Igatpuri is one of the lesser known hill stations between Mumbai and Nasik. Tourism in Igatpuri has not flourished for reasons unknown, but the sheer beauty of nature here will leave you bedazzled. And it can all be done in a single day trip!
Best time to visit?
The rainy seasons between June to October are the best time to visit Igatpuri and explore the kasara ghats. It is also the time for numerous treks in the surrounding regions. Summers look a bit dull due to lack of greenery, but winters are still an alright period to enjoy the cool climate here.
How to reach?
By train- numerous long distance trains run between Mumbai and Nasik daily which stop at Igatpuri eg Panchavati express, Jan Shatabdi express, Godavari express, just to name a few. Ticket is usually around 100 INR.
By local- take a local bound for kasara from central line in Mumbai, trains every hour. Ticket is usually 30-40 INR.
By cab- cabs available from Nasik, but an expensive option.
By road- this is the best way to reach igatpuri and gives you the freedom to explore on your own. And you can take as many spots as you want along the way for those photos. From Nasik it is a 45 min drive (60 kms) and from Mumbai it's a 2 hour drive (120 kms)
What to do?
Exploring nature and going on treks are the usual things to do here. There aren't that many adventure activities that happen here.
Revisit the old school charm of small hill stations, complete with old houses, engulfed in trees, ancient cemeteries, age old churches and plantations.
There are quite a few waterfalls to visit here in the rainy seasons. Soak in the water and the nature around you as you stand beneath these huge waterfalls! Be careful though. I remember as a child, when i used to stay in Igatpuri, the school here used to have a special half day where the whole school would visit these waterfalls. How cool is that?
There are two lakes situated amongst the mountains which make for a serene sitout. Take a parcel from the town and enjoy hot steaming pakodas and vada pav with some refreshing tea and you enjoy the green calmness around you. The lakes are actually a water reservoir, and are there throughout the year.
Dhamma giri Vipassana centre, for all those spiritual peeps out there. They won't allow you to roam the whole premises, but you can give it a short visit nonetheless.
Kasara ghat is another place to visit on your trip here. The top of the ghats are usually engulfed in thick fog in the mornings during the rainy seasons. Enjoy the beauty of the deep kasara valley, take a short hike and enjoy the high waterfalls in the distance. So if you are a person who loves the fog (like me) you'll want to visit this place again and again. I literally still stop here every time when there's fog.
Ghatandevi temple, situated amongst the mountains just before kasara ghat, is an old temple which you can visit to seek the blessings of the goddess believed to be the protector of ghats. There are a few observation decks here, which you can head for getting a better view of the ghats around you. Entry fee is 20 INR.
There are a few vineyards around Igatpuri, the most notable being Grover and Vallone.
We took a visit to Vallone vineyards on our trip, which is about a half an drive from Igatpuri. Situated right next to backwaters, this is an ideal place to spend a relaxing afternoon. Enjoy their in-house wines and gobble on food by Malaka spice. What more can you want, than sipping some nice red wine and gazing out into the distance, with just the green nature around you.
Places to stay?
There a few hotels here, for those people wanting to spend more time in the lap of nature. But most would prefer making it a day trip, which is more than enough.
So that was our trip, a short and sweet one day outing to Igatpuri and Kasara, in the monsoons. For all the nature lovers out there, who want to spend a day getting their weekly stress off their mind, or just to go on a short picnic, don't forget to visit this epitome of greenery, Igatpuri!
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