When in Delhi, do stop by at Babboo Da Punjabi Dhaba for lunch. It’s at Naoroji Nagar Market. Its a simple dhaba, with outdoor seating under an old banyan tree (which even has a fan), but unmatched vegetarian food. Order anything. It is one of the best vegetarian foods in Delhi.
Update: I had first visited Murud Janjira about 10 years ago. I had experienced a beautiful drive by the sea, which is now gone, and sadly the sea side has been bought over and converted into private properties. I am updating this articles with some new photos.
The Nawab’s Palace at Murud Janjira.The beautiful seals at the palace gates.This beautiful corve of the road retains its excitement event after 10 years…One of the buildings inside the palace compounds. Probably was servant quarters or something like that.An old school inside the town of Murud Janjira.The Murud Janjira Court. This tiny town is packed with history and has plenty of architectural heritage. I need to make another trip, this time, with plenty of time.
Manali, October 2011. Late October isn’t the ‘touristy’ time to visit Manali, and that’s the very reason we decided to make it. After all, we had to see Rohtang Pass at least once in our lives. We found it a wee bit difficult to get a taxi to take us from the hotel in Manali … Read more
A drive through our rural areas is always a breathtaking travel. There are plenty of weekend getaways to travel around Mumbai and Pune. Be an environmentally responsible traveler and enjoy these drives while they last!
Sinhagad Fort is easily accessible from Pune by road. The best seasons are monsoons and winters. There is a parking lot at the top where one can safely park the car and then explore the fort ruins by foot. As with most popular destinations, avoid the weekends. You get some of the most amazing bhajji … Read more
These images are from a visit to a rural school, sometime in September 2008. The school is supported by the Impact India Foundation, which also runs the incredible LifeLine Express, a hospital in a train.
October 2010. Our short trip to Kasauli was also one of our most memorable. It’s a small cantonment town, and as such, retains the quintessential ‘quaint hill station’ flavour more than most hill stations. The place to stay is the Himachal Tourism Department’s Ross Common Hotel (an erstwhile colonial bungalow). It has the best views, … Read more
We were scouting for a location and passed Kaas by chance. We were pleasantly surprised to see a rich cover of flora. About two years later, Kaas Plateau was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is what looks like vast expanse of Senecio graham.
Bhimashankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga shrine located 50 km northwest of Khed, near Pune, in India. It is located 127 km from Shivaji Nagar (Pune) in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills. Bhimashankar is also the source of the river Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur. The other … Read more
Matheran is another quaint little hill station of Maharashtra, best visited on a weekday to avoid the mad rush. It is also claimed to be the only automobile-free hill station in Asia. You can’t drive your car into the town. Which means the transport in the town is by foot or mules. Still haven’t found a great place to eat here, but some of the walking trails are beautiful. The views are amazing, Maharashtra being such a beautiful state. Its best to walk around and discover your own ‘view points’.
The vew from Matheran in a poorly stitched panorama. The camera was an Olympus E20, one of the earliest DSLRs.
Views from Matheran in the summer.
One of the many walking trails in the Jungle at Matheran
Camera : An old Olympus E20.
From Wikipedia: Matheran is a Hill Station and a municipal council in the Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station in Karjat Tahsil and is also the smallest hill station in India. It is located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. It is located around 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. Matheran’s proximity to many metropolitan cities makes it a popular weekend getaway for urban residents. Matheran, which means “forest on the forehead” (of the mountains) is an eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. It is Asia’s only automobile-free hill station.
[box type=”success” width=”100%” ]We have never stayed at Matheran, but ‘Neemrana’s Verandah In The Forest’ is an awesome place. Mumbai Office: Marathon Nextgen Innova 4th Floor, IT Park, Lower Parel, Mumbai-400013 Tel: +91 22 6146 3301, +91 90224 24054 Email: sales.mumbai@neemranahotels.com
There is also the ‘Fleetwood House’, built in 1871. Please call +91 9702851885 to inquire for rates or email reservations@fleetwoodhouse.com