Weekend Getaways For Mumbaikars

Lonavla (Lonavala)

Lonavla(Lonavala) is a town and a hill station in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is about 64 km away from the city of Pune and 96 kilometres from the city of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy chikki. The hill stations spread over an approximate area of 38 square kilometres. Tourism peaks during the monsoon season.

The name Lonavla(Lonavala) is derived from the Sanskrit lonavli, which refers to the many caves like Karla Caves, Bhaja Caves and Bedsa that are close to Lonavla(Lonavala). A trip to Lonavla and Khandala can be combined with sight-seeing visits of Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa caves and also the two fortresses, Lohagad and Visapur. Another place of interest is the Tungi fort,  near the village of Karjat and was known for its natural strength.

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Gokarna

Gokarna is a small temple town located on the western coast of India in the Uttara Kannada,Karnataka. Main temple and deity is Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahabhaleshwara. Gokarna is historically known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centers and is located on what was once unspoiled beach near the estuary of river Aghanashini with its palm trees, other colorful tropical fruit and flower trees.

Due to its laid back unspoiled and rustic nature, many younger western tourists started visiting Gokarna about a decade ago. The drive up the winding path that leads to Gokarna is beautiful with the rocky mountains and Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other side. Gokarna is also known for the beaches. In Gokarna, there are many beaches and temples thats why many tourists are attracted towards Gokarna.

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Panchgani

Panchgani is a famous hill station in Satara district in Maharashtra, India. Panchgani is 285 km away from mumbai. Panchgani attracts many tourists throughout the year. A well-known Ganesh Temple is located close by in Wai. Panchgani’s famous ‘table land’ has been the location for many Indian Movies. Panchgani is nestled at middle of five hills in the Sahyadri mountain ranges.

Also there are five villages around the Pachgani are Dandeghar, Khingar, Godwali, Amral & Taighat. The Krishna River flows nearby which made the lake of Dhom Dam on the Krishna 9 K.M. from Wai. There are many tourist attractions like Sydney Point, Table Land, Parsi Point, Devil’s Kitchen, Mapro Garden.

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Matheran

Matheran is a Hill Station in the Raigad district, Maharashtra. Matheran, which means “forest on the forehead”. It is a hill station in Karjat Tahsil and is also the smallest hill station in India. It is located on the Western Ghats range. It is located around 90 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune.  Matheran’s proximity to many metropolitan cities makes it a popular weekend getaway for urban residents.

It is Asia’s only automobile-free hill station. There are around 38 designated look-out points in Matheran, including the Panorama Point that provides a 360 degree view of the surrounding area and also the Neral town. From this point, the view of sunset and sunrise is dramatic. The Louisa Point offers crystal clear view of the Prabal Fort. The other points are the One Tree Hill Point, Heart Point, Monkey Point, Porcupine Point, Rambagh Point and more.

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Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar is a city in Satara district in Maharashtra. It is away 285 km from Mumbai. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. Today, Mahabaleshwar is a popular holiday resort and honeymoon spot and an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. The Venna lake is one of the major tourist attractions of Mahabaleshwar. The lake is surrounded by trees on all sides.

In Mahabaleshwar you can get hotels for all budgets from budget hotels to 3 Stars hotels. Other than Veena lake there are many points that tourists are attracted like Arthur’s Seat, Kate’s Point, Needle Hole Point / Elephant Point, Wilson Point, 3 Monkey Point and Pratapgad.