routes
& trails
Vol.2 Issue 2. July 2014
cover story
10 THINGS TO DO AROUND AURANGABAD feature
Velas : Village of Turtles & More! www.thewesternroutes.com
10 THINGS TO DO AROUND
AURANGABAD
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urangabad (once known as Daulatabad) was the capital of India under Muhamad bin Tughlaq for quite some time before it got shifted to Delhi. Famous for having abundant heritage tourist spots such as caves, forts, tombs, dargahs, lakes, the prominent among them enjoy UNESCO world heritage protection. In this issue of Routes & Trails, travelers Jyoti Shetty & Nala Ponappa explore 10 things to do around Aurangabad.
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Photos by Jayesh Paranjape, Jyoti Shetty, Nala Ponappa, Nimish Patil Routes & Trails | www.thewesternroutes.com
MUGHAL PAVILION AT DAULATABAD FORT
KAILASH TEMPLE AT THE ELLORA CAVES
CHAND MINAR AT DAULATABAD FORT
BIBI KA MAKBARA
Aurangabad translates as “Built by the Throne” named after the great Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb whose tomb is enshrined in the city. With highest number of visitors and tourists in Maharashtra, Aurangabad has been declared as the tourism capital of the state. Aurangabad is quite a chaotic town, hooting cars and two wheelers, quite unkempt and in spite of lack of signboards we somehow managed to weave across several famous sites to explore. From base camp Pune, Aurangabad is a 3-hour drive. Aurangabad is brimming with heritage and history. Every corner, every hill has the past to remind, that being a town with Mercedes and BMW as maximum orders is not enough!
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DAULATABAD
Daulatabad is about 16 km from Aurangabad, en route to the Ellora caves. The first glimpses of the ancient rampart walls are visible, towering at a distance. The climb to Daulatabad, is around 600 steps and snakes around a high pyramid of a hill that dominates the landscape. The fort is unique in its terrain, for its only path up, as one climbs higher leads to different facets of the fort, as it now slowly begins to unravel its mystery and remind one of the somber events of what took place at the fort when enemies ventured in. Start this trek to Daulatabad Fort early morning when there is less of a crowd. All around the fort, inside the citadel, from temples, to step wells, ruined palaces, museum at the Chand Minar, canons at various points, royal hamams,
an ancient bridge across the moat, secret paths, bring on the myriads of character to Daulatabad Fort.
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eLLORA CAVES
With 34 caves to explore, Ellora caves are predominantly divided in 3 main segments. Caves 1-12 are Buddhist, the Hindu from 13-29, and the Jain, 30-34. The car park as you enter is an easy walk to the largest of the Hindu caves, which is mid-way along the linear north south alignment of the array. It is actually a temple (cave 16) and a most amazing at that. Preferable to start from this point, and then cover the south and middle series. Kailasha or Shiva’s abode is an incredible replica of wood translated into a timeless permanence in stone. It’s one of the largest monolithic structure carved from the top downwards, taking a 100 odd years to complete, the task of such a stupendous nature, chiseling the hard volcanic granite into a temple complex, a marvelous feat! Ellora reflects the harmony that existed between the three religions of the era, the Brahamanical series were excavated between the 7th and 8th century, the Buddhist caves that were executed even earlier, all of which left a distinct mark in stone.
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Bibi Ka Makbarah
The Bibi Ka Makbarah was built by Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah in memory of his mother between 1651 to 1661 and was modeled on the Taj Mahal at Agra. The exterior is simple and not as grand as the Routes & Trails | www.thewesternroutes.com
Taj. An octagonal screen of perforated marble which encloses the tomb and the marble dome are the only structures of marble, the rest of the walls are of plaster. Even so, this is definitely worth a visit when you are in Aurangabad.
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KHULDABAD
Around Daulatabad the tomb of Aurangzeb in Khuldabad is quite a revered site. Mid way from Daulatbad and Ellora a path less known leads to the simplest of tombs. Aurangazeb epitomizes simple lines in all his architecture, a very pious man, his last wishes to his resting place was explicit, as legends say the few rupees he earned by selling caps!
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AURANGABAD CAVES
Many tourists skip the Aurangabad caves owing to the steep climb combined with difficult approach. Close to the Bibi Ka Makbarah, the Aurangabad Caves were cut between 6th-and 8th century. The tedious climb can be worth it to see these less celebrated caves. Some of the sculptures are famous and a great introduction to the Ajanta caves.
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PANCHAKKI
Panchakki is a unique watermill that was used during Mughal times, mainly to grind grain for the pilgrims. Built in 1624 A.D. to commemorate a Muslim Saint Baba Shah Muzaffar, who was the spiritual guide to Aurangzeb. Used on the principles of siphoning which the Mughals excelled in, well laid out clay pipes were AURANGZEB’S TOMB AT KHULDABAD
used for as long as 11 km. The water (from the Harsul River) travels through these pipes and is made to fall into the Panchakki cistern from a height in order to generate the necessary power to drive the mill. Today, it has become a tourist attraction and is a great place to relax and walk around in the evenings.
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Ghrishneshwar Temple
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AJANTA CAVES
Ghrishneshwar Temple is situated just near Ellora caves, and is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Built in the 7th century by Ahilyabai Holkar the temple is quite ornate. The temple entrance has immense carvings and leads to a courtyard. The temple strangely is built half in red sand stone and rest plaster of lime. The shivlinga is a naturally formed and is one of the most revered sites for shivbhakts.
To me the Ajanta caves were the icing on the cake, a must visit when in Aurangabad. The Ajanta Caves are around 105 km away from Aurangabad and takes approximately 2 hours to reach there. A very impressive driveway greets as one enters the parking area, neatly planned by MTDC, a large parking space, rows of shops, and a neat cafĂŠ, where tourists from across the globe throng here. Ajanta caves are a UNESCO world heritage site. Cars are allowed up to a certain point only. Just past the car-park and the shops are well-stationed bus bays, where every 10 minutes one is driven to the foot of the hill leading to the caves and back for a nominal fee. This is a four km ride. It is mandatory.
Ghrishneshwar Temple
AJANTA CAVES FROM THE VIEW POINT
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UNFINISHED CAVE AT AJANTA
Ajanta Caves were built between the 2nd and 6th century BC, The caves fell into disuse to be slowly taken over by forest growth over the later centuries. Stumbled upon accidentally by a group of British soldiers out on a hunting mission in 1819, these Buddhist rock hewn caves are carved out of a horse shoe shaped rock face, rising above a deep gorge and ravine, a place of perfect isolation, inspirational for the monks to pray and meditate. Ajanta is on the world map of heritage sites not only for its sculptures, absolutely stunning monoliths, but also for the meticulous paintings that epitomize their sheer dedication to the life of Lord Buddha. This combination of both art and architecture makes Ajanta so awe inspiring, and the fame it has achieved simply took my breath away.
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PAITHANI SAREES
Located around 50 km from Aurangabad, Paithan is famous for the intricate silver and gold thread embroidered Paithani sarees which are very popular
PAITHANI SAREE IN THE MAKING
within the Marathi community. People come from all over Maharashtra to buy bridal fabrics and sarees. These fabrics and sarees also find their way to Aurangabad and they are sold all around Aurangabad. On the way to Ellora dotted all along the highway are numerous emporiums selling Paithani Sarees, carpets, and fabrics at a great bargain.
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HISTORY MUSEUM OF AURANGABAD
History Museum of Aurangabad is located in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marthawada University and is one of the best and neatly arranged museums in the state. Dr Ramesh Shankar Gupta a renowned historian and scholar started it. Amassing all the rich treasures in the Marathawada region, he strived to preserve it as a great landmark in the city of Aurangabad.
SKETCHES OF AJANTA CAVES BY NALA PONNAPPA
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Velas:
Village of Turtles & More!
By Jayesh Paranjape
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here are some wildlife spectacles or events around the world that are a must-see or must-experience for a wildlife enthusiast like me. Be it the Great Migration at Serengeti in Africa, Brown Bears feasting in Alaska, King Penguin rookery at St. Andrews Bay or the Olive Ridley Turtles nesting and hatching in Orissa. As a kid, I had heard about the Olive Ridley Turtles who swim for thousands of miles and make their way to the Gahirmata Beach in Orissa to lay eggs and dreamt of visiting this place one day. I always wondered how it would be to witness an Animal Planet-like moment when tiny turtle hatchlings, make that journey from the hatched egg to the sea.
Photos by Anagha Bodas Anshul Khandelwal Gopal Parasnis Jayesh Paranjape Shruti Karkhedkar
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Of course I had never heard or imagined that the Olive Ridleys also had sporadic nesting sites across the western coast too. In 2008, when I was working with Sanctuary Asia (a leading wildlife magazine) I received an invitation to attend the first ever ‘Turtle Festival’ at Velas village in Maharashtra. It was almost like a dream come true. Unfortunately due to busy work schedules, I never got a chance to visit the festival. Since then, every year during March & April, my Facebook newsfeed was occupied by photographs of turtle hatchlings being released and making their way to the sea. In 2012 after a short stint in the UK where I studied responsible tourism management (and often spoken about the eco-tourism model of the turtle festival in Velas), I returned to India and got a chance to visit Velas for the turtle festival! And I got so hooked on to the whole concept that I have been visiting Velas every year since then. We started our journey from Pune early on a Saturday morning. We decided to take the Tamhini Ghat route from Mulshi which is the shortest route to reach Velas by road (around 180 km). The road condition was a bit dodgy, but the stunning views of the valley made up for the bad roads. After a 4 hour bumpy ride through the Tamhini Ghat-Mangaon-Mandangad-Bankot route, we finally arrived in Velas for lunch. We were welcomed by Sunil Darge and his family who were to be our hosts for the next 2 days. After a quick round of chai, we set out to explore the village. Velas is the quintessential Konkani village with low thatched sloping roofs, spotless and clean dung-smeared HOUSE IN VELAS VILLAGE
courtyards, narrow roads lined with jackfruit trees and backyards full of coconut, betel nut, kokam and mango trees. Velas is the birth place of Nana Phadnis, one of the most influential ministers of the Maratha Empire during the Peshwe administration. There is a small ‘smarak’ or shrine dedicated to him at his birth-house. Apart from this, there are 2 temples one can visit while in Velas - Shri Bhairi-Rameshwar temple built by the Peshwas and the Mahalaxmi temple which also plays host to a slide show and a film screening in the evening during the turtle festival. After a sumptuous home-cooked lunch, which was served on banana leaves, we headed to the Bankot Fort which is around 5 km from Velas. The fort which is strategically located overlooks the sea as well as the Bankot creek of the Savitri River. The view from the fort is stunning, particularly if you visit it early in the morning or late afternoon. A consistent historical timeline or the origin of the Bankot fort is not known. The fort was known to be under the control of Adilshahi and later in 1548, the Portuguese took control over it. The Marathas, under the leadership of Kanhoji Angre took control over Bankot and rechristened it as Himmatgad. When the British took over the fort, the name was changed to Fort Victoria. With its stunning views of the sea and the river, the Bankot fort is a must-visit while one is at Velas. After exploring the village and the fort, we headed to Velas beach to see the release of the turtles. The release of turtles happens twice a day – at 6 am and 6 pm.
BANKOT - BAGMANDLA FERRY BOAT
VIEW FROM BANKOT FORT
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TURTLE RELEASE AT VELAS BEACH
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ATOP BANKOT FORT
GANESH TEMPLE IN VELAS VILLAGE
The protection of eggs and marine turtle conservation in Maharashtra was started by a Chiplun based NGO called Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) in 2002. The conservation story goes something like this. In February 2001, SNM found evidence of around 35 turtle nests at Velas. Unfortunately they also found that poaching of turtle eggs was quite high as egg poaching is a traditional practice for some communities along the coast of Maharashtra. Add to this, predation of eggs by stray dogs, jackals and crows. In 2002, SNM decided to undertake protection and conservation of turtles at Velas. In first year they protected around 50 nests of the Olive Ridley Turtles and released more than 2700 hatchlings in the sea. Every year, volunteers from SNM patrol the beaches for evidence of nests in the months of December & January. They manually shift the eggs to a protected & barricaded patch on Velas beach and recreate the nest conditions here. Nature takes its course and in around 50-55 days, the eggs hatch and the turtles are ready to make their way to the sea. In 2008, SNM joined hands with the Gram Panchayat at Velas, the residents of Velas village and the forest department office to organize the first ever Turtle Festival. The local community agreed to open their KAILASHPATI FLOWERS
homes and provide accommodation and home-cooked meals to the tourists who come to the festival. They also agreed to donate a part of their earnings and their valuable time and energy for the cause of turtle conservation. The turtle festival at Velas is one of the few examples of community-based eco-tourism in our country. In the evening we were lucky to witness the release of more than 40 turtle hatchlings. It is an amazing experience to witness the first walk of these turtles. The Olive Ridley Turtles are an endangered species named for their olive green colour. These turtles migrate thousands of miles once every year for arribada i.e. to lay eggs on the same shore where they had hatched around 15 years back! When the eggs hatch, the hatchlings make their way to the sea and in the process the large quantities of magnetite in their brains helps them to read the Earth’s magnetic field so that they can navigate back to the same shore to nest. It is estimated that approximately one turtle survives to reach adulthood for every 1000 that enter the sea. What a fascinating species! After experiencing the release we came back to our homestay and enjoyed a piping hot meal of jackfruit vegetable with lots of coconut, rice bhakri and of course the Konkani prawn curry made by Sunil’s wife. The next day at 6 am we were back on the beach and saw another 2 hatchlings make their way to the sea. As these two hatchlings made their way to the sea, they were followed by cameras. It almost seemed like a red-carpet moment and we named these turtles Paris Hilton & Nicole Ricci, who are always surrounded by cameras wherever they go! After lunch we started our journey back en-route Harihareshwar. The ferry boat ride from Bankot to Bagmandla is worth a visit. On the short ferry ride you can sit atop the viewing gallery and beat the heat with a kokum sarbat (juice) which is sold on the boat along with hot yummy wada pav. When we reached Pune, I slept peacefully and dreamt of Paris & Nicole. I dreamt that they had survived against all odds, reached adulthood and had come back to Velas for nesting. After my first visit in 2012, I have gone back to Velas every year for the Turtle Festival and convinced more and more people to join me on these trips! At Velas it is not just about the turtle festival but so much more – the rural life, the food, the history and most importantly the people. Routes & Trails | www.thewesternroutes.com
Mango Picking & Tasting in Ratnagiri By Shruti Karkhedkar
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atnagiri…A land of virgin beaches, cozy and welcoming home-stays, delicious sea food and yes a land of well known Ratnagiri Alphonso (Hapus) Mangoes. Having said that, it is a given that one would click on the ‘Going’ button immediately when a ‘Mango Tasting Tour to Ratnagiri’ is announced. The three day trip from the 16 to 18 May 2014 was organized by The Western Routes, a Pune-based travel company to Ganeshgule, a small village in the Ratnagiri district.
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Photos by Jayesh Paranjape, Raphael Baumann, Shruti Karkhedkar Routes & Trails | www.thewesternroutes.com
MANGO PICKING
Day 1 We started at 6 am from Pune all packed for a long weekend by the beach. The journey was rather enjoyable and very scenic, particularly after Karad city from where we left the NH-4 and took the smaller village roads. The recent sporadic drizzle had started painting the forests of the Western Ghats with different hues of green which contrasted with the bright blue summer skies and called for a snapshot by every twist and turn round the Ghats. The six hour drive had increased our craving for the much awaited mango meal by a zillion times. When we reached the home-stay, were welcomed by Mithil Pitre our host at Ganeshgule. Mithil welcomed us with glasses of cold Panha; a sweet and refreshing drink made with raw mangoes. Mithil runs a home-stay by the beach at Ganeshgule called ‘The Oceano Pearl’. Our welcome was followed by a wholesome mango meal with unlimited Aamras (fresh mango pulp), plates full of freshly cut mangoes and the regular Maharashtrian thali delicacies – sol kadhi, bhakri, amti and koshimbir. After lunch and some rest, we visited the Ganeshgule Ganpati temple. The Ganeshgule temple is about 400 years old and is one of the few south-facing temples in India. One of the villagers at the temple narrated a folklore of Lord Ganesha shifting to Ganpatipule from Ganeshgule after the water stopped surging from his navel! Once back at the home-stay the next inevitable thing to
do was to head to the beach which is literally a hop, skip and a jump away from the home-stay. The Ganeshgule beach is not known to many and hence the feeling of solace adds to the beauty of this white sand beach. We spent rest of the evening taking photographs of the sunset, swimming in the sea and walking by the sea shore. The thoughts of more mangoes awaiting us at the dinner table lured us back to the home-stay.
Day 2 We started the day with a sabudana khichadi breakfast. Sightseeing was the agenda for the day and Aare-Ware beach our first pit-stop. The Aare and Ware beaches lie next to one another and are separated by a hill. We stopped at a turning on this hill to admire the scenic horizon over the two beaches. Some strategically located shacks served us kokum sarbat, tender coconut water and bhel with loads of kairee (raw mango) pieces. We then headed to the Ganpatipule temple which is one the most visited and most revered temples in Maharashtra. Needless to say hoards of worshippers awaited their turn to be blessed by the deity. We decided to skip this and take a few clicks of the temple instead. Although constructed recently this red and white structure is aesthetically very appealing unlike many of the modern temple structures. A trip to Konkan is incomplete without sea-food. On recommendation by a lot of people we had our lunch at Hotel Amantran in Ratnagiri. The lunch was perfect with its crunchy prawn tawa fry, perfectly cooked pomfret fry
PURNAGAD beach
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GANESHGULE BEACH
GANPATIPULE TEMPLE
GANPATIPULE TEMPLE
GANESHGULE TEMPLE
THALI AT HOME STAY
unlimited mangoes for all meals!
and a mouth watering surmai. We ended the meal with a rather generous helping of amrakhand (Srikhand with mango pulp). Visit to the Thibaw Palace came next. The palace was used for keeping Thibaw Min, the last king of Burma (now Myanmar) under house arrest. The palace is now used as museum and a number of artifacts excavated from the Konkan region are on display here.
thibaw palace
Our next destination was Purnagad Fort which is said to be the last fort constructed by Shivaji Maharaj, hence the name Purna (Stop) Gad (Fort). At the foot of the Purnagad fort is a rocky sea side and there wasn’t a better way of calling it a day than by sitting on the rocks and getting wet by the splashing sea waves.
Day 3 The day started with a session of making sand castles by the beach followed by a breakfast of ambolis (pancakes made from rice flour) with coconut chutney. We followed this with a fun session of mango picking at a nearby orchard in Ganeshgule. We got to select ready-to-pick mangoes and then use an ingenious and traditional technique to pick the mangoes. MALABAR PIED HORNBILL
Finally with a heavy heart we said bye to our hosts. But we made sure that we bought loads of ‘food’ souvenirs. The perfect spot to do this was at the Deshmukh household in Pawas village who have a small unit where mango and jackfruit pulp is canned. They also sell high quality Alphonso mangoes which are exported across the globe. The advantage of buying Alphonso mangoes directly at the source is that they are almost three times cheaper than in Pune or Mumbai. We bought mangoes enough to last us this season and with alphonso sweet memories headed back home! The Mango Picking & Tasting tour was organized by The Western Routes, a Pune based travel company dedicated to providing travelers with unique tour experiences in the beautiful and unexplored corners of Maharashtra. More details on www.thewesternroutes.com and www. facebook.com/thewesternroutes
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A TAKE ON WILDLIFE TOURISM BY ARJUN SRIVATHSA Tourism in India, especially wildlife tourism, has increased like crazy in the past couple of years. People from all over the world come to India to enjoy viewing wild animals in the forest. But when this kind of market is created, a lot of things can go wrong. It is very important to understand the different aspects of this “wildlife tourism” in India.
Increase in wildlife tourism has been brought about by the increasing population of the ‘Tourist’. This species is easy to recognize (see figure). The species has created an ecosystem of its own. It eats any kind of high or low profile food. Lives in resorts. Seeks charismatic animals like the tiger. Its daily activity involves excessive use of its camera. This species facilitates wildlife tourism.
To understand ‘The Tourist’ and its ecosystem, scientists conducted interview surveys across 10 protected wildlife areas in India. They interviewed tourists, touristresort owners and the local people living near the forests.
The number of tourists visiting wildlife parks in India has gone up insanely. Most of this increase has been after the year 2000. With increasing economy, many more people can now afford travelling to far off forests for seeing wildlife. Sadly, this is creating a lot of pressure on the animals.
To accommodate the increasing tourists, many tourist-resorts and ‘homestay’s have mushroomed around protected areas. This has destroyed a lot of corridors that animals use to move around.
This increase in tourism has also benefited a lot of local people living around the forests. But these benefits are limited. Parks like Ranthambhore and Periyar have large number of local people in tourism-related jobs. The number of opportunities is lesser in places like Pench and Mudumalai. Then there are places like Anshi-Dandeli, where many local people don’t even know anything about tourism.
Increasing population of the ‘Tourist’ has led to formation of a sub-species, the ‘Photographer’. Wildlife photographers are aplenty in India now. Most of them enjoy viewing wild animals and are also highly knowledgeable about natural history. But this is only one fraction of the tourists.
Interviewing tourists revealed many kinds of personalities that visit wildlife parks. While some tourists appreciated all and any wild animals they saw, most of them came only to see tigers. If that isn’t saddening enough, many visitors did not have any clue about wildlife of India or its conservation or its importance. It was disheartening to hear tourists suggesting strange things like the animals should be ‘caged’ in the wild so that everyone gets to see them.
Wildlife tourism is an excellent way to expose people of India and abroad to its rich natural heritage. The absence of good awareness and education in parks and their resorts means that we are failing in the venture. We definitely need to regulate the number of tourists to avoid crowding in the forests. But we also need to educate tourists, especially the first-timers, about wildlife and its conservation. And most importantly, tourists should be taught to appreciate every aspect of nature and not just the tigers. The tourist can be an important tool in conservation – let’s not let it go waste!
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KUTHE
Guess which place this is and win exclusive merchandise from The Western Routes
Rush your answers to info@thewesternroutes.com by 15 July 2014. The first 3 correct entries would receive some really cool TWR merchandise. Terms and Conditions: The contest is valid for residents of India only. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable, subject to availability and there will be no cash alternative. These terms and conditions are governed in accordance with the laws of India.
Congratulations to the winners of our last contest
hemant yadav
GAYATRI KOKJE
preeti loni
The correct answer was Sevagram Ashram at Wardha Routes & Trails | www.thewesternroutes.com
UPCOMING TRIPS 12th & 13th July 2014 : Water Rafting at Kundalika River
Experience the thrill of white water rafting near Pune • One day trips on both days (2 batches) • Non-swimmers can participate too! Cost per person: Rs 2,300
12th july 2014 : Wine tasting at Fratelli Vineyards
Experience and learn the process of wine-making • Explore the vineyards • Taste the wines along with some delicious food Cost per person: Rs 1,800 (Adult), Rs 700 (Child - no wine tasting)
19th & 20th July 2014 : West Pune Monsoon Fest & Flea Market
Flea Market and Monsoon Fest at Divyash Lawns, Bavdhan • Loads of shopping options • Children activities and workshops Entry free
25th-27th July 2014 : Amboli Ghat (Reptile & Amphibian Watch)
Night trails and nature trails to sight amphibians and reptiles • Evergreen Forests of Amboli • Sightseeing around Amboli and Sawantwadi Cost per person: Rs 5,600 (Adult), Rs 5,200 (Child)
9th august 2014 : Wine tasting at Fratelli Vineyards
Experience and learn the process of wine-making • Explore the vineyards • Taste the wines along with some delicious food Cost per person: Rs 1,800 (Adult), Rs 700 (Child - no wine tasting)
10th August 2014 : Trek to Tikona Fort
Easy-Moderate Trek for All • Stunning views of the Pawna Lake and surroundings • Accessible from Pune & Mumbai Self-sponsored
15th - 16th August 2014 : Experience the Rains in Konkan
Explore the jungles of Amba Ghat in the rains • Stay in a comfortable jungle resort • Long weekend! Cost per person: TBA For details on our upcoming trips check www.facebook.com/thewesternroutes or www.thewesternroutes.com. Jayesh Paranjape | +91 9011040773 | jayesh@thewesternroutes.com Shruti Karkhedkar | +91 9028324589 | thewesternroutes@gmail.com