We all had great plans to execute this year, people have prefixed the schedule to go for this year. But nobody was aware of the coming pandemic, it took out all the plans, as well as people, had to stay back at home for almost half a year.
People were bored, tired of being stuck in four walls, but as of now things are getting back at track, it’s not safe though but people have started to go out by taking proper precautions and safety measures.
You must be thinking about where to go for a change to feel fresh, here are the top 5 places you could and should go to chill in Maharashtra, with less trouble and more fun.
1. Rajmachi Fort ( hill station)
Rajmachi hill station in Maval Taluka of Maharashtra, as at present hill station will be the best place to go, it’s all about nature and fresh air. Rajmachi is known for its ancient fort, the fort played a strategic role in the First Anglo-Maratha War.
It comprises two twin forts Shriwardhan Ballekilla and Manaranjan Balekilla, with a wide machi (plateau) surrounding the two Balekillas. Udhewadi is a small village in the nearby, can consider it as the landmark to follow.
How can you manage to go and stay there?
Rajmachi comes in between Mumbai and Pune, you can go there either by train or by road as well. By train you have to catch it from Pune and get down at Karjat station, then you can catch an auto from Shriram bridge.
The trekking of Rajmachi is not dangerous, although its challenging especially during Monsoon, and the total time to reach the destination of trekking will be 40-45 minutes. If you are going in a big group you can co-operate with camping agents and stay as per preferences. But if you are looking for a hotel at a cheap price, you have nothing to worry about.
There are hotels available nearby, like the Hotel Royal Palace, Hotel Pankaj Executive, and many more. You will get the proper servicing when it comes to food, you can have a proper meal, snacks, breakfasts, and dinner as per your choice. You should definitely go trek in Rajmachi!
The best time to explore is: June to September
2. Alibag Island
If you are a beach lover, add Alibag in your list to enjoy and spend quality time with your friends and family. Alibag is a coastal town and municipal council in Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. From Mumbai it’s distance is 96 km and from Pune 143 km. Alibag and its surrounding villages are the historic hinterlands of Bene Israeli Jews.
A Bene Israelite named Ali used to live there at that time. He was a rich man and owned many plantations of mangoes and coconuts in his gardens. Hence people named it Alibag. Alibaug beach is one of the most famous ones among the beaches in Alibaug, with the scintillating view of the Colaba Fort from the coasts. Varsoli Beach is said to be the neatest beach in Alibaug. You can go there to enjoy peace and family or me time, it is not crowded and the best place to release stress and get good vibes.
How can you manage to go and stay there?
There are few ways to reach Alibag, like road, train, airways, and ship (ferry). Airway takes less time but it will cost you more, hence if you are really up for fun at low cost, the ferry is the best way to go by. You will have to catch a ferry from Gateway of India, it will drop you at Mandwa beach and from there you will get the service to go inside Alibag by road transport.
If you are going by your own vehicle that is good, but the ferry will charge its fair. Or directly by road Mumbai to Alibag would take you approximately 3 h to cover a total distance of 95.4, via NH 66. It would take you around 3.5 h to cover the distance of 121 km, via the Mumbai-Pune Highway to reach Alibag.
Staying is not a concern in Alibag, as it all about beaches so there are many resorts, hotels in your budget. Like, Elysium Resort Alibag, Lotus The Lake view Resort, AV’s cottage, and many more. So as you will get great restaurant servings. Go for your quality time!
The best time to kill your stress in Alibag is from November to March.
3. Tungareshwar Waterfall
Trekking to the waterfall is really fun to do, Tungareshwar is famous for its temple of Lord Shiva. It is located at Vasai in Palghar. Tungareshwar was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2003. It is said, this is the place where the devil Tunga was terminated by Parshurama, and then Parshuram mediated here as per un Purana.
Tungareshwar is at a height of about 2177 feet. It will take 2 to 3 hours of trekking to reach the temple and waterfalls you will get in the route. It is a great place for religious people as well as youngsters who love to trek or want to get their first experience in basic trekking.
How can you manage to go and stay there?
There are two easy ways to reach Tungareshwar, road or by train. If you are traveling by road you can easily get there from Vasai highway and turn towards Tungareshwar village (use Google map), or you can take a train and get down at Vasai station, you can get the auto from East for Tungareshwar temple.
Although it is a day trip, if you plan on stay there are hotels nearby, like Asha Air Express, Hotel Regency Vasai, lodges are also there in the distance of 4-5km. If you are staying at hotels, of course don’t have to worry about food, and luckily in the trekking also there all small stalls for food, water, snacks, and cold drinks. So it will be a comfortable adventure at natural beauty. You should experience fun with adventure!
The best time to visit is:- May to September
4. Mahabaleshwar hill station
Everyone is fan of nature we love to go on places full of greenery, rivers, and waterfalls Mahabaleshwar is one of those places, Mahabaleshwar is a hilly area in the Satara district of Maharashtra. The King Singhan of Deogiri visited Old Mahabaleshwar, created a small temple and water tank at the basis of the river Krishna.
In the middle of the 16th century the, Maratha family of Chandarao More defeated the Brahmin dynasty and became rulers of Javli and Mahabaleshwar, during which period Old Mahabaleshwar temple was refurbished. In 1656 founder of the Maratha empire, Shivaji undertook the Mahabaleshwar area and built a fort near the temple, and with the ongoing period, British rule developed Mahabaleshwar into a famous hill station. And at present, it is with the Shivaji’s descendants and Mahabaleshwar became the historic witness and spot of adventure.
How could you manage to go and stay there?
To reach Mahabaleshwar you have two ways by train or by road if you are going by road route and driving from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar and Pune to Mahabaleshwar via the Mumbai – Pune Expressway and the NH 4/48 highway, follow the Map instructions.
Major stops are Mumbai, Vashi, Pune, Surur, Panchgani, and, Mahabaleshwar. Wathar railway station, located about 60 km away from Mahabaleshwar, is the closest railhead to this hill station. However, several trains run from Pune and Mumbai to Wathar, then you can take a taxi cab or bus for Mahabaleshwar.
The journey to Mahabaleshwar from Mumbai is 6 to 7 hours, and from Pune is about 3 to 4 hours as per the traffic. Mahabaleshwar tracking is fun to do, it is really adventurous full of nature, mountains you will not regret going there. Mahabaleshwar is really famous for strawberry cultivation, as well as it holds a large number of tourist attractions is more like a heaven of nature.
As it is a developed hill station and really famous there are many hotels and lodges available to stay in your budget like hotel Godai Girikunj Mahabaleshwar, Sai Yash hotel, Oyo rooms are also available there and you can book a luxurious hotel as per your preferences. Of course, food is not a concern, everything is available, but during the trek, you can carry your own water bottles or snacks if you want. If you love adventure and nature you should definitely go to Mahabaleshwar!
The best time to explore Mahabaleshwar:- March to June as well as December to February.
5. Tarkarli Island
How often can we go on the same beaches, of course, there is no change in beaches but the area the location matters and for the best change, you should go to Tarkarli. Tarkarli is a village in Malvan taluka in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Tarkarli was declared as the Queen of beaches of the Konkan region.
It is really famous for its white-sand beaches and water sports like for scuba diving. All Watersports activities in Tarkarli are going on as per international safety of standards and under the direction of specialists. It is a great place to enjoy and have a peaceful time between the beaches.
How can you manage to go and stay there?
You can go to Tarkarli either by road or by train. The distance of tarkarli from Mumbai by road is 550km, taking NH 17 or NH 4 route via Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The nearest railway station to the city is Kudal which is almost 45 km away from Tarkarli. You can catch various types of trains from cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Goa to reach the city.
The Konkan Express and Mandovi Express are the main trains that serve Tarkarli, and from outside the station, you can either take a local bus or auto to reach your final destination.
As it is a famous tourist place there are many hotels and resorts like Kinara Resort, Kulswamini Resort, and many more to stay at your budget, and food is not a concern of course you can experience the taste of famous dish of the Tarkarli area that is Kombi Wada, the dish made of the conventional Malvani chicken curry. For more information you can also visit Maharastra Tourism and MTDC Website
The best thing about Tarkarli beach is you can go there at any time of the year.
These are the 5 top places of Maharashtra where you should go to chill and release stress, with your friends and family.
