Riding to Bhandardara and Camping near Mumbai
If you are planning a small biking adventure near Mumbai, Bhandardara, Igatpuri is where you should be.
Bhandardara used to be a hidden paradise in Maharashtra that very few people knew. But with social media and more travellers, this place is now crowded. Travelling to new places and riding my bike is one of my favorite things in the world. I would wish to travel to new places and vlog till the end of the time.
I believe every person in the world must follow his heart. This time my heart lead me to a new and very beautiful place. I would be sharing with you guys my wonderful camping experience and road trip to Bhandardara. Before I start on with my journey on that day, let me tell you all about the beauty and speciality of the place.
Bhandardara is a very beautiful weekend destination situated in a village near lgatpuri in the very famous western ghats of India. The place is around 200 KMS away from Mumbai and is known for its scenic beauty. It is filled with beautiful rivers, waterfalls and everything natural. One of my friends suggested me this place and therefore I decided to visit it with some of my friends.
We planned to leave early in the morning to the place as it is quite far from Mumbai and it will take a little long to reach there by road. I was taking my bike to the place as I could hardly do without my Yamaha R1.
I packed all the necessary things for the camping, road trip and vlogging. Whenever I leave for a long ride, I always set my bike meter at zero so that I can know the distance I ride with my bike. I started on with the journey as soon as possible as I knew it was a long ride, and I ride slowly and safely.
Many of my subscribers often ask me regarding my slow riding and the answer to all of them is that I love my life and riding fast could take that from me. Since I rode slowly, I reached the first place for halt at a tea stall sometime after Dev and Zeon. They were waiting for me there complaining about me taking long time to reach. After finishing the tea session all of us left for the further journey.
The Journey
We left at around 8:00 am. We took one halt at McDonald’s for our morning breakfast. We crossed Bhiwandi by 9:30 am. My friends said it will take around two to three hours for us to reach the place.
The beautiful roads with scenic beauty on both the sides was a sight for sore eyes. After a few more kilometers, we reached to the top of Kasara Ghat. We took a halt to rest and chill. The place was a beauty in itself with little valleys and trees all round.
Just when all of my friends and me were resting and enjoying the beautiful view of the place I saw some people dancing and singing on the way. They are known as “Sai bhakts” who walk on foot all the way from Malabar hills to Shirdi. It’s fascinating what people do and how dedicated they are. Few of those people wished to take selfies with my Yamaha R1 and after which we left from the place to our Bhandardara camping spot.
On my way ahead I met a few of my friends and subscribers and it was surprising how the journey turned into a small meet up. After that we headed again for our journey. There were a lot of places we were going to visit, such as Bhandardara dam, Bhandardara Lake and other such places.
Best time to visit
Even though we were visiting the place in winter, you can also come here to enjoy the monsoons. The rains here are unexpected and stormy. If you love adventure, you can enjoy the rains here and camp at the sound of raindrops.
Camping in Maharashtra is preferred by people who like adventurous trips and nature. Bhandardara is known for its natural beauty, which is why I was very excited. As we were getting close to the village the scenic beauty was getting better but the roads were getting worse.
It was clear that the village still has its beauty untouched. We checked the map in between and found out we were really close to our destination. I stopped on the way to ask for the route to Bhandardara lake. I found a man selling the desi home-made sweets. I was just checking out with the sweets when Dev told me that we will have to wait for our other friends as they are far behind.
I asked Dev to wait for them, and I took off. I reached the famous Bhandardara Dam. The dam was huge and never ending. I was standing on the other side where the camping took place. Dev informed me they’ve lost the way and couldn’t get here. So, he went back to get them.
While I was sitting and waiting for them, the amazing view kept me company. Dev was soon able to catch-up with our other mates and then we continued together. On the way we needed to refuel our vehicles, but since this place is in the interiors and surrounded by rural areas, there are no gas stations here. We had to buy bottles of petrol from the locals. We also got some raw chickens for our barbeque dinner.
The people of the village were so simple and down to earth which was just in contrast with the lifestyle people have in Mumbai. The roads got narrower and the weather got cooler as we headed to our destination.
After a long, treacherous but beautiful route, we reached the camping spot by 5:30pm. The sun was about to set, and the lake glistened with clear water. There were many boats by the shore, which proved that a lot of tourists were expected with a lot of water activities.
Bhandardara camping and resort is really famous spot for all the adventure and nature lovers and I would suggest a must visit to the place. We were about to reach to our destination and the sun had already gone.
It was dark by the time we reached here but I could say that our journey had only begun. There was a lot more enjoyment to come which made it our one of the most memorable camping in Maharashtra.
We soon started up with the camping and setting up of the camps and prepared for the night. There were other people too apart from us and they were camping as well. We hired two camps for five people, one with three beds and the other with two beds. It was night but the beauty of the place was no less. We lit up the bonfire and Zeon started up with the preparation if the dinner.
Zeon prepared for us the very delicious chicken tandoor and the session was really great. It was a perfect place for camping and spending a night with nature. The night was spent singing dancing and playing guitar. We danced and sang till it was 1 o clock in night and we all were tired like hell. I slept in the beautiful weather as there was even better day to come the next morning. Nothing can be better than spending a night in between nature and experiencing such a great adventure.
We woke up the other morning and waking up to such a mesmerizing view is an entirely different feeling. The people who arranged all the set up brought us breakfast and tea after which we got ready for the water ride. The Place is surrounded by small mountains, trees and clear waters where you can always feel the winds on your face. Next was the time for boating where our camping guide guided us to the lake. The place is fully untouched and you can enjoy the nature’s beauty to its fullest. As we approached to the lake, it was deep blue and clean water with a beautiful view all around.
We took a long boat drive all across the river and it was quite long. I couldn’t see any other people around me. The boat ride was very soothing and I even learned to drive a motor boat. It was not that tough though! We enjoyed the boat ride to the fullest and then we returned back to our camps.
The whole day was spent at the camp singing and dancing. We had lunch and visited the other places near the lake as well. It was an awesome experience. We left for our homes late in the afternoon taking all the memories and views with us. Bhandardara is a beautiful place with innocent people and beautiful locations. It was really a memorable experience!
Let us know of any secret spots at Bhandardara that you have been to, and we will explore them. If you liked my blog, watch my vlog below.
Awesome Salim