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Although it was not raining, I wanted to take a chance. It’s been ages that I gave gone for even a small trip. My bike was ready to hit the road and I was too bored to waste my Sunday at home. So, at around 10:30 am we decided to go for a small trip to Malshej ghat. Googled Malshej ghat and it showed only 130 kms from Mumbai. We were all set by 11 and I was quite excited because the road that we took this time was completely new to me. Generally, I prefer the Mumbai Pune highway because it’s quite easy and you can maintain a good speed on that road. But to reach Malshej ghat you have to take NH3 and that means you have to go through places like Thane, Kalyan etc which are very crowded.
We took the Thane Belapur road, and reached Thane. Till that time the road was ok and traffic was on the lighter side. But the main problem started after we entered main area of Thane. It was very crowded and really irritating. But then, you have no other option. From there the nature of the roads and traffic was same till Ulhasnagar, crowded and narrow. But once you have crossed that (somehow) the roads are almost empty and beautiful. On one side of the road you can find farming lands, plants and crops and on the other side of the road – you can find mountains covered with clouds.
Although this was not my first time to Malshej ghat but still the beauty amazed me. We took few halts before we reached the main spot of Malshej. It was not raining, so were not able to see any waterfalls. But, during heavy rain the place is full of waterfalls and streams running down the mountain slopes. I would suggest you go with the mind set to get wet in the waterfalls. That is the best way to enjoy the place. There are many places where you will find the steams falling on the road itself making it a real fun filled experience. Anyways, I guess for my case, it was a bit early. There was no rain and so I didn’t see many waterfalls. But still the climate was good. The mountains were full of clouds and that’s what encouraged me. Nature at its best is when there are mountains, clouds and snow. I can’t find snow in Mumbai. But the other two things are for sure present.
There is a restaurant of M.T.D.C which is located at a very place from where almost all of the Malshej ghat points are visible. The place is well decorated with plants and flowers. You can sit there, relax and enjoy the nature. The cottages of M.T.D.C are also very nice and clean. I think going there and stay there for a night and then coming back won’t be a bad idea either. Anyways, our plan was simple, go there, have food and take some rest. So we relaxed a bit after the delicious food. The climate was good and visibility was good which means a perfect condition for photography.
There is one tree near the restaurant which caught my attention. There were no leaves on the tree and it was right at the edge of the cliff. It became the point of interest for me at the first glance. Although finally I have uploaded two or three image of the tree. But I clicked a lot of snaps with that tree as my subject. And to add more interest to it, there is a rock below it which looks just like the pride rock in the animated movie “Lion King”.
So, time went fast and it was already 4 and so we decided to come back. I would never understand the reason, but I have noticed that the time that we take to reach the place is always more than the time we take to come back. I know we waste some bit of time asking about directions and all, but still the difference is quite noticeable. Don’t know if it is something to do with the mindset. The best part of the return was the rain. Yes, when we were in Malshej ghat, there was no rain. And when we were on our way back, its started to rain. Although we enjoyed the rainfall and the cold climate, but yes – it would have been far better a few hours ago.
For pictures please visit the website (as there are too many pictures to upload
)Malshej ghar trip log
