harshad : Day trip from Pune

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Andharban Trek, Fun Way to Spend a day near Pune

ANDHARBAN, AN ENERGISING DAY TRIP FROM PUNE

Are you tired of a back-breaking work schedule? Is frustration taking over your psyche? Are you seeking a challenge to get over all these?

Andharban Trek, just 70 km from central Pune has the perfect answer. Let's go.

Andharban can be reached by any mode of transport like Bike, Car, Taxi or bus. The route goes through Chandani CHouck and then on to the Tamhini Ghat route. The start point is about 3 km off the main Tamhini Ghat road and the route to this start point is available on Google Maps.

Andharban Trek Start Point

What are the ways to do this Trek?

Andharban Trek can be done in two ways, from the start point at Pimpari Village to a viewpoint about 5 and a half km and back to the start point, in which case, your transport can remain parked at the start point or Start your trek from the start point and go all the way to Bhire dam, covering nearly 13 to 14 km. Your vehicles will have to be taken by the drivers to the endpoint because if the trek is done with this option, the start and the ending points are different.

One of the Restaurants and Parking

Let us call the first option a round trip and the second option a full trip. For doing the full trip, apart from the requirement of your vehicles going to the end point after dropping you at the start point, carrying packed lunch and having some trekking essentials like ropes, etc are a must. While one may choose to do a round trip without a guide though taking a guide is recommended, for a full trip, taking a guide is a must unless one is a regular at Andharban.

Any which way this trek is done, few things will remain constant. They are the fun, the adventure, the natural beauty and the magical effect.

Andharban is mostly a plain and downhill mixed trek but if you are doing a round trip, the downhill turns to uphill, but the elevation gain or loss is not much. The whole trail is over mud walkways, crushed stone pathways or rocky pathways.

A stream, See the clouds around the hill

Kundalika Gorge and Bhire Dam at a distance

What to Wear?

A good pair of trekking shoes are recommended though regular sports shoes can do. A Hiking Pole also is recommended (I did the trek without one but those who had the Hiking pole were happy about it). Attire should be a trekking trouser (No Denims) and a half or full slive comfortable T-Shirt and a cap. One must carry a change of clothes in a waterproof bag and also a polythene bag to put wet clothes in because either rain will make one wet and if the rain does not (if you are lucky) the call of waterfalls will lure you under them. That simply means you will be wet either way.

Any Possibility of staying DRY`

What will you see at Andharban?

Andharban will mesmerize the trekkers. The trek has lush greens all around. The deep valley of Kundalika River is always with you, There are lots of waterfalls, small and big, some accessible and some on absolute vertical sheers of Sahyadri hills. The Music of flowing streams is yours to enjoy, Crossing fast-flowing streams will add to this adventure. Sometimes thick fog, rain clouds, mist or all three of them will accompany you. And rain? Andharban is a monsoon trek. Rain is the most essential element of this trek and in this season, if you don't get the rain, your trek is not counted as done😉😉😉.

When you Trek the Andharban, you are in Sudhagad Wild Life Sanctuary

Valley covered in Mist

The trail

Constant companions, Streams

It can really get dark (Dark = Andhar in Marathi) in this forest

Waterfall and its downstream flow

Shivaling!

Clear View of Kundalika Valley and Bhire Backwaters

The Trail

Who can do it?

Practically anyone who can walk about 12 to 13 km at a slow pace with adequate breaks can do this trek. Children and children within we adults will love this trek. But if I have to be precise, a child of 10 years till a not-so-old adult of 75 years, can certainly enjoy this trek.

Most people in this photo (Faces erased) are between 55 and 70

And when to Go?

Monsoon is THE season to have the best of everything. Waterfalls can be enjoyed till the end of October, otherwise for its natural beauty, this trek is a year-round trek.

Chalo Andharban!

Guys and Girls, what are you waiting for, let out the child inside you, have fun and have a good time. Heed the call of the great Andharban.

Friday, February 11, 2022

A Wonderful Day Trip from Pune - Weekend Idea - Bhigwan Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary

Looking for Flamingos - Bhigwan has the answer

Where is Bhigwan?

Bhigwan is about 100 km from Pune on Pune Solapur highway. The drive from Pune to Bhigwan takes about 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.

The road beyond the Pune City limit is 4 lane NH 65. This road is divided with adequate beam cutting plants therefore the lights of the vehicles coming from opposite direction do not bother you. The surface of the NH 65 is very good.

Bhigwan is almost at the end of Ujani Lake, the backwaters of Ujani Dam on Bhima River, about 35 km downstream from Bhigwan.

Why is Bhigwan famous?

The year-round fame of Bhigwan is for the Tilapia Fresh Water fish that is the main catch of Ujani lake adjoining Bhigwan as also Bird watching and wildlife watching (more so, bird watching). Bird watching gets into another higher dimension in the months of December to March (and sometimes till end of April) every year when migratory birds like Flamingos, Painted Storks, Bar Headed Geese, etc make Ujani Lake their home in winters.

Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary

Just about 10 Km from Bhigwan, a detour of about 5 km from NH 65 is a small village called Kumbhargaon, this is where Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary is situated (Colloquially called Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary). It's a small village with a local atmosphere but a bit of modernity.

Visiting Kumbhargaon Bird Sanctuary.

There are many establishments conducting the boat cruise to watch the birds, native and migratory, into the Lake.

It would be prudent to search Google and identify a good Boat Operator cum home-stay owner. The advantage of doing this is, one, you can make an overnight program. Reach by Lunch, have lunch there, do evening boat cruise, dinner, night stay, morning boat cruise, and then return. The second reason to recommend this is, safe parking for your vehicle and the availability of toilets, etc when one reaches there even if just for one boat cruise.

All such people can serve rustic but authentic breakfast and meals. They have boats and guides and the facilities like parking and toilet are complimentary.

Planning a Visit.

Those coming from Pune have four good options to visit the Bird Sanctuary. Two options are little tough ones and the other two simple ones.

(a) Option 1 - Leave at 4 am, reach Kumbhargaon around 6.30 am. Start the cruise around 7 am. tour lasts 1 hour 30 min (can be done for 3 hours if one is ready to pay double charges) and current charges are Rs 1000 for this trip. Leave for Pune post breakfast.

(b) Option 2 - (Needs advance room booking) - Leave Pune at around 4 am, reach Kumbhargaon by 0630. Do the first cruise starting at 0700, finish it in 1 hour 30 min (or double the time at double the cost). Have breakfast and lunch, relax in the booked rooms. Do another cruise starting at 5 pm. Post cruise, one may stay overnight and leave after night's rest the next morning or the same day without having dinner or post-dinner.

(c) Option 3 - Leave Pune around 1330. Rach Bhigwan town by 1530. Have lunch in the town. Reach Kumbhargaon by 1630. Do an evening boat cruise starting at 5 pm. Return to Pune post the cruise.

(d) Option 4 - (Needs advance room booking) - Leave around 1330. Lunch ay Bhigwan. Reach around 1630, check-in. First cruise at 5 pm. Dinner and rest post-return. Do another cruise in the morning at 0700. Depart for Pune post Breakfast.

Bird Watching and Photography.

The time spent on the boat cruise is used to do quality bird watching and photography (with advanced mobiles, everyone is a photographer today). If one owns a DSLR with an adequate zoom lens (zoom lens is never adequate as much zoom one may have, there will always be things beyond the reach of the zoom one has), this photography is even better fun.

What will you get to see and photograph? Here is my photo gallery for your to see (contributions are mine and of my daughter using DSLR as well as i-phone).