled out for.  It was not a long journey or an exhaust break that demanded saddle rest and a quick refresher that forced us to halt the engine at Wadkhal Naka, but the hunger pangs in my pillions tummy. A prawn thali was just the perfect dose for my pillion, while I enjoyed sipping on a hot cup of ispeshal chai (special tea). The expected chill in the atmosphere that we expected in the month of December was conspicuously absent.

Panvel bypass -
One can take a panvel bypass from Kalamboli circle by proceeding straight instead of taking a left turn. The left turn take through Panvel city. After a short while, the bypass meets JNPT road. From this point a left turn meets at the Datta snacks corner (Palaspa Phata). It is just 2 kms longer than the Panvel city route.

Hotels -
Datta Snacks at Palaspa phata (Closed at night) is a famous landmark now

Hotel Amantran at Wadkhal Naka

24 hour Petrol pumps -
Vijay Automobiles, Kalamboli, Mumbai-Pune Rd, Panvel.
Ph: 022 7452525, HP.
Facilities: Lubes, snacks, coffee vending machine, music cassettes and clean toilets.

Dharamkar Motor Store, Vadkhal Naka. Ph: 02143 9008, BP.
Facilities: Puncture repair shop

Plus -
The stretch of road from Panvel to Pen, specially near Karnala is very good.

Minus -
Traffic, speed breakers, pollution, dust and haphazard crossing makes Kalyan Shil phata road a not a pleasurable experience.
Road near Shil Phata is the worst stretch of road that one may encounter, potholes and crater ridden. Care for your vehicles, drive in first / second gears.
Traffic in Panvel city can be unnerving (If one does not take the Panvel bypass)
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Poladpur break – 1.45 AM to 2.15 AM; Distance covered – 115 Kms
A left turn from Wadkhal Naka and the true essence of riding on NH 17 is experienced. The smooth roads with a calming influence is always a pleasure to experience.  We comfortably breezed between 80-90 Kmph mark and made good distance. We reached Poladpur in less than two hours covering a distance of 115 Kms. Enroute we bypassed Nagothane, Kolad, Indapur, Mangaon, Veer, Lonere and Mahad. At Pladpur we rested our saddle with a short tea break and also a quiescence to the Honda engine. There was still no sign of any chills in the ambiance.

Hotels -
Stalls at Poladpur offer Bhurji Pav, Omlette and hot tea to the travellers.

24 hour Petrol pumps -
Doshi Automobiles, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mahad. Ph: 02145 22387 BP.
Facilities: First-aid, lubes, adjoining restaurant and clean toilets.

Plus – Wonderful stretch of road from Wadkhal Naka to Poladpur. It is a straigh stretch of road with minimum hassles during the night. However during the day, it can be crowded at the abovementioned town destinations.
Minus - Nothing really
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Sangameshwar break – 4.00 AM to 4.30 AM ; Distance covered – 118 Kms
A short 30 minutes break at Poladpur seemed to be more than enough. We were really not feeling tired or sleepy after nearly 4 hours of gazing past the uppers on oncoming vehicles. We decided to continue further from Poladpur. The atmosphere was still pleasant, albeit a slightly cooler than where we stated from. Just as we move past Poladpur there is a chowk with a statue in the centre. A left turn from this junction goes to Mahabaleshwar, which is 42 Kms away via the Ambenali ghat. The road straight led to our destination.

Ghat sections enroute -
Kashedi Ghat -
Immediately after Poladpur the long and curvaceous Kashedi ghat begins. The ghat road extends for about 8 Kms. There are some blind curves along the ghat, but wide smooth roads with appropriate banking renders it enjoyably safe.

Baste Ghat and Parshuram Ghat -
Post Kashedi ghat the road is relatively comfortable for 20 km and past Khed before beginning of the Baste Ghat. Baste Ghat extends for around four Kms and continues the sharp corners and hair pin bends before the curves of Prshuram Ghat takes over. Parshuram Ghat extends for further 6 kms before reaching Chiplun.

Post Chiplun there are another couple of short curvy ghats before reaching Sangameshwar.

Hotels -
There are lot of Hotels available for food and accommodation at Khed, Chiplun and Sangameshwar.

24 hour Petrol pumps -
HP Highway Services, Bharna Naka, Khed Taluka, Ratnagiri district. HP.
Facilities: General store, STD booth, reasonably clean toilets.

G B Mehta and Sons, Chiplun. Ph: 02355 56060.
Facilities: Lubes and puncture repair shop.

M/s Yashodhara Services, Mumbai-Goa Road, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri Dist. Indian Oil. Facilities: Lubes, adjoining restaurant.

Plus – Beautiful roads and pleasurablr riding experience
Minus – Lot of ghat roads in this section,. although not a minus point but just a word of caution
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Reaching Vijaydurga at 8.00 AM; Distance covered – 175 kms
This was the longest non stop ride of the onwards journey covering a distance of 175 Kms and requiring about three and a half hours to do so. The tea wallah at Sangameshwar had warned off the heavy fog that settles in the region early in the morning then and requested us to stay back till the mist clears. The thick fog cover is as a result of close proximity to Bhima river, which runs parallel to the road for some distance. It reduces visibility to a considerable extent

However, we did not want to waste valuable hours waiting for the fog to recede and we decided to move on. We briskly moved on the mist laded roads and crossed approximately 3 kms of the curvy roads of Nivli ghat before reaching Hatkhambe. (A road bifurcates for Ratnagiri from here).

Past Lanja there are couple fo short ghat sections in Vanked ghat (2 Kms) and Vatul ghat (7 Kms) before reaching Rajapur. It was daybreak by the time we reached Rajapur at around 6.30 AM.

We experienced chill in the atmosphere for the first time in the ride so far only in this section. A short ride of about 30 minutes further brought us to Talera village. From this point we left NH 17 and took a right turn for Vijaydurga (around 42 Kms). The road is not so good and one feels this especially after riding on wonderful smoothness that NH 17 offers. Around 14 Kms before Vijaydurga is Padel village. This is the junction for reaching Kukeshwar, Devgad or Malvan from Vijaydurga.

Hotels -
Roadside dhabas and restaurants along the way at Hatkhambe, Pali, Lanja, Rajapur and Talera.

24 hour Petrol pump -
Mangal Agencies, Bombay – Goa Road, Rajapur. Ph: 02353 22074. Indian Oil.
Facilities: First-aid, toilets, ambulance available, adjoining hotel (veg).

M/s WY Pokhale, Kasarde. Ph: 02367 32634.
Facilities: Clean locked toilets with key on demand for customers only.
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Vijaydurga
Invincible fort of Vijaydurga that has withstood the testing times and weathering of the lashing waves still presents a very imposing picture. Numerous bastion, tall strong walls, fortifications, guarded entrance and everything about the fort seems to narrate the indomitable strength that it possessed in the days of yore.

It takes around couple of hours to have a look at the fort. Vijaydurga does not actually provide quality accommodation, but since we rode continuously for around 11 hours without a major break, we decided to have a good sleep. We rented a room at Hotel Suruchi. They also provide satisfying meals. Although the accommodation was not very good, it was much needed.

The charges were -
Double bedded room – 300 Rs with Common toilet and Bathroom
Double bedded room with toilet & bathroom attached – 650 Rs (larger & well maintained)
Contact – 02364 – 245335 / 9423053777 / 9420260464

Meals -
Veg Thali – Rs 40
Non Veg Thali (Chicken) – Rs 50
Fish Thali  – Rs 60

A good rest (4 hours sleep) at the hotel and a relaxing lunch (1.00 PM) saw us refreshed for the visit to Vijaydurga  in the evening. We whiled our time having a look at the humble village before being mesmerized by the marvel of fort Vijaydurga. A beautiful sunset over Arabaian sea made for the perfect finish before retiring for the day.

Garage -
Mustafa provides baisc garage services at Vijaydurga village. For majore troubles one has to hire garage services from Padel (14 kms from Vijaydurga)

Petrol pumps -
No Petrol pump at Vijaydurga. Nearest petrol pump is at Padel (14 Kms)

Plus – Beautiful fort
Minus – Lack of quality accommodation at Vijaydurga
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From Vijaydurga to Malvan – 9.30 AM to 11.30  AM; Distance covered – 86 Kms
Next day had an early start. We woke up by 6.00 AM and proceeded with our breakfast and other refreshments. We had another look at the fort and clicked some nice photographs. After a quick wrap up at Vijaydurga we bid farewell to the town and traced the road back till Padel village (14 Kms). From Padel a right turn takes one to Devgad, Kunkeshwar and Malvan via Achare. There is a beautiful Rameshwar temple 1 km off Achare which can be covered enroute.

Devgad and Kunkeshwar are both 8-10 Kms oof the Vijaydurga – Malvan route. Both can be covered along the way.

The roads are narrow but relatively in good condition. It took around two hours to reach Malvan, including a visit to Rameshwar temple off Achare.

Hotels – None along the inner roads across villages, one may find small dhabas, stalls enroute.

24 hour Petrol pumps – None

Plus – Close proximity of major tourist destinations like Kunkeshwar and Devgad
Minus – Nothing really, can’t expect major hotels and petrol pumps across inner arterial network of roads in the hinterlands.
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Malvan – Beautiful location, good accommodation and exotic cuisines
Small town amidst beautiful setting. Malvani food is famous for it exotic cuisines, predominantly sea food (Malvani). It provides good accommodation and good food. Coconut, Rice and fish assume prime significance in the Malavani cuisine. Malvan is also known for Malvani Alphanso mango. It is also known for sweets such as Malvani Khaja (Sweet made from besan flour & coated jaggery) & variety of Malvani Ladoos.

There are plenty of accommodation facilities ranging from expensive luxuries like Sagar Kinara (Rs 1600 for two bedded room) to affordable ones like Sonchafa (Rs 300 / 400 for a two bedded room)

Government guest house are vailable, but the bookings for are to be done from Swantwadi and no direct accommodation is provided, which we thought was a bit of tedious service.

Look out for the very famous Zantye’s cashenuts at Malvan and their range of cashew sweets and products. Also products like Kokam and other Malvani treats if the foodie in you displays an insatiable quotient.

Hotel Sonchafa – Lodging, boarding with parking facilities
Landline No: 02365-251144/253375
Contact Person: Mr. Laxman Prabhu
Contact No: 9423053920

Restaurants -
Ruchira restaurant – Provides authentic Malvani food with good & clean service

Swami restaurant – A bit modern-sih restaurant for those who want to have a flavour of Chinese, Punjabi or other cuisines. They also provide Malvani cuisines.

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A couple of Kms further away from Malvan bus depot enroute to Kasal
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Sindhurdurg fort – Boat services and alternatives
State government provides regular boat services from Malvan jeety to Sindhudurg isle fort. It is merely a 15 minutes boat ride. The charges are Rs 27 for a return ticket. However, they povide just one hour to have a look at the entire fort and I believe it is too sort a time to have a look at the fort completely. Also the boat services are only for Sindhudurg fort.

There are three more forts – Padmadurga, Rajkot and Sarjekot near Sindhudurg which are not covered in the boat services provided thereby. Hence if one has a sufficiently large group, they can hire the services of local boats and strike a good deal for all these forts to be covered leisurely at ne’s own pace and not rush through the things.
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Tarkarli beach – 6 Kms from Malvan ; Devbaug beach – 12 Kms from Malvan
A very short ride from Malvan is a very beautiful beach at Tarkarli. The beach is lined by pine trees that adds all the more to its already enchanting beauty. The white sand dissolving in the blue waters of Arabian sea make for a perfect eye treat.

Accommodation is available at MTDC beach houses, but these are a costly affair. There are a couple of private lodging facilities available nearby. The enquiry for these can be done at parking facilities provided near the beach. However we thought that it is better to stay at Malvan and visit these nearby places.

Slightly further ahead is Devbaug (12 Kms from Malvan). Devbaug Beach offers an enthralling sight of hundreds of seagulls flying simultaneously. It also provides avenues for boating.
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Return journey – 6.00 AM start, 9.00 AM Breakfast at Lanja; Distance covered 161 Kms
We had an early start for the day as we aim to reach Mumbai as early as possible. At around 6.00 AM we start from Malvan towards Kasal. Kasal is 32 Kms from Malvan. The drop in temparature was evident and for the first time in three days we were actually shivering while riding. With clenched teeth and frozen fists I continued to rev towards Kasal.

From Kasal we turn left on the NH 17 towards Mumbai. Further ahead enduring the cold winds we managed to reach Lanja. We halted here for a much needed warm break. A leisurely breakfast with Dahi Vada, Sheera, Kanda Bhaji, Mix Bhaji and a cup of tea provided the much needed warmth after 3 hours of chilled ride.

Hotels -
Numerous hotels and refeshments available at Kasal, Kankavli, Rajapur, Lanja

24 hour Petrol pump -
S B & V B Samant, Kankavli. Ph: 02367 32028.  Facilities: Puncture repair shop and clean toilets.

Plus – Beautiful roads, less traffic
Minus – Nothing
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Lunch at Mangaon – 1.30 PM to 2.30 PM; Distance covered – 238 Kms
This was the longest non stop riding stretch of the entire tour so far. It covered 238 Kms in 4 hours, all attributed to non stop speeds of 85-90 Kmph on smooth and relatively traffic free roads of NH 17. The saddle was partly numb and screamed for a rest. The breaffast from Lanja was well digested and our tummies began to crank their demands for another dose of filler.

We had our lunch at Sugran restaurant at Mangaon. The food was decent and tasty in the form of Veg Kolhapuri, Chapatis and a Chiken thali for my pillion. We wrapped up quickly and began moving towards our destination – Mumbai.

Hotels – Lots of them along the way

Plus – Wonderful roads
Minus – Crowd at the township areas enroute, cautious driving required
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Completion of the tour – Total Kms clocked 1076 Kms; wonderful memories to cherish
Tracing the way back from Mangaon to Kalyan was more of a nostalgia. A always nearing the concluding stretches of ride on any long tour presents with a mixed sort of emotion, the satisfaction of completing the ride is blend with the feeling of end of the journey. Breezing past at 90 Kmph saw us reach Panvel in no time. I bid farewell to my pillion here and continued on my way back to Kalyan.

The traffic became evident, pollution, road congestion and all came back flooding and corroding the pleasures of riding on NH 17 for past three days. It was all back to routine as the smooth runways gave way for congested arteries in the city.

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Some useful information -

Refreshment Stops -
Misal Corner, Goa turn-off after Panvel. Awesome misal pav and strong tea, just what you need to prepare you for your drive ahead.

Hotel Open Umbrella Mangaon, Ph: 01240 63879 Indian, South Indian and Konkani food. Konkani thali costs Rs 40.

Hotel Ruchi Garden, Outskirts of Mahad, Splendid views of the Savitri river.

Motel Visawa, Mahad, popular stopping point with a general store and all kind of snacks.

Taj Gateway Chiplun, excellent food but at a price.

Hotel Swad Sangameshwar, excellent Maharashtrian food and non-veg thali.

Neelams Countryside, 24-hour coffee shop with continental snacks and rooms for an overnight halt
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Note of caution -
Slow moving rickshaws and bullock carts aplenty near villages.
Numerous Accident Spot signs on the road. Take them seriously.
Bridges over rivers have speed breakers before and after them.
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Ghats to Cross -
Kashedi Ghat between Poladpur and Kashedi
Baste Ghat after Khed
Parshuram Ghat between Khed and Chiplun
Nivli Ghat between Sangameshwar and Nivli
Vanked Ghat between Lanja and Rajapur
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As always, a satisfaction on completion of a long ride is unparalleled and difficult to express verbally. I hope the log would be helpful for people planning rides in these areas. Have a good time.

Happy, Infinite and safe riding

~Cheers~

Raigad & Pratapgad mo-bike trip

Total Distance - 526 Kms
Bike - Honda Shine 125 CC
Top speed – 100 Kmph
Onwards breaks – Kolad, Poladpur
Return breaks - Mangaon
Districts involved – Thane, Raigad
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Raigad - a marvel of a fort and Pratapgad – a page etched in history books with golden letters, both bring out the nostalgic moments that glorify the Maratha history. Well, emotions and nostalgic moments apart, the very underlying fact that it took a genius in Shivaji Maharaj to built these two marvels can never be over estimated. The brilliance of vision hat designed these forts is clearly evident and it was our desire to capture some of these in our viewfinders. Or more apt would be to surrender ourselves to be mesmerized and captured by their beauty.

Hey amidst all these glories, never ever forget the mobiking flames burning inside us. Reaching out these on our bikes was instinctive decisionl but be rest assured that even if it was planned, we would have done nothing different. Vroom vroom we revved on in the winter chills of November 2008.
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Embarking bytes – 12.00 midnight departure from Kalyan
It was a late night start. Our destination, Pratapgad, not being a far distance away to stretch our biking journey till the day break we decided for a late start and long breaks in between. The temperature was pleasantly cool for pedestrians, but as we moved out of Kalyan city the traffic thinned out and the drop in temperature was very evident and cruising at 70 Kmph in those conditions was not exactly pleasant. Still the city conditions, pollution and relative congestion around provided dingy warmth and made it bearable.

Hotels -
Numerous dhabas and restaurants provide 24 x 7 service near Shil phata
Konkan Ratna (Pure veg family restaurant), Konkan King (Family restaurant and bar) and some others provide decent sevice

Plus -
Nothing specific to write about any plus on this stretch of road

Minus -
The pavement blocks at junctions and over those narrow bridges are really irritating as these gives enough bumps even at low speeds.
The bridges over the rail tracks are really narrow and speed breakers are unmarked at number of spots on this stretch
Lots of dust and emissions from surrounding industries can be obnoxious
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Panvel – 1.00 AM; Distance covered 40 Kms ~
We moved cross Shil phata and every time the name crops up I cannot help but warn the riders of the big craters and pot holes that mars the riding experience, besides harming our bikes. First gear, at the most second gear and anything beyond that could have been injurious to my bike’s health and dangerous for my pillion. Enduring bad patches on the way we made our way to Palaspa naka via Kalamboli circle and through Panvel city. Since it was very late in the night the traffic in areteries of Panvel was non existent.

From Palaspa Naka (famously referred to as Datta snacks corner) we turned right and the pleasure of NH 17 (Mumbai – Goa highway) began.

Panvel bypass -
One can take a panvel bypass from Kalamboli circle by proceeding straight instead of taking a left turn. The left turn take through Panvel city. After a short while, the bypass meets JNPT road. From this point a left turn meets at the Datta snacks corner (Palaspa Phata). It is just 2 kms longer than the Panvel city route.

Hotels -
Tapris and some outlets near Panvel ST depot provide tea and some snacks
Some restaurants between Panvel and Palaspa naka are open 24 x 7

24 hour Petrol pumps -
Vijay Automobiles, Kalamboli, Mumbai-Pune Rd, Panvel.
Ph: 022 7452525, HP.
Facilities: Lubes, snacks, coffee vending machine, music cassettes and clean toilets.

Plus – Nothing really

Minus -
Traffic, speed breakers, pollution, dust and haphazard crossing makes Kalyan Shil phata road a not a pleasurable experience.
Road near Shil Phata is the worst stretch of road that one may encounter, potholes and crater ridden. Care for your vehicles, drive in first / second gears.
Traffic in Panvel city can be unnerving during the day (If one does not take the Panvel bypass)
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Wadkhal Naka - 2.15 AM – 2.45 AM; Distance covered – 70 Kms ~
The road, NH 17 as always was a pleasure, and we got the glimpses of it on the Karnala stretch and beyond, but the extreme chills in the air made riding really unnerving. The fingers seemed to be frozen and clutch sensations feebled away. Then came Pen and some roght stretches of road in between actually proved to be a respite from the cold as I had to lower my speed to avoid the bumps. The cold was quite bearable at speeds of 40-50 Kmph. After Pen, a short ride over relatively uneven road led to Wadkhal Naka.

There are 24 x 7 restaurants at Wadkhal Naka, but we decided to give them a skip and move on. From Wadkhal Naka the road just evens out to perfectness and the high speeds are just inevitable as the throttle opened up under the grasp of my fist. The road zipped under the wheels as we neared Nagothane (23 Kms from Wadkhal Naka). We crossed Nagothane and moved further ignoring the roadside kiosks that seemed to be inviting for a cup of hot tea. That was a mistake perhaps on my part. The chills got unbearable and I started looking out for a tea break. Nagothane was left behind and next probable spot for a tea break was Kolad 16 Kms further away and those 16 Kms seemed aeons away then.

The enigne revved and the speedo constantly hovered around 80 – 90 Kmph mark for another 15 minutes before the dim lights of Kolad tea stalls infused a new lease of life in my frozen soul. A piping hot cup of tea was just what the docter ordered and I relished it whole heartedly.

Hotels -
Hotel Amantran at Wadkhal Naka (Closed at Night)
Number of restaurants at Wadjhal Naka open at night

24 hour Petrol pumps -
Dharamkar Motor Store, Vadkhal Naka. Ph: 02143 9008, BP.
Facilities: Puncture repair shop

Plus – Amazingly smooth roads

Minus – None
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Poladpur break – 4.00 AM to 5.00 AM; Distance covered – 75 Kms
The tea break at Kolad proved to be really helpful, but as they say, sweet moments always seems very short, however long they may be and it was perfectly true at that instant. A 30 minutes break away from piercing through the cold winds was enough to shake the numbness away from my fingers, but on the saddle again was very unwelcome thought. I was shivering when I turned the ignition on and the ordeal began once again; inevitable it was.

Such was the effect of cold that even before riding I decided to halt at the next sight of a tea stall. The options were aplenty then, I knew very well; at Indapur, Mangaon and so on. But little did I knew the urge to finish it once for all was strong enough to ignore the stalls at these junctions and continued to zoom at 90 Kmphs past these. Fllowing a SUV sometimes and mini bus at other provided some respite mentally; I did not know how it mattered then, but now I cannot relate to it at all. Chlling numbness had penetrated my thought process as well then.

Past Mangaon, Veer, Lonere and Mahad in numb senses I continued further. The thoughs of next halt was obscure and moving on was the only thing on my minds. However, at Poladpur the inviting aroma of Bhurji Pav and warmth of cup of tea seemed a bit too much to resist. Off went the engine and on came Bhurji Pav. One thing surely dawned upon me then – The extra spice of green chillies with Bhurji pav can be best enjoyed after enduring the chills of a winter night ride. The warm sips of tea was just an icing on the cake.

Hotels -
Stalls at Poladpur offer Bhurji Pav, Omlette and hot tea to the travellers.

24 hour Petrol pumps -
Doshi Automobiles, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mahad. Ph: 02145 22387 BP.
Facilities: First-aid, lubes, adjoining restaurant and clean toilets.

Plus – Wonderful stretch of road from Wadkhal Naka to Poladpur. It is a straigh stretch of road with minimum hassles during the night. However during the day, it can be crowded at the abovementioned town destinations.

Minus – Nothing really
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Kashedi ghat - 5.45 AM; Distance covered – 16 Kms ~
Since Pratapgad was very near and we did not want to venture on Ambe Nali ghat in the dark, we decided to stop there a bit longer. That is when the idea of doing Kashedi ghat came to my mind. Actually, a right turn immediately past Poladpur leads towards Paratpgad and Kashedi ghat, which lies further ahead on Nh 17, was not a part of our planned route.

But coming so near and missing the wonderful curvatures or Kashedi was not really happening and we decided to cover the ghat route and turn back towards Pratapgad. We started at 5.00 AM from Poladpur and continued further. The approximately 16 Kms (8 + of ghat section was a wonderful ride to do and we headed back towards the Mahabaleshwar bifurcation a lot happier than what we would have been if we had given Kashedi a skip. It was still dark when we did Kashedi ghat, but the curves and inclines remained the same and it was a pleasure as always.
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Pratapgad – 7.00 AM; Distance covered – 42 Kms
Post Kashedi ghat ride we took the bifurcation for Ambe Nali ghat and towards Pratapgad. The uneven roads were immediately noticed, especially after a smooth ride on NH 17 so far. It was day break at around 6.00 AM when we left Poladpur behind.

Ambe Nali ghat is a nice one as far as curves and inclines are concerned, but the enitre joy of ghat riding is reduced to zero due to the pathetic condition of the road. There are plenty of craters right in the centre of the road and across all along the ghat route. After a bumpy ride of around 35 Kms ~ we took the Pratapgad bifurcation. After negotiating Ambenali bumps and steep gradient of reaching Pratapgad base, we finally reached there at 7.00 AM.

Pratapgad attracts a lot of visitors owing to easy accessiblity and historic importance that it carries and this day was no different. Families, friends, groups, sholl picnic all crowded Pratapgad today. We quickly had a look atop Pratapgad, clicked some pictures, enjoyed the scenic views from the top, relished the hot plate of Kanda Bhaji and Chaas at Pratapgad before moving towards our destination next –> Raigad.

Hotels -
Food and accommodation facilities available at Pratapgad

Petrol pumps -
No petrol pump enroute Ambenali ghat and at Pratapgad. Fill your tank up at Mahad to last the distance and the steep inclines of the ghat.

Plus – Scenic views along Ambe Nali ghat

Minus - Pathetic road condition of Ambenali ghat
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Raigad – 12.30 PM; Distance covered 85 Kms ~
My wrist watch clocked 10.00 AM as I started my bike and started back towards Raigad. The thought of enduring the bumpy ride of Ambenali again was contantly playing at the back of my mind and was proving t be irksome – 42 Kms of bumps and roughness again.
Cursing the roads I moved on and I was relieved a bit to reach Poladpur junction and tread again on the smooth runways of NH 17. Another short ride before be reached Mahad.

Moving further we took a bifurcation that led towards Pachad, the base village of Raigad; 23 Kms away from Mahad. The road is narrow and usually with with lot of local pedestrians crossing. We have to keep an careful eye. Also the road condition is not optimal with unexpected pot holes greeting us on the way. The final stretches of the road climbs up the steep inclines and sharp curvatures along the ghat. Steep inclines, sharp corners and rough roads really deems alertness on this stretch. Just before Pachad the road bifurcates. Road on the left leads to Pachad 2 Kms away, while that on the right rleads to Raigad.One must visit the Jija Mata samadhi at Pachad village.

I reached Raigad and parked my bike at pay and park sevice available there. It was 12.30 PM and the sun was shining over head. A sleepless and a chilling night ride made a hot water bath and a good sleep absolute essential. I quickly purchased the rope way tickets (Rs 100 One way; Rs 150 Return).

Hotels -
Food and accommodation facilities available atop Raigad

Petrol pumps -
No petrol pump enroute Pachad. Fill your tank up at Mahad to last the distance.

Plus - Nothing to write home

Minus – Pathetic road condition
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Raigad -
I stayed at Raigad, got much needed rest, hot water bath and a heavy lunch. Had a good look around the fort the next day as well. Clicked a lot of photographs and retired for another day on top of the fort. It was a long stay atop Raigad and a complete end to end visit with lots of photographs was realized.

Hotels -
Bhavani Mandap – Rs 50 Veg Thali
Deshmukh Khanavala – Rs 40 Veg Thali
Zunka Bhakar, Thetcha – Rs 20 Per plate (1 Bhakri) provided by villagers staying near Shiv Samadhi if told in advance

Accommodation -
MTDC resorts, Zilla Parishad rooms, Raigad Ropeway rooms and Bhavani Mandap

Plus – Decent accommodation and food availability

Minus - It is difficult to get MTDC accommodation on weekends and public holidays.
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Return journey -
Nothing much or special to write about return journey. I had a late start from Raigad, descended via Chitta Darwaja route, visited Waghbil and then moved towards the parking lot to hit the saddle once again. Bidding farewell to Raigad I proceeded towards NH 17 again. Returning was a monotonous ride with no anticipation or expectation. I had a good lunch at Mangaon, Hotel Sugran and then hit the road once again.

Indapur, Kolad, Nagothane and Wadkhal Naka whizzed past and the congested roads of Panvel appeared sooner than aniticipated. Traffic, pollution and haphazard roads welcomed us once again and I reached Kalyan via Shil phata. It was around 6.30 PM then and the sun was just beginning to setting low beyond the horizon, with memories of past few days mingling merrily in my thoughts.

Cheers ~

Shivneri bike trail

Kalyan – Shivneri bike trip
Total Distance – 257 Kms
Bike – Honda Shine 125 cc
Top speed – 105 Kmph
Onwards breaks – At Murbad for a cup of much needed hot tea to kill the chills
Return breaks – None
Districts involved – Thane, Pune
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Starting blues – Malshej ghat horrors
Do not go there after dark, are you nuts? Don’t invite trouble, stay back! My friends were concerned about me riding at night on the Malshej Ghat. For those who don’t know, Malshej ghat is notoriously infamous for dacoits and murders at night. So, doing a bike ride, that too with just two bikes was never going to be a safe option and could not be digested by my friends.

Change in plan – Early morning departure in killing chills
Their assertive requets and a bit of inhibition induced in me saw me rescheduling my Shivneri bike ride. I postponed it by 5 hours. We were actually supposed to start out at 11.00 PM from Kalyan. However, the trip was rescheduled to 4.00 AM the next day (Saturday). As always, the alarm went on and on before we finally crept out of the comfort of our blankets and readied ourself for the ride. It was the month of November then, the winters of 2008. Well, it was not the chilliest winter that I witnessed, but certainly, starting at 5.00 AM in the month of November and zooming around 80 kmph is never pleasant. The cold winds started getting prickier as we left Kalyan behind and hit the deserted roads towards Murbad.

Numbness gripping us – Seeking warmth at Murbad; Distance covered – 30 Kms
The feeling of numbness started gripping the fingers and holding on to the throttle and intermittent clutch pulls were purely mechanical with no sensation whatsoever. The speed hovered around the 80 mark. The dawn still held itself and the daybreak was nowhere near. The dim light and the mist settled over the landscape coupled with numb sesnsations made it increasingly difficult to ride. In about 30 minutes we reached near Murbad and the first sight of a tungten bulb some 500 metres from us came as a rescuer in the killling chill. Even from so far a distance it seemed to infuse a warmth with its tungten filament throwing a glow that pierced the mist laden landscape. It did not see us hitting the neutral gear and order cuppa of a cutting chai. We were holding onto the glasses for long before we took the first sip. The hot bevearage helped us to regain some of the numbed senses, albeit only partially.

Hotels -
There are plenty of options available at Murbad during the buzzing hours of the day. But late night and early mornings won’t provide you with much other than some anda bhurji and tea. Even the bhurji wallah is not guaranteed after the wee hours.

Plus –
Good stretch of road and relatively uncongested after crossing Ulhasnagar; specifically the Tabor Ashram.

Minus -
The roads are congested and very narrow just after crossing Shahad near the Ulhasnagar – Tabor Ashram stretch. During day time it can be a pain to ride through, early hours made it easy for us.

Note -
Fill your tanks, if not already done before at Murbad. This is the last petrol pum for a considerable stretch; nothing available through Malshej right upto Madh.
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Through the Malshej ghat - Cold defusing our enthusiasm; Distance covered – 80 kms ~
Hitting the saddle became more difficult now for us. We could not come to terms with the fact that we would have to move away from the comforting warmth of the tea stall and hit the roads again, cutting through the pricking morning chill. We had to anyways. By the time we reached Saralgaon the dawn had given way to daybreak and the thin traffic and smooth roads saw us revving up further. We soon zoomed past the imposing Nanacha Angha and took over the turns of Malshej ghat. It always is a pleasure to ride through this ghat and somehow it never ceases to cater that particular zing for the riders.

Ghat sections enroute –
Malshej Ghat – Long route, curvy roads, wonderful views. Total length of ghat road is approximately 43 kms.

Crossing over Madh we moved towards Junnar. The stretch in between Madh and Junnar was the worst chills we experienced since the ride began. We reached Bankar phata and taking a right turn from here reached Junnar in a short while. As always, a chai, a tarri wala misal pav and a cream roll to finish with saw us satiating our appetites before making our way up to Shivneri.

Hotels -
You can find some Dhabas at Tokawade. The none until Akshay near Khubi Phata and few tapris at Madh

24 hour Petrol pumps –
Petrol station at Madh provides 24 hours service, tyre service

Plus -
Malshej ghat and the view it offers along with its curvy course is always a treat. Smooth roads for most of its length

Minus -
A very small patch of rough road post Madh. Then the right turn from Bankar phata till Junnar is not a pleasant drive as well with intermediate pot holes and overall rough roads
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Reaching Junnar – Breakfast, tea and a brief break and Shivneri visit
Shivneri is beautiful fort with number of fortificated structures still in decent conditions, including the seven entrances and Shivjanmasthan. Badami Tank, Ganga Jamuna Tanks, Kadelot, Kamani Masjid and Ambarkhana are some of the other old structures worth seeing on the fort. MTDC has built Shiv Kunj on top of the fort for the visitors. If one wishes one can descend via Sakhal Danda route (Chor waat) to add some thing more and see some rock hewn caves along the scarp of the masif.  But since we had parked our bikes we decided to descend via the same route; but not before clicking loads of pictures.

Lunch and returning back -
We hit the road once more. We were really hungry and a nice restaurant near Junnar helped us fill our tummies with Veg Kolhapuri, rotis and butter naan. Post lunch, we hit the roads again and returned via Ganesh Khind (thus avoiding the circuitous route, which we took while coming) and reached Madh. From Madh it was gain the same roads being traced back till Kalyan. However, return journey was much pleasant as there was no chill to kill.

It was near sunset by the time we reached Kalyan. Tapan had joined me from Goregaon. Bidding him farewell, I turned towards the cozy comforts of home sweet home. Mom, as always, was happy to see me back again and then Monday awaited another mundane.
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Completion of the tour – Total Kms clocked 257 Kms. A short and sweet ride kissed with the wonderful architecture and historical significance attached with the Shivjanmasthan – Fort Shivneri
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Note of caution –
Do not drive at Malshej ghat during the night; its well known for dacoits and killings

Have your tank full at Mumbai itself, it would be sufficient for the entire ride
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Although a short ride, a ride is a ride and it is always a satisfying experience, an unparalleled one with the flavours of revs, kms, rpms and everything attached.

Happy, Infinite and safe riding

~Cheers~