Lavasa: India Newest Hill Town with the Perfect Quietude

Lavasa is a private and planned city located in the Western Ghats of the state of Maharashtra in West India. The city offers its visitors a unique and rejuvenating feel. Located at a distance of around 60km from Pune and about 187 km from Mumbai, the city is a great place to unwind yourself amidst nature. 

 

Referred to as India’s latest hill station Lavasa is attracting hundreds of visitors each year. The city ‘s landscape is essentially inspired by the Italian town Portofino. With colourful houses and a lakeside promenade, the city provides you with a  unique experience.

Lavasa spreads across seven hills and covers an area of more than twenty-five thousand acres. A hill town is about calm and quietude, it’ll help you bond with nature more.

It was a busy week in the month of September. We (me and my friends) were totally exhausted and wanted a break to refresh ourselves from the day-to-day stress. Now everyone knows the busy side of Pune – This city never sleeps and so does the work. At the dinner table on a Friday night, there was a random conversation which led to us discussing getting out of the city.

We decided to take a road trip on the outskirts of Pune city. We started to search on the web to see nearby places and ended up knowing that there was only one place that we had not visited yet- Lavasa.  So we packed our bags and set off to Lavasa to enjoy an amazing weekend.

In my Lavasa travel blog, I will share with you my experience of visiting Lavasa. I will also be telling you about things to do here, budget travel tips and whether Lavasa is really worth a visit or not.

Lavasa City: An Overview

Lavasa City is located on the banks of Baji Pasalkar Reservoir near the Varasgaon Dam. The City was developed as an ideal vacation spot for visitors seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Here is some information about Lavasa that you may find useful when planning a visit.

Location Western Ghats

State Maharashtra, West India

Ideal Visiting time One Day

Best time to visit During monsoons (July-September)

Entry Fee for Lavasa City 500 INR for Cars 200 INR for Motorbikes

Nearby Cities Pune Mumbai

Nearby places to explore Lonavala Khandala Kolad Raigad Matheran

 

About Lavasa City 

Lavasa is a $ 30 billion mega-project built by “Hindustan Construction Company”(HCC). It is a city built from scratch i.e it is planned which gives a unique selling point to this place.

Meant to be a vacation spot, the city has a lot to offer to visitors. Lavasa is located very close to two very important cities if Maharashtra- Pune & Mumbai. It is only a 2-hour drive from Pune and a 4-hour drive from Mumbai. 

The city has much in common with the old colonial hill stations of British Raj. It is based on a 4 phase township in which the 1st phase is completed and it’s called “Dasve”, rest is under construction.

The construction of the city has stopped due to controversies related to environmental damage, land acquisition, and nepotism.

Best Time to visit Lavasa    

Although the weather is Lavasa is generally pleasant round the year, the best time to visit Lavasa is during monsoons. Lavasa is exceptionally beautiful during the monsoon i.e. between July and September. It is during this period that you can see the true beauty of the area. Seasonal waterfalls and lush green hills make the whole experience amazing.

How to reach  Lavasa?

As I said earlier in the blog, Lavasa is located very close to Mumbai and Pune and therefore many people wish to visit the place.

Here is how you can reach Lavasa from these major cities:

How to reach Lavasa from Mumbai?

If you are travelling from Lavasa to Mumbai, you have two options. You can either take a train till Pune and from there take a cab or bus to Lavasa.

Alternately you can choose to drive from Mumbai to Lavasa, choosing any of the following routes

Route 1: Distance 188 km Chedda Nagar – Bangalore-Mumbai Highway – NH 48 – Hinjewadi Phase 2 Rd – Hinjewadi-Pirangut Rd – Temghar-Lavasa Road – Dasve Road – Lavasa

Route 2: Distance 188 km Chedda Nagar – Bangalore-Mumbai Highway – SH 92 – SH 93 – Tamhini Ghat Rd – Mulshi Rd – Temghar-Lavasa Road in Pirangut – Dasve Road – Lavasa

You can choose any of the two routes to reach Lavasa. The entire route is scenic, especially if you are driving during monsoons. You can spot a number of waterfalls. The ride is a great experience in itself.

How to reach Lavasa from Pune?

Lavasa is hardly 60 km from Pune. From Pune, you can reach Lavasa using a bus or a car/ hired taxi.

By Public Transport You can get a bus from the Swargate Bus  Station in  Pune. The bus timings are 7 am, 12 pm, 2 pm and 3.30 pm. The same bus returns from Lavasa back to Pune after a few minutes’ halt. Note: Confirm the timings beforehand as sometimes the bus may get cancelled.

By Private Vehicle/ hired Taxi If you are taking your own  vehicle or a taxi, the route you need to follow is Chandini Chowk- Bhukum – Urawade – Temghar dam -Lavasa

Although public transport may seem like the best option for budget travellers. it is not the best when it comes to making the most of the visit. The ride to Lavasa is one of the most important highlights of the trip. Using public transport does not give you enough bandwidth to experience nature and ride to the fullest.

Lavasa for Bikers

Lavasa is an ideal destination for bikers owing to the excellent condition of the roads. In fact, it is more adventurous to explore Lavasa that way. Roads running from Mutha Ghat all the way through to the Temghar-Lavasa Ghat are quite good for bikers. 

Things to do in and around Lavasa

Most of the street names are inspired by those in the Italian city Portofino. Dasve, the village that has been replaced by Lavasa is now known as Dasve Boulevard. The streets are called Celosia and Thicket, named after the ornamental plants.

Lakeside Promenade & Watersports

Nature Trail

Train

Dasve View Point

Temghar Dam

Panshet Dam

Lakeside Promenade  & Watersports

Lakeside Promenade lies at the centre of the city of Lavasa. The promenade has paved footpaths with a variety of eateries and food options. With colourful buildings by the lake, the place can be mistaken for a European town. You can simply take a walk or try boating, jet ski, etc. in the lake.

The Train on the Road

There’s a train that rides on the road and goes around the town. It’s pure fun. What is better than the ‘chuk-chuk’ of a train moving slowly on a road. 

Nature Trail

The nature trail at Ekaant is one of the finest attractions in Lavasa. Anyone can go on the trail which takes about 2 hours. Make sure to start early to catch the sunrise. We instantly fell in love with the natural beauty of this place.

Dasve View Point

The Dasve viewpoint is the best spot to get a panoramic view of Lavasa City and its surroundings. Visit this place in the morning or evening.

Note: The view from here is amazing. Don’t forget to take your camera.

Enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountain ranges and the lake from the bridge.  Enjoy a cup of tea at the small tea stall here.

Temghar Dam

Set against verdant lush hills and a serene lake, Temghar Dam is built on river Muthu. The dam is huge and is not easy to miss. You should visit the Dam on your way to Lavasa. It offers an amazing panoramic view of the Temghar reservoir. There are a number of eateries near the dam where you c grab a quick bite.

Varasgaon Dam

This is another beautiful dam located on the way to Lavasa. The dam is built on the Mose river which supplies water Pune city. In the rainy season, you can see a number of small waterfalls along the way.

You can spend an hour or so here and enjoy some activities like boating, zip line etc. The eateries around serve good food, in case you get hungry.

Where to stay in Lavasa?

Lavasa was developed as a luxury vacation destination, therefore, do not expect to find many budget accommodations. A lot of people travelling from Pune come to Lavsa for a day trip and return back on the same day.

If you do plan to stay,  you can book budget accommodation here.

Where to Eat in Lavasa?

Popular Eateries and Restaurants

Chor Bizarre

The All American Diner

Granma’s Homemade

Celebration All Day Dining

Zodiac Restaurant

Vyanjan

Orient 8

Earthen Oven

The Deck

 

Top Travel Tips to Lavasa

1. Always choose good weather like the rainy season to visit the place as it is the best time recommended by most travelers.

2. Plan to stay there for the weekend as you will have lots of options to explore in the city

3. The city hosts a lot of fun events like New Year’s bash, Christmas Eve celebration, musical events, dance competitions, adventure and camps for children. Sports tournaments, football leagues and water sports activities.

4. Make sure to get the information about these events and then visit to enjoy them as well.

Is Lavasa Worth a Visit?

The development of Lavasa has been marred by controversies over the last few years. Owing to this, Lavasa has changed dramatically. Once a lively town, the place now seems to be in a bad state. A number of lakeside shops and eateries have shut down. maintenance is also not quite up to the mark.

In the end, I just want to say that if you do find yourself in Lavasa, don’t be disappointed. Try to make the most of your stay in the city. , Go out, drive, enjoy nature, explore new places, meet new people and make new friends after all Bike trips are all about enjoying and making use of it. Sometimes solo rides are better but sometimes it’s better to go out with friends.

 Happy Wayfaring 🙂

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

THIS POST ENTITLED, ‘LAVASA: INDIA’S NEWEST HILL TOWN’  IS AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF BUDGET WAYFARERS. ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ASSOCIATION INDULGING IN PLAGIARISM WILL BE DEALT WITH STRICTLY. IF YOU WANT TO USE INFORMATION FROM THE ARTICLE ABOVE, KINDLY QUOTE THE SOURCE.