Lonavla : Of peace and romance

IMAGINE you’re sitting on a rock cliff, amidst the clouds, listening to your favorite music and sipping some cutting wali chai. And while you look off the cliff, you feel on top of the world, all happy and stress-free. Well, this is exactly how I felt and it wasn’t a dream.

I asked you to imagine because imaginations can take us everywhere and this place is no illusion. Believe me, all you need to do is travel. Travel some 90 kilometres from Bombay to Lonavla and live your imagination. And if you are one of those who love to travel, then this might just fuel your wanderlust a bit.

Lonavla happens to be one of those mini vacation places for which you don’t really need to plan in advance. You can plan either a week or just a day before. There are three routes you can take to reach Lonavla from Bombay. One is you spend a huge amount, fly via air in 45mins from Bombay and get down at the Lohegaon airport. The other two smart options are to go via road or train. While the road is one of the most beautiful and convenient ways to reach Lonavla in about two and a half hours via Mumbai-Pune expressway, the train needs advance booking and might not be available all the time.

My experience to Lonavla wasn’t that of few hours or a day. It was a sudden trip which included a one night stay in Khandala’s Highland Resort. I commuted to and fro via Red buses. Traveling via road is the best route you can take to Lonavla because that’s an experience in itself. I’m sure the trains wouldn’t let you savour the beauty of our nature as much as a bus or a car would. Also, if you are a super foodie like I am, then please stuff your bag with some food, the two and a half hour journey might just seem long. ;-)

I have been to hill stations and small towns before but never a place like this. Never a place so fascinating, so beautiful that it engrosses you for hours so much that you lose track of time. BTW, Lonavla is famous for its chikki (gajak), which is a traditional ready to eat Indian sweet made with groundnuts and jaggery. In order to relish some good quality chikki, you can visit the original Maganlal chikki store which is near the railway station in Lonavla with a blue board above the shop. Other stores include Purohit’s, A-1 Chikki, etc. which can easily be found in the town.

Lush greenery, clear sky, breezy weather and rocky hills is what gives this town its stately splendour. The best part about taking a trip to Lonavla is its twin and neighbor town, Khandala which can be explored the same day, saving both your time and money.

While you are there, some of the amazing spots to stop by are the Bhushi Dam, Lion’s Point, Rajmachi Park, Sunset Point, Lonavla Lake and the Celebrity Wax Museum. It is one of the astounding places for weekend getaways for people in Bombay or Pune. Other I haven’t visited yet. ;-)

My personal word of advice for you would be that if you are an incurable romantic or in pursuit of peace, then Lonavla is the perfect place to experience the best of both the worlds. Also, plan your trip in monsoons.

This trip was originally published on 'Miss Exploraholic'.