Panchgani

Hello dear traveler!

So, Finally after getting really confused about where to spend this weekend, you have decided on Mahabaleshwar? I know why!
Panchgani and Wai are en route, you get 3 in the price of 1. Or maybe you really want to go to Mahabaleshwar. Well, If you belong to the latter group, maybe this post is not for you. This is for people like me, who want to explore as much as they can in limited time!
Already excited?

Here is a list of things you'll be experiencing if you chose to take my tips-
1. Walking in the middle of a forest for 4-5 Kms.
2. Exploring life in the villages of western ghats.
3. And yes, you'll cover all the famous spots you're planning on.
4. And, If you have a lust for all those little things that matter? Like Irani chai? Kanda bhaji? Bhelpuri
? You're totally my kind of traveler!

Here we go-

WHAT TO DO IN PANCHGINI?
You might find this useful in figuring out your trip.

















HOW TO TRAVEL?
You have 3 options.
1. Bike
2. Car
3. Local transport

As I target a trip in the minimum budget, I'm gonna keep my focus on local transport.
If you're traveling from Pune, You can catch a local bus (200 INR per person) from Pune station to Mahabaleshwar bus stop. If you have some extra time, mark all the spots you want to visit on google maps. Spots like Venna lake, Linghmala falls, Mapro garden will lie en route. Most spots close around 5:30 PM, so plan accordingly. In case you're not too tired, you can go directly to any of them. In case you have luggage, go to your hotel first.

ABOUT HOTEL BOOKING-
Book your hotel in the middle of a city, not on the outskirts if you want to cover destinations. In case you want a peaceful time, all by yourself, I would really recommend booking someplace in between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar.

How to hop destinations at the lowest cost?
You can find black and yellow-colored jeeps which charge INR 20!

Tamhini Ghat- In the lap of Western Ghats

Hello dear traveler,

Here is a little introduction which will help you guess if this post is useful to you.
Are you planning a one-day trip near Pune?
Do you want to experience nature to its rawest form?
Are you fond of waterfalls?

If you have answered yes to 2/3, Go ahead.

Transport: Tamini Ghat is located 60 km from Pune. You have two options of going there. One, if you have a private vehicle, it would be best. I hired a Scorpio because we were a group of 8 people, and as it was a weekend, we got it at a good price. It costed us around INR 250 per person. The other option is a two-wheeler. However, as the roads are poorly constructed (visible in the enroute video), It can be difficult to drive. However, that is still a good option. We all go to such places for a little adrenaline rush, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Stay Safe!
The last option to consider is a local red-colored bus, which you will find on Pune Station. Ask the driver to drop you at Tamini Ghat. But where exactly as the ghat is too big!?
Read ahead to find out.

That's the car I'm talking about!

and that's the bad road I'm talking about. This is not just a patch, but mostly it is like that. 

This picture gives you just an idea of what this place feels like!

This is us somewhere in the middle of western ghats. 

View from 1 Km of Sahyari Trek. 

When we went uphill on the waterfall. This is a glimpse of the flow, imagine this to get 5X. Yeah, That's what happened. 

Girl.on.highway! 

That's the smooth patch of the road to Tamini!

Things to do at Tamini Ghat:
So, Ghat is very beautiful in itself! You will find lush green mountains, cool breeze and the murmur of waterfalls which makes it a beauty to behold! There were so many waterfalls, I did not care to count. At Tamini, I found myself in the midst of mountains pouring crystal clear water as far as my eyes could see.
When you reach Tamini, Reach the 'PICNIC RESTAURANT' - In front of this Dhaba (small eating place), starts the beautiful Sahyadri Trek. Okay! Now you have two choices. One, hire a local guide. I can provide you with a number of a guy called Sahil, he charged our group INR 100 per person, we were 8 people. Mind you, this was the best time to visit the Sahyadri trek as the water was in full flow, and you can see from the pictures the fun that we people had in the lap of western ghats!

The other choice to go on this trek is to visit on your own if you're seeking a bit of safe adventure. There are marks throughout the trek. The actual trek is 10 Km, but considering our time constraints and what Sahil offers, we trekked for 3 km one way.

This is SAHIL, our guide. You can contact him at - (to be updated)

A little about Sahil- He was born and brought up in Tamini and knows the place really well. He is 20 years old and extremely adjustable. He clicked our pictures, even gave us his phone and let us click our selfies as we all left our phones in the car. He didn't create a hurry of leaving the place. I feel it was totally worth paying him the money as had he not been there, it would not have been that comfortable for our group. However, it is completely a matter of personal choice. The trek is safe, however, come back before it starts to get dark, as it is in the middle of a jungle, and you might serve to be a good feast to some members of the jungle family :)

WHAT ELSE TO DO?
So, as you may see the place is full of waterfalls, and like you may expect of youngsters, we ended up climbing in a waterfall. Was it a good idea? I don't know. Did we have fun? Yes. Was our safety assured? No.
The thing with climbing in a waterfall is that your safety is not assured, especially in the monsoon. when we reached a certain point, and we were enjoying nature, suddenly the water flow increased, and we had to run back. It's not like you can't go or shouldn't go, that is completely your decision as a traveler. What I'm posting here is a factual description of what happened, as that is my duty.

WHAT TO CARRY WITH YOU?
1. Waterproof backpack (It will rain all the time/you'd want to get into a waterfall)
2. Portable charger
3. Plastic polythenes (DO NOT DUMP THEM IN THE VALLEY, this for the safety of your electronic devices)
4. Extra clothing
5. Small towel
6. Food
7. water
8. crepe bandage
9. Plastic footwear (as your shoes will get wet after a point)

Budget TALK?
Car rental -

As this was a 7 seater car, the effective amount per person was around 400 (including fuel).
Bike rentals in Pune are around INR 650 for bike, 400 for Activa (excluding fuel)
Local bus charges are the least expensive. I'll definitely update this as soon as I get to know it, probably in a few days.  + Guide charges- INR 100 per person.

Total Cost for the trip(per person)
Travel- 400 INR
Food and other personal spending- 300 INR
Guide charge- 100 INR

What we could've done better?
1. Take with fuel car if you are renting one, as the place is so beautiful you'd want to go way ahead and if you take with fuel you get more fuel at a lesser price.
2. Carry lots of food.
3. Take lots of water.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY-
Remember, you can't fight nature. Stay within your limits and make the most out of it.