Dodhani waterfall is located on western side of Matheran hill station near Mumbai. There is road accessible from Panvel else one can trek down to Dodhani waterfall from Sunset point of Matheran. Approximately, two hours required to descend till Dodhani waterfall. Instead of that, one can drive from Panvel side till Dodhani village and trek for 30 mins to reach waterfall base.

Lonavala is just 100 KMs from Mumbai and 65 KMs from Pune. It’s a dream location & hill station for everyone due to cascading waterfalls, beautiful scenic locations, surrounding landscape greenery, huge lakes & mountains. During summer, it is most preferred destination among tourist and holidaymakers. Weekend footfall increases in monsoon as Lonavla becomes most loving weekend getaway destination near Mumbai & Pune. It is easily accessible by road and rail transport but most of the weekend traveler likes to drive to this hill station. Due to express way connectivity, one can easily reach Lonavla and even enjoy the road journey.

Sailing in Mumbai was on my list since last year. But this time I booked a sail with Small Steps Adventures to celebrate my wedding anniversary. This was the surprise for my wife.

Lohagad literally means a fort which is unbeatable & strong like Iron. It is one of the best treks near Mumbai & Pune. Being in Lonavala region, it attracts tourist on weekend due to its easy accessibility. During monsoon, it gets covered with dark clouds creating a good weather for trekkers. Lohagad is a part of western ghats & stands 3400 ft above sea level. Most importantly, it offers commanding view of Pawna Lake and surrounding region. Fort stands strong till date along with its twin fort Visapur. According to history, fort was under Maratha Empire for most of the time except 5 yrs of Mughal reign.

Pawna Lake Camping was on my list from last year but I was waiting for the perfect time. Mostly, winter is considered as the  best season for camping. After Diwali, I went to this Pavana dam for camping along with my wife. Before that, I searched for vendors online.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary is a very old sanctuary located on Mumbai-Goa Highway 15 km ahead of Panvel. Surprisingly, it attracts many tourists as it’s said to be a heaven for bird photography and best place for trekking near Mumbai. It’s been a major attraction for kids, families as you spend a day with the nature in very safe manner. For visitors of Karnala Bird Sanctuary & Fort, forest department has built small shelters across the nature trails to take rest while exploring. Place is more famous for its hiking trail to the top of historical Karnala fort which is inside Karnala Bird Sanctuary. It is an easy trek near Mumbai and perfet trek for beginners. It offers commanding views of the surrounding.

As a travel blogger, I have personally searched and visited the places around Mumbai. To my surprise, I found many unique places for camping near Mumbai. In last few years, concept of camping is getting more famous. Though some say it’s a budget stay option but the overall experience is altogether different and can’t even be compared with the 5 star hotels & resorts. Also, everyone is now bored with typical resort party or restaurant dinner for the weekend. Most of the young crowd prefers to go for adventure camping as a weekend getaway. Overall, adventure industry is spreading its root across India. 

I was leading this group of 11 participants (kept small group for smooth execution of Dudhsagar Trek). Everyone was supposed to gather at suggested meeting point which was Pune Station around 3:30 PM. We had to catch Goa Express which starts from Pune at 4:20 PM. So Prashant and I took Hutatma (Bhusawal – Pune ) Express from Panvel at 9:00 AM along with the two participants who were unaware of how to reach Pune alone.