Monday, 2 July 2012
Friday, 15 June 2012
Panchgani Trip- Harisson Folly
Harisson's Folly
The picture above was taken when we were riding back home from Parsi and Sydney point
( Panchgani).. Tell you what.. this plateau looked very tempting from the distance and we couldn't resist going there and checking it out.. :-)
When we reached atop, it looked strikingly similar to Table land, Panchgani. The place hosted all kinds of horse riding activities but one unique thing that was on offer was Para Sailing !!
but unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time of the year..
Me and my friend Manish decided to sit there for 10-15 mins.. Luckily for us, lot of beautiful girls were around to give the valley a major face lift ;-p [ my friend Manish, meanwhile forgot that he had "bike riding @ night - phobia" ;-) and it became a daunting task for me to pull him out of that place.. ]
Somehow, I managed to pull the big man out and started our journey back home...
I would definitely want to come to Harisson's Folly again to enjoy the thrilling experience of Para sailing, but I was not at all disappointed to miss the sailing opportunity as I also enjoyed the serenity this place provided during my stint ..
Biking Tip :- While riding down the hill, keep your bike engine off and let your bike go down by itself.. trust me, it saves a lot of fuel and you can touch good speeds also ... while coming down from the valley, I rode 11 kms using this technique, without burning expensive petrol..
Finally we came down from the valley, had some snacks on the highway and got disappeared in the nice sultry Sunday evening of Pune...
The picture above was taken when we were riding back home from Parsi and Sydney point
( Panchgani).. Tell you what.. this plateau looked very tempting from the distance and we couldn't resist going there and checking it out.. :-)
When we reached atop, it looked strikingly similar to Table land, Panchgani. The place hosted all kinds of horse riding activities but one unique thing that was on offer was Para Sailing !!
but unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time of the year..
 |
| Horse riding at Harisson's Folly |
 |
| View from Harisson's folly |
 |
| View from Harisson's Folly |
Me and my friend Manish decided to sit there for 10-15 mins.. Luckily for us, lot of beautiful girls were around to give the valley a major face lift ;-p [ my friend Manish, meanwhile forgot that he had "bike riding @ night - phobia" ;-) and it became a daunting task for me to pull him out of that place.. ]
Somehow, I managed to pull the big man out and started our journey back home...
I would definitely want to come to Harisson's Folly again to enjoy the thrilling experience of Para sailing, but I was not at all disappointed to miss the sailing opportunity as I also enjoyed the serenity this place provided during my stint ..
Biking Tip :- While riding down the hill, keep your bike engine off and let your bike go down by itself.. trust me, it saves a lot of fuel and you can touch good speeds also ... while coming down from the valley, I rode 11 kms using this technique, without burning expensive petrol..
My Rating
1. Road Condition :- 3 / 5
2. Cleanliness :- 3 / 5
3. Local Conveyance:- Doesn't apply
4. Climate :- 3.5 / 5
5. Food / Snack :- Doesn't apply
6. Adventure quotient :- Since I didn't experience para sailing, I am not giving it any rating
Overall rating :- 3.2 / 5 Finally we came down from the valley, had some snacks on the highway and got disappeared in the nice sultry Sunday evening of Pune...
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Panchgani trip- Parsi and Sydney point
Parsi and Sydney point
After having nice time at Table land, it was time to explore some famous Ghats at Panchgani.. The nearest we found was Parsi Point.. Come down from the Table Land towards the town and take left, once you reach the main road... A kilometer ride and you will see the view in the picture below... this is Parsi Point
The bad thing about Parsi point is, it has very less space to stand as there were many Marigo rounds etc build for kids..... you will find children shouting and jumping like Macaques at this place... ;-)
But don't worry, get out of there and walk some 30 feet towards your left and you will see a nice location to sit and relax..( see the pic below)
We sat there for some time and clicked some pics, while letting the cold breeze recondition us..
I have no words to explain how one can get reconciled with this place so easily.. I was enjoying my beautiful coexistence with the nature, but suddenly a loud voice broke the harmony ... ICE-CREAM LELO !!! ICE-CREAM !! ......God!!! is there any place in India left, where one can sit peacefully???
Within a fraction of second, a large crowd rushed towards this new found place to get an "Ice-cream Bite"... Time to wrap up!!!.... after a 2 minutes Vroom Vroom on the bike, we were setting our sights at Sidney Point..
Since, it was getting darker, we decided to leave the place early after some quick snaps.. Not that I was afraid of riding at night, it was my friend Manish who was getting jittery about riding pillion after 6:30 pm .... :-P
On our way back home something grabbed our attention ......
It was Sherbaug the "Man made Waterfall".. we parked our bike and when we entered there, it was raining inside !!! it looked quite interesting...The entrance had a jungle theme to it with an artificial blue stream of
water continuously flowing. The theme park had winding pathways where people can walk in single file, through
archways, past waterfalls, gardens, flower beds, horticultural spaces etc... we enquired further and managed to get some information about the entry fee..
1. Entry fee :- Rs. 250 per person
2. Camera :- Rs. 100
Next time I am coming here for sure...
In the end.. it was a really good experience at Panchgani.. I was heartbroken to leave this beautiful place.. Me and my friend Manish, both turned quiet while riding back home, recollecting some great events of the day....
On my way back home, all the good memories of Wai and Panchgani were flashing in front of me.. then suddenly we were forced to stop the bike... Our next destination Harisson Folly awaits us .....
After having nice time at Table land, it was time to explore some famous Ghats at Panchgani.. The nearest we found was Parsi Point.. Come down from the Table Land towards the town and take left, once you reach the main road... A kilometer ride and you will see the view in the picture below... this is Parsi Point
 | |
| Parsi Point |
But don't worry, get out of there and walk some 30 feet towards your left and you will see a nice location to sit and relax..( see the pic below)
We sat there for some time and clicked some pics, while letting the cold breeze recondition us..
Within a fraction of second, a large crowd rushed towards this new found place to get an "Ice-cream Bite"... Time to wrap up!!!.... after a 2 minutes Vroom Vroom on the bike, we were setting our sights at Sidney Point..
 |
| Sidney Point |
On our way back home something grabbed our attention ......
1. Entry fee :- Rs. 250 per person
2. Camera :- Rs. 100
Next time I am coming here for sure...
In the end.. it was a really good experience at Panchgani.. I was heartbroken to leave this beautiful place.. Me and my friend Manish, both turned quiet while riding back home, recollecting some great events of the day....
My Rating
1. Road Condition :- 3.5 / 5
2. Cleanliness :- 2.5 / 5
3. Local Conveyance:- 3.5 / 5
4. Climate :- 3.5 / 5
5. Food / Snack :- 3.5 / 5
Overall rating :- 3.3 / 5 On my way back home, all the good memories of Wai and Panchgani were flashing in front of me.. then suddenly we were forced to stop the bike... Our next destination Harisson Folly awaits us .....
Panchgani Trip - Table land and Devil's Kitchen
Table land and Devil's Kitchen
After a 15 Kilometer ride from Dhom Dam, I finally reached Panchgani ...
I was surprised to feel the sudden dip in temperature... It was 22-25 degrees, nice windy and cloudy Panchgani town waiting for me... Me and my friend Manish ( no "he" is not Man-ishh...its his name and he doesn't smack in the middle ;-p ) stopped near a strawberry store, bought some 500 gms of strawberries and asked the store keeper whether he could suggest some tourist places... the tip from him brought us to this astonishing piece of land called Table Land...
It looked like as if someone has sliced the hill perfectly to give it a table like shape....
Surprisingly, horse riding is very popular up there.... if you want to take a nice horse riding tour of Table land, you can go ahead.... I was approached by the owner of SALMAN KHAN ( don't worry, not the Bollywood actor, the horse's name is SK ) for riding, but I declined for obvious reasons.. ;-)
The next thing to see at table land is Devil's Kitchen... Legends say that Pandavas stayed there for some time during their exile ( Van Vas)
Frankly speaking, it was only I standing there and not my kitchen ;-) ... not even the remains .. ;-p
We spent 20-25 minutes there to see if we could use a centimeter size clue of the Kitchen remains, but ended up failing miserably...After putting in so much effort, we felt hungry and decided to get our hands on some yummy corn ( Bhutta )...
We spent some more time there sitting at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the nice breeze and looking down at the small town of Panchgani...
For me, it was a good experience, one can have some nice quality time with their family members as lots of activities are happening there continuously... the beautiful panoramic view is other added advantage.
Next destination ... Parsi and Sydney Point
After a 15 Kilometer ride from Dhom Dam, I finally reached Panchgani ...
I was surprised to feel the sudden dip in temperature... It was 22-25 degrees, nice windy and cloudy Panchgani town waiting for me... Me and my friend Manish ( no "he" is not Man-ishh...its his name and he doesn't smack in the middle ;-p ) stopped near a strawberry store, bought some 500 gms of strawberries and asked the store keeper whether he could suggest some tourist places... the tip from him brought us to this astonishing piece of land called Table Land...
The next thing to see at table land is Devil's Kitchen... Legends say that Pandavas stayed there for some time during their exile ( Van Vas)
 | |
| View from Devil's Kitchen |
 | |
| Devil's Kitchen |
Frankly speaking, it was only I standing there and not my kitchen ;-) ... not even the remains .. ;-p
We spent 20-25 minutes there to see if we could use a centimeter size clue of the Kitchen remains, but ended up failing miserably...After putting in so much effort, we felt hungry and decided to get our hands on some yummy corn ( Bhutta )...
We spent some more time there sitting at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the nice breeze and looking down at the small town of Panchgani...
For me, it was a good experience, one can have some nice quality time with their family members as lots of activities are happening there continuously... the beautiful panoramic view is other added advantage.
My Rating
1. Road Condition :- 2.75 / 5
2. Cleanliness :- 2.5 / 5
3. Local Conveyance:- 3 / 5
4. Climate :- 3.5 / 5
5. Food / Snack :- 3.5 / 5
Overall rating :- 3 / 5 Next destination ... Parsi and Sydney Point
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Wai Trip - Dhom Dam
The Mesmerizing Dhom Dam
After an enchanting darshan of Lord Ganpati at Dholya Ganpati Temple, it was time to visit Dhom Dam. So... got out of the temple and took immediate right turn towards a narrow road.. after 2-3 kilometers, I began to wonder whether I was on the right track.... 5 kilometers passed.... I stopped and looked around.. with a confused look I asked a local person (in Hindi) whether the narrow road was leading me to the right destination, ... the guy looked at me as if I am an alien and replied in a weird Marathi accent which only extraterrestrials would understand.... I decided to give Dhom Dam a last shot and went ahead to explore 1 more kilometer .... and guess what ... I saw the glimpse of the Dam gate .... The dam had restricted public entry but an officer there told me to ride one more kilometer ahead .... So... drove another kilometer and suddenly I saw a Sahyadri Adventures signboard with an arrow directing me to turn right..
So, I turn right and the next glimpse I got was ... this...
I stopped my bike and ran towards the pristine lake shouting.. Awesome !! Awesome !! Awesome!! ... ( Just kidding ;-) ... I would never do that )
There were already few people present there who had come to enjoy boating.. I rather decided to take some pictures of this mini heaven....
The soil near the lake was not firm and my leg ran 1 feet deep inside the mud... The next moment I realised, I was stuck... I lost balance and fell down but somehow managed to keep my DSLR afloat ... my friend and some locals came to my rescue and somehow I managed to pull myself out...
Stubborn Me ... The very next thing I did when I came out was this ...took the photos of the swans
Then rushed towards the lake and took a nice dip inside the cold waters and washed myself up...
Gosh!! .... people ... no matter what you do, please don't go near the lake where the soil is not so firm... and if you are in a joyful mood, just go there and jump with your swimsuit on... ;-) I am sure you are going to enjoy that too .. ;-P
Aahhh.... I was all dried up and was packing my camera inside... What the Hell !!!! .. this time my camera hood was missing... I rushed towards that muddy place again to see whether my camera hood was still there... luckily for me.. I managed to find the hood on the firm soil..
What a day it had been .... took a deep breath and calmly packed everything inside the bag and prepared myself to go to the next destination, but somehow, I got so much mesmerized with that place that I decided to stay for five more minutes to click some more pictures..
No matter what happened, I will always cherish the good memories of the beautiful lake, surrounding misty mountains, the dam and of course the funny incident, for the rest of my life ...
Guys, Please visit this place for once ... I am sure you will drop a thank you message on this post... :-)
Next destination ..... Panchgani
After an enchanting darshan of Lord Ganpati at Dholya Ganpati Temple, it was time to visit Dhom Dam. So... got out of the temple and took immediate right turn towards a narrow road.. after 2-3 kilometers, I began to wonder whether I was on the right track.... 5 kilometers passed.... I stopped and looked around.. with a confused look I asked a local person (in Hindi) whether the narrow road was leading me to the right destination, ... the guy looked at me as if I am an alien and replied in a weird Marathi accent which only extraterrestrials would understand.... I decided to give Dhom Dam a last shot and went ahead to explore 1 more kilometer .... and guess what ... I saw the glimpse of the Dam gate .... The dam had restricted public entry but an officer there told me to ride one more kilometer ahead .... So... drove another kilometer and suddenly I saw a Sahyadri Adventures signboard with an arrow directing me to turn right..
So, I turn right and the next glimpse I got was ... this...
I stopped my bike and ran towards the pristine lake shouting.. Awesome !! Awesome !! Awesome!! ... ( Just kidding ;-) ... I would never do that )
There were already few people present there who had come to enjoy boating.. I rather decided to take some pictures of this mini heaven....
 | |
| Boating facility |
 | |
| Dhom Dam on the extreme right |
While taking pics, a group of swan grabbed my attention and I was lured to take some nice photos...So I went after them and learnt a big lesson
Stubborn Me ... The very next thing I did when I came out was this ...took the photos of the swans
Gosh!! .... people ... no matter what you do, please don't go near the lake where the soil is not so firm... and if you are in a joyful mood, just go there and jump with your swimsuit on... ;-) I am sure you are going to enjoy that too .. ;-P
Aahhh.... I was all dried up and was packing my camera inside... What the Hell !!!! .. this time my camera hood was missing... I rushed towards that muddy place again to see whether my camera hood was still there... luckily for me.. I managed to find the hood on the firm soil..
What a day it had been .... took a deep breath and calmly packed everything inside the bag and prepared myself to go to the next destination, but somehow, I got so much mesmerized with that place that I decided to stay for five more minutes to click some more pictures..
No matter what happened, I will always cherish the good memories of the beautiful lake, surrounding misty mountains, the dam and of course the funny incident, for the rest of my life ...
Guys, Please visit this place for once ... I am sure you will drop a thank you message on this post... :-)
My Rating
1. Road Condition :- 2.75 / 5
2. Cleanliness :- 4 / 5
3. Local Conveyance:- 2 / 5
4. Climate :- 4 / 5
5. Food :- doesn't apply
Overall rating :- 3.2 / 5
Next destination ..... Panchgani
Wai Trip - Dholya Ganpati Temple
Dholya Ganpati Temple
the most famous tourist spot at Wai. The temple is located at the centre of the town and easily accessible. The beautiful temple is build along the Krishna River and temple architecture is totally mesmerising.. I decided to sit near the Krishna river flowing near the temple and it was a very pleasing experience ..
Bike Parking :-
They charge Rs.10 for parking near the temple premise. Car parking is a big problem because of the limited parking space around and crowded town centre nearby...
{Thank god I have a Bike... ;-) } ... I suggest before you plan to visit the temple, check for the 4 wheeler parking space...
Photography :-
This is a good place for taking photographs and one can click some good pics of the temple architecture and the Krishna river running alongside....
My Rating
1. Road Condition :- 2.75 / 5
2. Cleanliness :- 2 / 5
3. Local Conveyance:- 3 / 5
4. Climate :- 3 / 5
5. Food :- doesn't apply
Overall rating :- 2.7 / 5 After cleansing my mind and body at the doorstep of Lord Ganpati, It was time for my next destination....... Dhom Dam
Panchgani and Wai Trip
Finally ... writing something of use... happened to go to Wai and Panchgani ( Maharashtra ) lately...
Distance :- 90 Kms ( from MG road, Pune to Wai)
Time taken on Bike :- 2 Hours and 30 mins ( including refreshment breaks)
Trip distance :- 235 kms ( From Pune to Wai & Panchgani and back)
Route :- Swargate - Katraj Zoo - katraj Ghat - Satara Highway
Places Visited :- 1. Dholya Ganpati Mandir
2. Dhom Dam
3.Table Land & Devil's kitchen
4. Parsi Point and Sidney point
5. Harisson Folly
6. Sherbaug
Wai Village :-
On the way to Panchgani, I decided to deviate from the path and explore a roadside village.., I was surprised and contented to see the picturesque Wai village ... Surrounded by the mountainous region of the Sahyadri and located on the banks of Krishna River, the town is all about temples, rivers and greenery ... No wonder why this place is hot favourite among Bollywood movie producers ..... I was surprised to know that many Bollywood movies have been filmed here in the past like Omkara , Swedesh , Gangajal and Dabangg .....If you have time to explore the place further, you will find many familiar places ( thanks to all the movies mentioned above )
Because of time constraint , I only managed to explore Dholya Ganpati Mandir and Dhom Dam .... Next time I am definitely going to explore the place further as many beautiful places are around for hiking.... ;-)
Panchgani :-
I guess, I don't have to describe Panchgani much .... If you have not heard of this Hill Station yet, dude.!! ... what are you doing till now ???
While riding towards Panchgani through Ghats, I enjoyed an awesome bike riding experience ... the 11 km long road is all the way ''S" shaped and can be dangerous for inexperienced Bike riders .. I suggest not to overtake any slow moving truck till the time is right .. Road is very narrow here and you would not be able to see what is coming from the front. I also suggest to take a powerful bike to climb the slopes.. Be patient and enjoy the picturesque hill side while riding...
Panchgani has everything that a perfect hill station should have.. the natural beauty, breathtaking panoramic views and lush greeneries, thick woods, hills, ghats and what not....This place is bestowed with buildings of British architecture, Parsi houses and the boarding schools ... People generally come here to enjoy the cold weather in the weekends... I managed to see most of the famous places here like Table Land, Devil's kitchen, Parsi Point, Sidney point , Sherbaug and Harisson Folly as all these places are in close vicinity ( within 2 kms) .. If you want to enjoy a great leisure time in the weekend .. Panchgani is the place for you...
In the end, I had some really good experiences form this trip which got me completely rejuvenated.... It was a pure bike riding experience coupled with some funny moments and good food .. For more details about Wai and Panchgani 1 day bike trip, read my other posts ...
Distance :- 90 Kms ( from MG road, Pune to Wai)
Time taken on Bike :- 2 Hours and 30 mins ( including refreshment breaks)
Trip distance :- 235 kms ( From Pune to Wai & Panchgani and back)
Route :- Swargate - Katraj Zoo - katraj Ghat - Satara Highway
Places Visited :- 1. Dholya Ganpati Mandir
2. Dhom Dam
3.Table Land & Devil's kitchen
4. Parsi Point and Sidney point
5. Harisson Folly
6. Sherbaug
Wai Village :-
On the way to Panchgani, I decided to deviate from the path and explore a roadside village.., I was surprised and contented to see the picturesque Wai village ... Surrounded by the mountainous region of the Sahyadri and located on the banks of Krishna River, the town is all about temples, rivers and greenery ... No wonder why this place is hot favourite among Bollywood movie producers ..... I was surprised to know that many Bollywood movies have been filmed here in the past like Omkara , Swedesh , Gangajal and Dabangg .....If you have time to explore the place further, you will find many familiar places ( thanks to all the movies mentioned above )
Because of time constraint , I only managed to explore Dholya Ganpati Mandir and Dhom Dam .... Next time I am definitely going to explore the place further as many beautiful places are around for hiking.... ;-)
Panchgani :-
I guess, I don't have to describe Panchgani much .... If you have not heard of this Hill Station yet, dude.!! ... what are you doing till now ???
While riding towards Panchgani through Ghats, I enjoyed an awesome bike riding experience ... the 11 km long road is all the way ''S" shaped and can be dangerous for inexperienced Bike riders .. I suggest not to overtake any slow moving truck till the time is right .. Road is very narrow here and you would not be able to see what is coming from the front. I also suggest to take a powerful bike to climb the slopes.. Be patient and enjoy the picturesque hill side while riding...
Panchgani has everything that a perfect hill station should have.. the natural beauty, breathtaking panoramic views and lush greeneries, thick woods, hills, ghats and what not....This place is bestowed with buildings of British architecture, Parsi houses and the boarding schools ... People generally come here to enjoy the cold weather in the weekends... I managed to see most of the famous places here like Table Land, Devil's kitchen, Parsi Point, Sidney point , Sherbaug and Harisson Folly as all these places are in close vicinity ( within 2 kms) .. If you want to enjoy a great leisure time in the weekend .. Panchgani is the place for you...
In the end, I had some really good experiences form this trip which got me completely rejuvenated.... It was a pure bike riding experience coupled with some funny moments and good food .. For more details about Wai and Panchgani 1 day bike trip, read my other posts ...
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