5 DAYS TRIP FROM PUNE | LONAVALA & ALIBAUG WITH KARNALA BIRD SANCTUARY

At a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, 59 km from Pune & 107 km from Mumbai, the Karla Caves or Karle Caves are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave temples located at Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra. It is one of the best Lonavala tourist places and also among well known historical places to visit near Mumbai & Pune protected by Archaeological Survey of India.

Karla is one of the most famous centers of early rock-cut architecture in India. The caves are excavated nearly 100 m on a high spur of the chain of hills on the north flank of the Indrayani valley. These caves were developed over two periods - from 2nd century BC to 2nd Century AD and in 5th - 10th Century AD. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BC, having arisen near a major ancient trade route, running eastward from the Arabian Sea into the .....

At a distance of 12 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Lion's Point is a vantage point located midway between Bhushi Dam and Aamby Valley in Lonavala. It is one of the popular viewpoints in Lonavala and also among the must include places in Lonavala tour packages.

The view from Lions Point is majestic and panoramic. One would see dozens of small waterfalls, lush green hills, and lakes around during monsoon season. It is one of the famous places to visit in Lonavala. The sunrise and sunset views from here are mesmerizing. The wind is extremely strong at this place and it was quite thrilling to see many adventurous people get close to the edge to get 'that' living-on-the-edge photograph. The drive to the point is also equally scenic

The Shiv-ling peak is a conical peak that can be seen towards the left side of Lion's Point.

Timings: 6 .....

At a distance of 12 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 12 km from Tung Fort, Tiger's Leap or Tiger's Point is a scenic viewpoint situated at Kurvande on the route towards Aamby Valley from Lonavala. It is one of the must see tourist places in Lonavala.

Tiger's Leap, also known as Waghdari, is a cliff-top with a sheer drop of over 650 m, offering a wide view of the hills. The point derives its name from its resemblance to the shape of a leaping tiger. It offers spectacular views of forests, lush greenery, waterfalls and lakes around. The sunrise and sunset views from here are mesmerizing.

There is a small waterfall near to this viewpoint, which flows during the monsoon months only. It serves the purpose of relaxing in the water better than Bushy dam, as the force of the fall is higher. Also, after the brief steep descent, the fall becomes a stream with a fair amount of force to go all the way down to the base of the Tiger's Leap. The site is frequented by various tourists .....

At a distance of 6 km from Lonavala Railway Station, Bhushi Dam is a masonry dam on the Indrayani River in Lonavala, Maharashtra. Bhushi Dam is one of the top Lonavala tourist places and a very popular weekend getaway from Pune and Mumbai. The Dam is located in the backdrop of scenic hilly terrains between Lonavala and INS Shivaji.

The dam was built in late 1860s for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway as a source of water for their steam engines. Water from the dam was carried to Lonavala, Khandala and the reversing station of the railways by cast-iron pipes.

In the rainy season, when the Bhushi dam overflows, the water flows over a series of steps and then over some easily accessible rocky terrain. The terrain and the water make for a fun combination and this is why Bhushi dam gets crowded on weekends as well as during the holidays. There is a waterfall located .....

At a distance of 6 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 2.5 km from Khandala Railway Station, Rajmachi Point is located on the way to Mumbai from Pune, just before the starting point of the ghat in Khandala. The Rajmachi Point is one of the top tourist places in Lonavala.

Rajmachi Point is located within walking distance from the Dukes Retreat. This spot got its name because Rajmachi Fort of the incredible Maratha ruler Chatrapati Sivaji is situated opposite this point. The point offers spectacular views of Rajmachi Fort, the surrounding valley, and waterfalls as part of Lonavala packages. Rajmachi Point has a temple and a children's park. This is also a famous area for movie producers.

Monkey Point, Sunset Point, Lions Point are the few attractions close by. Sunset point gives spectacular views of the sunset. One can have a clear view of the .....

Lonavala hosts numerous wax museums and a visit to Wax museum is one of the prime attractions in Lonavala.

Most of the wax museums are spread close to the entrance of Lonavala from Pune - Mumbai express highway while there are few museums setup inside the town. Most of the wax museums cover the wax statues of noted personalities from many walks of life - religion, social service, history, art, literature, pop music, etc.

There are wax statues of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, M S Subbulakshmi, Kapil Dev, Charlie Chaplin, Narendra Modi, Saddam Hussein etc. Almost all museums host a large image of Chhatrapati Shivaji. In addition to these, the museums also display images of Shirdi Sai Baba, and Jawahar Lal Nehru, along with wax models of many famous musicians, politicians and social workers.

Average Entry Fee: Rs. 100 for Adults and Rs. 75 for Children above 5 years.

Timings: 9 AM to 9 PM, closed on National Holidays

At a distance of 5 km from Lohagad Fort, 15 km from Lonavala, 71 km from Pune & 119 km from Mumbai, Bhaja Caves are one of the popular Buddhist caves of Hinayana faith in Maharashtra. These caves are one of the top places to visit in Lonavala and among the well known tourist places to visit near Pune & Mumbai. These caves are well known historical places near Pune protected as National Monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Bhaja Caves or Bhaje caves are a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC. The caves are 400 feet above the village of Bhaja on an ancient trade route, which extends from the eastern side of the Arabian Sea towards the Deccan.

The Bhaja Caves are similar to the Karla Caves in style and architectural designs. The most prominent among the excavations is .....

At a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, 66 km from Pune & 114 km from Mumbai, the Lohagad Fort (Iron Fort) is a historical fort situated along the Sahyadri hills in the Lonavala region of Maharashtra. It is one of the best tourist places to visit in Lonavala and also one of the popular heritage in Maharashtra.

Perched atop a hillock at an altitude of 1050 m, the Lohagad Fort separates the Indrayani basin from the Pawna basin. It is also among the popular trekking places to visit near Pune & Mumbai. It is one of the most visited forts in Maharashtra as part of Lonavala tour packages. The fort was built by Guru Govind Singh in 1564 CE to serve as a prison. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals .....

At a distance of 15 km from Lonavala Railway Station and 10 km from Lohagad Fort, Pawna Lake is an artificial lake formed by water of Pawna dam. Situated towards the outskirts of Lonavala, this lake is one of the top Lonavala tourist places.

Nestled amidst the scenic locales of Kamshet, this lake came into existence after the construction of the Pawna Dam, and now it plays a scenic host for camping, picnics and sightseeing. Pawna Lake is fast gaining popularity among the locals who are looking for a quiet weekend getaway with friends and family.

The lake is surrounded by rich greenery, making it one of the best places to visit in Lonavala. Facilities for row and motor boating are available at this place, which add to its popularity. While enjoying a boat ride on the lake, tourists get magnificent views of three ancient forts- Tikona, Lohagad and Tung.

Currently boating is stopped in the lake.

Entry Fee: Rs. .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Alibaug Bus Stand, Alibaug or Alibag Beach is a serene beach situated at Alibaug in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. It is one of the top tourist places in Alibaug, and among the prominent beaches to visit as part of Lonavala packages.

Alibag Beach is the main beach of the town, and is well known for its clean coastline. The beach has primarily blackish sand and a lot of rocky stretches. Alibaug Beach is one of the most popular beaches with the sight of Kolaba Fort providing the perfect view during sunset as part of Alibaug Packages.

The beach is very lively with bathers in the morning and many food stalls in the evening. The beach has no facilities for water sports like boating, diving, or snorkeling. Walking and sunbathing, riding in the six seated horse-driven .....

At a distance of 1.5 km from Alibaug Beach and 3 km from Alibaug Bus Stand, Kolaba Fort or Kulaba Fort is an old military fortification situated in the Arabian Sea near the shores of Alibaug in Maharashtra. It is one of the must include places in Alibaug Tour, and among the famous heritage sites near Mumbai.

Kolaba Fort was built by Maratha warrior Shivaji Maharaj in the year 1680 CE after the entire south Konkan came under his control. In 1662 CE, he strengthened and fortified Kolaba fort to make it one of his chief naval stations. The command of the fort was given to Darya Sagar and Manik Bhandari under whom Kolaba fort became the center of the Maratha attacks on British ships. It is one of the prominent places of sightseeing in Alibaug.

Later in 1713 CE, Kolaba Fort along .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Alibaug Bus Stand 11 km from Kihim Beach, Varsoli is a beautiful beach situated at Varsoli village in Raigad district of Maharashtra. This is one of the popular beaches in Maharashtra and also one of the top places to visit in Alibaug.

Varsoli Beach is located on the outskirts of Alibaug at Varsoli, which is a small hamlet. The beach is 2 km long and is more beautiful than Alibaug Beach. It is clean and less crowded beach in Alibaug region. Though this beach serves as a naval base, tourists can enjoy the white sand and clean water. Moreover, the beach is dotted with numerous coconut and casuarina trees.

Varsoli Beach is a popular tourist spot for those who want a quiet and serene atmosphere. At this wonderful beach, there are many water sports available both for adults .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Akshi Beach, 8.5 km from Alibaug and 12 km from Revdanda Fort, Nagaon Beach is a scenic beach situated at a small hamlet of Nagaon in Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is the best places to visit in Alibaug and also one of the popular weekend getaways from Mumbai and Pune.

Nagaon Beach is a 3 km long flat beach with soft fine mixture of white and black sand. The beach is mainly a sandy beach unlike most other beaches in Alibaug and is lined with Casurina trees which give romantic atmosphere to the beach. Nagaon Beach is a quiet and secluded beach compared to Alibaug and Kashid Beach.

Nagaon is the hub of water sports in Alibaug with the highest number of water sport operators functioning at the beach who also offer parasailing in the Sea. Visitors will find parasailing, jet skies, motor boat rides, banana rides and .....

At a distance of 5 km from Korlai, 18 km from Alibaug and 15 km from Kashid, Revdanda Fort is an ancient Portuguese fort located at Revdanda in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The fort is located at the mouth of the Kundalika River.

Revdanda Fort, also known as Revdanda Aagarkot, was built by Portuguese Captain Soj in 1558 CE. In 1740 CE, Revdanda along with the Korlai Fort came under Maratha kingdom as per the treaty signed by the Portuguese. Angres defeated the fort in 1817 CE but it came under the British Raj in 1818 AD.

The periphery of the fort is around 5 km. The entire fortification has two main doors one from north and the other from south. Of which the northern gate was for land connection and the southern gate was used as a passage to the sea. This route opens to the main sea through the Revdanda creek. Portuguese built a dock over here which had become non-existent over time. The north and south gate is connected directly by a long road made of stones. Now, only .....

At a distance of 5 km from Murud, 21 km from Diveagar, 53 km from Alibaug, 84 km from Raigad Fort, 170 km from Mumbai, and 162 km from Pune, Murud - Janjira is an island fort situated near Murud in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. This is one of the top places to visit in Alibaug, and also one of the popular heritage places to visit near Pune and Mumbai.

Janjira Fort is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on all sides and is one of the strongest marine forts of India. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Maharashtra, and among the must include places in Alibaug tour packages. The name Janjira is derived from the Arabic word Jazeera which means island. The original structure was built in the 15th century by a Koli chief as a defense .....

At a distance of 32 km from Alibaug, 20 km from Murud - Janjira Fort, and 133 km from Mumbai, Kashid Beach is a beautiful beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea at Kashid. It is one of the popular beaches in Maharashtra and also a popular weekend getaway from Mumbai and Pune.

Kashid Beach is tucked between two hillocks and is known for its clear waters, white sand and casuarina groves that line the shore. The 3 km long white sand beach is the most beautiful and alluring in the Konkan region. Kashid Beach is a quiet and soothing place and a perfect getaway from the busy city life. Kashid is not as commercially popular as most other beaches in the state. Most tourists stop over at Kashid en route Alibag or Murud.

Kashid Beach is also perfect for surfing with waves rising as high as six feet almost throughout the year. However swimming is not recommended at Kashid. Kashid is also a popular destination for water sports like water scooters, parasailing and banana boat rides. The .....

At a distance of 13 km from Panvel, 53 km from Matheran, 56 km from Lonavala, 66 km from Mumbai Central and 112 km from Pune, The Karnala Bird Sanctuary is situated in the Panvel Taluk of Raigad district in Maharashtra. It is one of the picnic spots near Mumbai city.

Karnala was declared a bird sanctuary in 1968 as the first one of its kind in Maharashtra. During its initial phase, the sanctuary covered an area of 4.45 sq. km and in 2003 this was increased so that it now spreads across 12.11 sq. km. This bird sanctuary is situated below the Karnala Fort. The bird sanctuary is a popular destination for bird-watchers and hikers in the Mumbai area.

The Karnala Bird Sanctuary is home to over 150 species of resident and 37 species of migratory birds. In the monsoon season, travellers can spot a vivid collection of bird .....