Monsoon Break

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Malshej Ghat

Come monsoons, Sahyadris Mountains drapes itself in myriad shades of green and invites you to get drenched in rains. Malshej Ghat, just an hour and half away from Kalyan offers sublime experience to savour the beauty of the monsoon magic.

Reaching Malshej Ghat:

From Mumbai (140 Kms): Take Eastern Express Highway upto Bhiwandi and then state highway road to Malshej ghat (Via Saralgoan as shown in the Route map here)

From Pune (130 Kms): Take the Pune-Nasik Highway turn at Narayangaon and proceed to Malshej. (View Route Map ).

Mumbai - Malshej Ghat road, route map with driving directions

Mumbai- Malshej Road Map

MTDC resort at Malshej aptly called Flamingoes has an excellent location. The resort rests on a small plateau and you can see most of the Malshej valley, the winding roads, and the million waterfalls. Visit MTDC site for more details for Online Booking. Contact Number of MTDC head Office - 022 - 2202 6713 (Central Reservation Office of MTDC)

Tips:

1.Food quality at MTDC resort, Malshej is something that most visitors complain about. Even if you do stay at MTDC resort, you will be better off making dining arrangements at other hotels(For instance,SuShant Holiday resorts) nearby.That said, food quality at MTDC resort has improved of late.

2. You will get soaked at Malshej Ghat - Equip yourself with a good raincoat (umberallas will be useless) and footwear that can withstand rain

3. If you are visiting during the Flamingo season,do visit Pimpalgaon-Joga Dam.

Fun at Malshej Ghat is not in relaxing at the cottage but in walking around. There are many trails that are ideal for a long walk in the rains. There are plenty of awe-inspiring sights of mountains and valleys as you walk. Sometimes, the dense fog means you cannot enjoy the views. Instead, you can enjoy the walk in the mist. If you do not want to follow any of the offbeat trail, walk on the road itself. The Malshej Ghat road in itself offers excellent views of waterfalls. However, it gets too crowded on Sundays.

Waterfalls (Malshej Ghat)

It rains heavily in Malshej Ghat and the fun is actually in getting drenched and soaking oneself in one of the waterfalls. There’s nothing better than these simple pleasures of life. There are millions of waterfalls and finding the one that is right for you at Malshej Ghat should not be too difficult.

Malshej offers a unique phenomenon – the mountains are so aligned that the wind speed is very high. Owing to this, there are plenty of places where water rises upwards instead of falling down as a waterfall. Locals will tell you that when velocity of the wind is too high, 50 ft natural water spray are formed.

Monsoon mist at Malshej Ghat

The most famous guests of Malshej Ghat are the Flamingos. Myriads of pink-legged European flamingoes arrive during the monsoon and breed in the waters of the Pimpalgaon-Joga Dam. It is just 4 kms away from Flamingo Hill and worth the visit to watch the mating dance of these birds. Apart from flamingoes, many species including the Alpine Swift, Purple Moorhen, Pitta, Quail, Whistling Thrush, Green Pigeon, Pied Crested Cuckoo can be sighted in and around Malshej Ghat.

For those into trekking, Harishchandragad offers an excellent climb. To start the trek, reach Khubi village at a distance of 7 Kms from Malshej Ghat. It is advisable to hire services of a local guide. Peak monsoons may not be the best time for the trek. It is generally more enjoyable during winters.

Get on and get moving to Malshej Ghat and enjoy the rains.

Contribution by Madan Pai

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