Mumbai - Lonavala - Mumbai: Activa Ride (SOLO)

The Planning: Lonavala and Khandala had always been one of the most sought after destinations since childhood..and I asked myself 'Chalta kya Khandala' 😋. Seeking some me time, I planned for a SOLO road trip and after running through a lot of destinations in Mumbai, I came across a post about Lonavala and told myself let's go... Being Monsoon and Lonavala was one of the most typical places to visit.

Planned it on a Friday, charged the camera battery (the only thing I need 😜), something to eat on the way, bottle with Glucose water as I wasn't really thinking to halt anywhere on the way. Without any driving gears (isn't safe). 

I decided to leave on Saturday morning at 6am but finally left at 7 from Thane. 
There are two routes to reach Lonavala; one is via the Mumbai Pune expressway (two wheelers not allowed) and the other via old Mumbai Pune highway. Google maps is always there for rescue for all the new riders exploring locations.

The 'to' Journey: Journey began from Teen Hath Naka (Thane) and the view became amazing every second.. I couldn't help getting off and clicking some pics from my DSLR... Met a lot of amazing people on the way and that is the beauty of Solo trips that you get to meet people... The casual chats you have with them... A cycling group (about 15 to 30 odd guys n girls) from Ghatkopar to Lonavala kept me motivated. Stick to NH48 and the view becomes more and more mesmerizing after Karjat, you can get a view of an old Airplane parked in one of the resorts on the way, its visible from the road on the left side. The roads are so smooth you feel like loosing yourself with the ride instead of reaching your destination.

Reaching Lonavala by 10-10:30 with no specific plan for any visits... After a quick chat with the local guys, I planned to move to Lohagad Fort which is roughly 13-15kms from Lonavala Market road, however the condition of the road from Lonavala to Lohagad fort is horrible and that 15 km takes well above 30mins to reach. Steep Roads and that is amazingly amazing.. 😝

Lohagad Fort: Here I reach, parking the bike (Rs. 20 for parking) at the base, the Climb begins. This is one of the most simplest climb one can imagine. This can nowhere be called a trek; it’s like running up the stairs of a 95 Storey building, this can be a little tiring as the stairs are a little uneven, and you get the mesmerizing view of the Pawna lake to compensate it. Taking a 2 min halt every 5-10 min for pics wont make it tiring. view of fort. It roughly takes 35-45 mins for one to reach the top of the fort. You wont get tired capturing the top view, the full view of Lonavala can be seen from the top and the breezeeeeee... and the birds eye view of pawna lake..Too many monkeys to trouble you if at all you carry food items. If it isn’t raining, better to carry a scarf. This is a very Biiigggg fort, and will take around 2-2:30 hrs to cover the whole area. After spending about 2 hours at the top, and more than 80 clicks I got down and it is equally wonderful and lots of monkeys around to keep you occupied 😂. There are some hotels near the parking lot where you can have food and then proceed further. Save your energy for the later part. (Karla caves)

Again after some chatting, I headed towards Karla Caves which is another 10-12 kms from Lohagad. Lonavala - Lohagad - Karla, these form a triangle. The descend will give you an amazing view and you can keep the engine off and cross around 3kms coz of the slope (hold your breaks tight). Roads are fair enough, localities are helpful in guiding with the roads if you don’t trust the Google Lady😝

Karla Caves: Limited parking space available for cars, for two wheelers it isn't a issue anyways (Rs. 10 for parking). Get ready to climb again. Steps again! But this one is a little tiring than Lohagad as the steps are little more uneven, and that’s a steep climb, you will find many shops on the way (the route resembles Elephanta caves, Mumbai), This is again a 20 -30 mins walk from the parking lot to the Caves. Get a Rs. 15 ticket to visit, it is well maintained, you can find personal guides to assist you (your choice). Photo of Cave. I wont take more than 15 mins to visit the whole caves, however you can sit inside for some time; it’s a stone structure and very cool to spend some time with yourself. Goddess Ekvira temple is just beside the cave. Scenic beauty of the place awaits once you are out of the temple. 

The 'from' Journey: Leave well before 5.30-6 if planning to return on the same day, to get the view of Sunset from the Sunset points and Amrutanjan Bridge; the view will just blow your mind, the fog and those mini raindrops… One can savour on coal roasted corn with masala in the rains and that’s a fantastic feeling to be there enjoying the view from Bridge and Sunset on the other end and corn in your hand. I can surely say that the people there are just the best...giving them a lift in exchange of golden words.

Once it was all dark, I left from Khandala completely packed to cheat rains, and the drive from those roads will seduce you to the xxxtentt.. 😍 It took around 2.5 to 3 hrs for me to reach home from Khandala with a 15 min halt on the way. This marked an end to the First SOLO trip with 215 KMS ride.…This was my second long distance trip, first one being Nashik.. This trip will always keep me motivated to go ahead with more solo trips in future across cities and then states…

This part of my life... this part right here... this is called "happiness" 😍😍😍

Travel Safe… All the Best… 😎😎😎

Disclaimer: The information provided in this document is intended for information purposes only and is subject to change without notice.