Top 10 Cannot Miss Monsoon Destinations by Bhramar Travel Group Founder - Anup Malandkar #TravelTips - The Happy Getaway 2017

Top 10 Cannot Miss Monsoon Destinations by Bhramar Travel Group Founder - Anup Malandkar #TravelTips

It's a new rainy weekend. And I'm sure you are looking for new reasons to get out of your skin and do something you've never pushed yourself to do before. And we got you covered like always. 

For this weekend's edition I reached out to my dear friend Anup Malandkar who is the founder of the Bhramar Travel group. He is a great leader and travel enthusiast. Organizing trips, doing recces and leading the troops you'll always find him smiling, sharing history and antidote's of how to become an ideal traveler. After a lot of pestering and convincing he has finally given me his personalised and suggestive top 10 Monsoon Destinations that he thinks you should visit these monsoon's. 

So without any further a due, here are Anup Malandkar's Top 10 Monsoon Destinations that you cannot miss visiting during this monsoons:

1) Korigad

Korigad can be visited in any season. The best time to see fort is from October to May. There are heavy rains in this region; however this fort attracts many people in rainy season, but due to fog and rains you may not be able to see the beauty around this fort.

2) Rajmachi

Rajmachi Fort is a popular destination for nature lovers, trekkers and for outdoor campers. In rainy season from mid-June to mid-October, this region is all the more beautiful with clouds, sparkling silvery water falls, streams, lush green forests and meadows.

3) Naneghat

Malshej was at its best in the Monsoon you can enjoy all the 3 seasons in one day at Malshej. It goes from Sunny - Cold - Raining in no time there are hundreds of waterfall adjoined the ghat were a lot of people are picnicking. MTDC resort has the best location

to stay.

4) Kothaligad - Peth

There is a small temple and large cave at the base and a chimney like tunnel to the top of the fort. This pinnacle is carved from inside forming a staircase reaching the top. There is a tank of water(rock cut water cistern) at some distance from the cave and another one at the top of the fort[1]. The stone is a single black expanse reaching till the Peth village standing on the fertile soil with abundant natural resources for water and farming.

5) Peb - Vikatgad

Trekking near Mumbai to Peb Fort or Vikatgad around 4 km from Neral Station a very enjoyable trek in Monsoon season passing through a local village, waterfalls this trek offers all ladders, rock patches, caves, dense forest, ridge walking. Trek can be combined with Matheran visit or you can trek till Panorama point Matheran till here. Excellent for new trekkers a village guide or guided tour will make the trek more enjoyable.

6) TIKONA

The fort is a trekking destination noted for the large doors, the temple of 'Trimbakeshwar Mahadev', a water tanks (seven water tanks) and some Satvahan caves. Trek organisers also commend the views of Pawna dam and the nearby forts of Tung, Lohagad and Visapur. There is Pawana lake at the summit. 

7) Sudhagad

Sudhagad is just approximately 10 kms from Pali village, where another fort Sarasgad is situated. Existence of this fort is since 2nd century BC. Thanale Caves and Khadsamble caves are also nearby. Fort was known as Bhorapgad after the presiding deity Bhorai Devi. Actual rulers were Bhor dynasty. Bhamani Sultanate captured it in 1436 and then Marathas in 1657 who named it to “Sudhagad”. Very large plateau on top with numerous lakes and ponds in rainy season. Places that can be visited on fort are Bhorai Devi Mandir, Pant Sachiv Wada, Chor Darwaja, Takmak Tok, Shiv Mandir. Places that can be seen around Tail Baila, Sarasgad, Korigad.

8) Lohgad

Lohagad is part of the Western Ghats. It rises to an elevation of 1,033 m (3,389 ft) above sea level, and is located to the southwest of the larger Visapur fort. The range divides the basins of the Indrayani and Pavana rivers. Lohagad overlooks the Pavana reservoir, located to the south of the mountain. The hill extends to the northwest to a fortified spur, called Vinchukata (Scorpion's tail) because of its resembling shape. The four large gates of Lohagad are still in good condition and reasonably intact.

The fort as seen from its base during monsoon

During the monsoon, the top of the fort is covered with mist and clouds and becomes particularly wet with growing moss. The roads and trails leading to the hill are quite slippery at this time of the year and precautions are necessary to be taken while venturing the routes.

9) Harishchandra Gad

 Harishchandragad is a beautiful hill fort in the Ahmednagar region and a very popular trekking destination in the western ghats. The fort mountain along with, TOLAR KHIND, MALSHEJ GHAT offers a lot for trekkers. The main attraction here is the KONKAN KADA which offers a spectacular view of Konkan. During the rainy season you'd be walking in the clouds on this fort.

10) Avchitgad

The southern part of Konkan is adorned by natural beauty. The city of Roha is situated on the banks of Kundalika River. Avchitgad is situated in the mountain ranges around Roha. This region is beautiful, and the fort is one of the rich forts of Maharashtra. Dense woods along the mountain have made it bit difficult to ascend the top.

All excited to go? So pack your bags and get exploring. The monsoon's don't last all year. So don't waste time. 

Here is a big shout out to Bhramar Travel group.                                                                            Do visit their page: https://www.facebook.com/bhramar.org/

And give them some love as they have many trips planned for the coming months that I can assure you, that you will enjoy. And thank you once again Anup, this write up would have not been possible without you. 

Hope you enjoyed the read don't forget to share it with your friends and leave us some feedback and suggestions as to which places you think are the top 10 cannot be missed monsoon destinations. We would love to know.

Hope you have a safe, adventurous and memorable weekend!

Edited & Currated by Alvin Anthony

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Disclaimer: All images used are property of Bhramar Travel group and are used for representational purposes only. Please do check with your guide and weather updates before planning a trip to any of the above locations. Be safe.

The World's Largest Wheeled Cannon - Jaigarh Fort 2015

Where? - Location Compass

Jaigarh Fort is situated on the promontory called the Hill of Eagles of the Aravalli range; it overlooks the Amber Fort and the Maota Lake, near Amber in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The fort was built by Jai Singh II in 1726 to protect the Amber Fort and its palace complex and was named after him. It is pink in color and is home to the World’s Largest Wheeled Cannon (That was only used once.) Jaivanan Cannon. It is one of the strongest Forts of Jaipur and India. It is well crafted and well equipped to be able to go past odds.

How To Get There:

• Around 4 km’s away from Amber Fort & Connect by A Tunnel (Network)
• Rickshaw can be taken (Economical)
• Taxi’s are also available for group travellers (Beware of cheats, pay by meter.)
• There are local busses also who run the same route, that can be taken by enquiring with the locals and figuring the frequency and timings.

Jaigarh Fort - Exploration Time: 1-2 Hours

How Old - Built In: 1726 / 18th Century

When? - Ideal Time To Getaway

Best Period To Getaway: December - May (Winter & Summer)

Timings: 9 am - 4:30 pm (Entry Timings) - Important

Contact Numbers: +91-141-2671848 | +91-141-5110598

Charges: Indians - 35 Rs Foreigners - 85 RS (Camera/Add On Charges Separate)

My Happy Getaway - Jaigarh Fort 2015

We were out in Jaipur exploring and chilling after quite a lot of planning and going back and forth. I was with a few of my favourite people (Tattva 2) yes a travel group that we have now converted into a small circle of family, friends and explorers. Dua figured the place out and after not a lot of convincing and deciding to stay a day longer to explore we set out to see what the pink city had to offer us. One of the first places, and what i’ll be writing about here is the Jaigarh Fort.

We took a Qualis, a spacious and roomy car that all of us comfortably got into. And then our road trip to the fort began. The signing (And all the Kya’s? - Ignore the Inside Joke) began to fill the car with laughters and smiles. Dhruv (My finance man) and his flirting and anticipation of the flight he had to catch later surely kept us occupied. We soon began to climb up a hill and passed a few gates and a narrow entry point. We could see Amber Fort and Aravalli Hills from the hill and the beautiful water streaming by. Jaipur is a beautiful and artsy city that will make you feel warm and one with our culture, traditions and people. At no point did I feel out of place or out of sync, I believe every traveller should at least once backpack to Jaipur. (There is way too much to see, feel and experience there.) I wish I stayed longer.

So a bit about the Jaigarh Fort. It is built with thick walls of red sandstone and is spread over a vast range of 3 kilometers in length, with a width of one kilometer. The fort houses the world's greatest cannon on wheels known as the Jaivana Cannon and a huge palace complex. This includes the Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Aram Mandir and the Vilas Mandir. The fort has a well-tended garden which can be viewed by tourists even today along with an armory and a museum.

The Jaigarh Fort is an opulent structure built in the early 18th century. Amer, the city in which the Jaigarh and the Amer fort are located, was ruled by the Kachawahas from the early 10th century. During the Mughal dynasty, the Jaigarh Fort became their empire's main cannon foundry and was also used as storage stronghold to store ammunition and other metal required for war. During the successive wars that broke out in the Mughal dynasty in 1658, the cannon outpost at the Jaigarh fort was protected until the protector, Dara Shikoh, was defeated and executed by his own brother, Aurangzeb. Later, the fort was handed over to Jai Singh II and he is known to have molded the great ‘Jaivana Cannon', along with using the devices and the foundries inside the fort.

The Jaigarh fort was never conquered in battle, and was also the strongest of the three forts in Jaipur. During the Mughal dynasty, the fort bore witness to an ambush by Aurangzeb who defeated and killed his own brother who was the overseer of the cannon outpost in the fort. Apart from that, the fort never witnessed any major resistance, and only test-fired the world's largest cannon, once.

We explored the fort right from the start to the end point. The fort is filled with monkeys, and at a fair distance you can also spot a lot of peacocks (We spotted a beautiful one sitting on a tree on our way back, and two running away on our road trip to our next destination.). Peacocks are just so beautiful aren’t they with their beautiful necks and colourful feathers and graceful walk. Was bliss to catch a view of them. The fort is really majestic and well crafted, the detailing work and mightiness of the fort shows how strong it was and how much damage it could withstand. The fort is pink in color and is surely one of the most renowned places in Jaipur. There is a lot of history in the walls of the fort, secret view and gun points. Also the height it was on gave a clear view of enemies or threats from a distance. It is known to be one of the most strongest forts in India.

This was surely a memorable experience, and I hope I can do many more such trips in the future, with my happy set of people. And to many more such forts and experiences.

This is Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.

Have a great day.

And an adventurous weekend! :)

What Does It Look Like? - Picture Gallery

Pictures of THG  Jaigarh Fort 2015:

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The Highest Peak In Maharashtra - Kalsubai 2015

Where? - Location Compass

Kalsubai Peak (Marathi: कळसूबाई शिखर) is the highest peak of the Sahyadris on the border of Igatpuri Taluka, Nashik district and Akole Taluka, of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, an Indian state. 'Kalsubai' temple is located at the topmost peak of Sahyadri mountain range of Maharastra.

How To Get There:

• Reach Kasara Railway Station (Most Economical)
• Take local Taxi till base village Bari
• By Road Mumbai - Kasara - Igatpuri - Ghoti - Bari
• Kalsubai Trek from Pune By Road Pune - Sangamner - Rajur - Bhandardara - Bari

Kalsubai Trek Climb: Medium/Moderate 3 hours

Kalsubai Height: 1646 meters (5400 feet)

When? - Ideal Time To Getaway

Best Period To Getaway: June - December

Pooja Days (Temple Prayer): Tuesday & Thursday

The best time to go is during Navratri (A festival period) when there is a mela (Celebration of sorts) with a lot of people and festive happenings. Also during June to December at the start of the monsoons and winter as the temperature is much more pleasant than it is during the summers. Also you can enjoy the winds and rains better during the end of the year period (Also waterfalls!).

I happened to head out during July, so it was bliss to say the least. The cold monsoon wind, backed by heavy yet comforting rains was surely a treat.

My Happy Getaway - Kalsubai 2015

It was a cool Saturday night with a hint of a slight drizzle, and I was done with work like any other ordinary day pretty late. After looking forward to this trip for a weeks or months, with Kushal (A really close trekking friend of mine.)  I think to finally head out was surely a great feeling. So we were deciding between Kalsubai and Peb. And the highest peak of Maharashtra? Well yeah. How could you possible second option that .So Kalsubai it was. We head out at around 4am ish. Reached Kasara. You do get busses and taxi’s from the station to Bari the base village of Kalsubai close to Igatpuri and Nashik. We bussed it cause we wanted to do this old school style. And it was quite far (30-40 mins or so in the bus.) We were soon dropped off in the middle of a road, parallel to the road heading to this hills. You do get this feeling when you head out towards the Sahyadris a feeling of triumph, history and belonging. And as a backpacker there is not a whole that you’d even want out of a trip apart from this feeling, this feeling of being home. So we reached the base village, and since neither of us had been there before we sort started making our way to the top. You’ll find a lot of people asking to show you around for a small sum of money or guide you through if you're new to the place. Also a lot of shops offering meals. Now if you are in a group or completely new to trekking this may not be a bad idea, but the route that they may take you through might be unfamiliar and I can’t vouch for the safety of the same. However what I’d suggest is ask local shopkeepers and fellow travellers which way to go towards. Because the patch isn’t as confusing or hard to make out. You just need to keep going upwards. So we asked the locals around and got onto the right patch. So I’m sure anyone can.

We had to take off our shoes and walk through a stream. Oh the beautiful feeling. You feel exactly the same as you do when you feel when you're on top when you step into the clean pure water (It does depend when you visit though, early morning visit was when we did.). After that we stopped after a decent climb for a quick snack and then we kept heading up. You do find small stalls and lemonade vendors on your way who are quite kind and friendly and will help show you directions. We made a few stops, and cross quite a few ladders on our way. I think more than this being a moderate trek it is a trek that tests your endurance and stamina levels. As the patch isn’t really hard but is a long and distant patch. (Well it is the highest, for a reason.) We reached the first based after crossing a few leaders.

I think the most disappointing or thing that you should be most aware off is the fact that you’ll never be able to see the top most point from the bottom. Or until you are really close. You always feel you are right there, and bam a new peak appears. This will happen twice, till you really see the top. And don’t lose hope, because it is totally worth it. We went up and up and even though I was demotivated we hadn’t reach I was eager to see what it would be like on the top. Once we reached the second base I could see clouds all around the last one. And a patch that was barely visible. You reach up and then you are surrounded by clouds and the wind blows so strongly that it can blow you or your bag pack away. The temple is quite beautifully kept, and you’d find a guard keeper who does pray and take offerings in. The local denti is believed and worshiped by many and people believe that the statue inside the temple has been present there since 400 years or so. I think the most refreshing feeling is when you have the wind keep changing its direction the sun shining all of a sudden and the winds blowing the clouds away and opening up the beautiful view from the top of Maharashtra and the Sahyadris. Words cannot contain what me and Kushal probably felt. I think its for days like these we live for. We soon, started heading back down and enjoyed each others conversations and company. Kushal had also brought some snacks, that I really liked. And we found a dog on our way back that we gave some off our left over snacks too. We then started heading back wards.

You’d think travelling alone is fun. But travelling in a smaller group is quite a lot of fun too. I surely plan on doing more of these not so impromptu and free way trips with Kushal and other backpackers. Hopefully to the highest peak in another city soon.

This is Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.

Have a great day.

And an adventurous weekend! :)      

What Does It Look Like? - Picture Gallery

Pictures of THG  Kalsubai Trek 2015:

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A Lost & Depleted City Fort - Riwa Fort 2015

It’s fun sometimes, to pack your bags and head out exploring. To climb new mountains and visit unexplored places. I often look for places and research about lost forts and historical monuments. I look up places around me, that id never have had visited If I didn't know or have this interest in travelling. I recently came across this fort called as Riwa Fort, Google maps seemed to know where it was located. And Wikipedia had a paragraph or so about it. So I was like, what the hell. Let’s go check this out. So before I head out for my day filled with work, meetings and other not so fun things I decided to visit this fort.

I took a cab, but its easily accessible by train too as it is located very close to Sion Station. Took me 15-20 mins from Bandra, but could take lesser by train. So firstly, this is not an easy fort to find. Even though Google Maps has it marked down, it did take me quite some time to locate this fort. I went through circles, a slum, around the talav and finally near an Ayurvedic center is where I located a gate that had stairs going upwards. After being lost for a while, I finally began to ask people where is the god damn fort? I showed them the map too. A few suggested that it must be on the hill. And since nothing else seemed more likely. I started climbing up the stairs. I met this cleaner or chacha (Uncle) of some sort who had flashy red eyes and a stinge of the alcohol he was drinking and pointed towards no particular direction and said haan beta Killa Killa. (Hahahahah!). So the base layer has some plantation circles happening by the center. And the higher you climb (which is not very high.) you begin to see remains of the fort. It’s hardly even a fort. If you like big walls and a lot to see this is probably not for you as there wasn’t much to see at all. There's just a few stairs if at all they count as remains and a Bastian built with black rock which stands tall on the hill. Fort Riwa was built by Britishers after the attack of Siddi of Janjira on Mumbai in 1672 AD. After Siddi’s attack, Britishers constructed chains of new forts around Mumbai. This fort is one of them. It is located quite close to the Dharavi slums and Sion.

Mahim creek divided the main islands of Mumbai from Saashti Islands. Saashti Island was under the regime of Portugese. In those days trade was carried through the Mahim creek and Saashti islands. The main aim to build this fort was to keep an eye on the trade activities in the Mahim creek and also to protect themselves from the potential threat from Portuguese and Marathas from the north. The fort was built by Jerald Augier in 1672 A.D.

So this fort historically seemed to be used only to keep watch, and it being on a hill seems to make that seem feasible. There is a decent view that can be enjoyed from the hill too.

It was a fun getaway, to see whatever it is that remained of the place. I still felt that there was more to the fort. And that you know I was probably at the wrong place or not there yet. I tried going through different paths and realised that this is it. Sometimes even a little bit is a lot, in terms of memories of what is left of places or things. So I sat down then at the basitan and looked into the forest. It felt warm and good. The birds there made a lot of noise, and the peace and quiet really makes you feel like you are home. You can see a lot of the city from the hill, the roads, vehicles and people. Soon I began to head back towards work, leaving the hill, stairs and greenery behind. I could claim that this is a scam for a fort. And probably google and everyone else shouldn’t really call it a fort. But you know what? I don’t really feel that bad. It is what it is. Expectations and how majestic or well kept other forts are shouldn’t come in the way of a new experience. I loved that is so long lost, yet so close to home and how people don’t seem to care for it and yet it stands tall to be loved, seen and explored by people. Would surely love to visit again soon, maybe this time with a group or more people.

Pictures of the Fort  (Riwa Fort 2015):

https://www.facebook.com/thehappygetaway/timeline/story?ut=43&wstart=0&wend=1438412399&hash=4409671804596707434&pagefilter=3

This is Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.

Have a great day, and an adventurous weekend! :)                      

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Alvin Anthony

A Memorable Monsoon Getaway - Sagargad Fort 2015

I believe the last time I went out camping during the monsoons, was to Ishraghad where the cold monsoon winds, rains, dirt and everything else that does with it made me feel like home. And I believe months later, it was time again to hit the road during the rains, and this time it was Sagargad. It’s a fort situated near Khandale Village, which is 4km’s away from Alibag. Bhramar is group with whom in the last few months, I have gone quite found of. Anup and his troops surely know how to organise an outing and make everyone feel like family.

It was a Sunday, and I really wanted to head out camping during the monsoons. I reached a bit late to the bus (Thanks Anup, for holding up and being patient!). But a little later we took off to our base point. It was a good base journey away from the city, as we made stops at various points to pick up other travellers. The bus soon arrived at the base point. And my word, cottages and the greenery really did make me feel like I was home. The rain had just began to make its way through the clouds as we rushed out of the bus into the shed area. We then had some delicious breakfast and hot tea to go with it. Then we had the introductory round where we got to know each other and a little bit of history about the fort. We then started our journey towards the top.

We did experience some marshy land and some slips and falls. We help on to the rocks and the sides so that we could push on.We saw crabs, birds, worms and a lot of other insects on our way. On every base point on our climb to recall the great history and heritage of the fort and its importance. Its a tall climb with a quite decent patch, but the rains sure do make it more thrilling as you climb along. On your way you can smell the fresh green grass and look at the water falls all around the mountains. I believe the monsoons has to be the best time to visit the fort. So a little bit about the history then of the fort. It is speculated that the fort has been standing here since ancient times i.e. Satavahan period around 100 A.D. The fort is also called as Kheddurg in some records. The known history of the fort starts from 1665 when Shivaji Maharaj lost this fort to Mughals as part of the treaty of Purandar. It was given to Angre, naval chief of Maratha forces, along with 16 other forts, so that he won't separate from them and remain loyal to Shahu Chhatrapati of Satara. Later it was lost to British. Some British officers during 1800's built their retreat homes on this fort.

Slowly and steadily we made our way to the top. And my word, it was a beautiful sight. We could see clouds stretched out far and wide. And the breeze hit us like there was no tomorrow. Not a lot of the fort still stands its ground. There is a temple on the top thats still quite holy and has a pleasant feeling about it. There are a few walls and an entrance which resemble the fort and its pride, However not a lot of it still remains. We explored the fort and the greenery spread around. We took pictures, shared snacks and smoke about the mighty sea that could be seen if the clouds would clear up. The Khanderi & Underi fort along with the Kolaba fort are forts that can be seen from the top. However, due to the beautiful clouds we were not able to see much apart from fog.

It was beautiful, the whole experience of trekking during the rains. You don’t feel as tired and you feel washed from all the muck and dirt that you walk through as you walk ahead. You don’t feel as thirsty as the cold rain keeps the body cool. And of course with Anup and the other pleasant company this trip was surely special. We head down after exploring and found our way bag. Yes it did include some slips and falls.but I guess playing football has gotten me use to it. We head down, and enjoyed some delicious lunch. Nothing tastes better than freshly baked home food after a long trek. I also picked up some naturally and herbally grown mangoes for home, which my parents are still raving about. We took the standard group picture, spent a last few moments at the base and then head to the bus and were heading back home. We were quite tired on our way back, most people got some sleep a few others were enjoying music by singing and listening to them. Overall it was a quality experience and Bhramar as expected did not let me down. I think they and their team surely do a great job in terms of overall experience. I can’t wait to head out for a trek again. And surely can’t wait to do it with this lot too in the future.

Pictures of the Fort (Sagargad Fort 2015):

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Show some love to Bhramar too and Anup:

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This is Mr. Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.

Have a great day, and an adventurous weekend! :)                      

The Happy Getaway:

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Twitter: @thehappygetaway

Thank You

Alvin Anthony