Travel special: Camp in the wild during the monsoon

Tough to imagine but Lord Byronrsquos inspiration could well have been the dense Rajmachi forest and the scenic Shirota lake while he penned these famous lines from Childe Haroldrsquos Pilgrimage Located just two hours from the madding crowds we soaked every moment of the vast secluded landscape near Lonavala as we set out for our adventurous offroad gypsy drive as part of Della Adventurersquos new offering Della Jungle CampAccompanied by expert guides we ventured into this 4X4 vehicle wading through a pool of water formed by a nearby waterfall in Rajmachi forest area PicSuresh KKIn their hope to make city folk feel close to nature and while at it teach conservation along with adventure the fouryearold adventure park has begun offering halfday and fullday Jungle Camp packages for trekking enthusiasts nature lovers or those who wish to spend quality time with friends and family The fullday camp covers a long trek to the famous Rajmachi Fort the halfday that we did includes an offroad drive into the Rajmachi forest leading to Shirota lakeA pillar of a temple that we found by the Shirota lake in the foregroundQuite a carnamaStarting from Mumbai we reached Della post a twohour drive through the old Khandala Road a part of the MumbaiPune Expressway remains shut from 10 am to 5 pm during this season due to possibility of landslides The swish fivestar property presenting views of the Sahyadris and the valley brought us muchneeded monsoon cheer Leaving those luxurious confines behind we headed to the adventure park from where wersquod head to the jungle campDriving through the narrow paths in Rajmachi forest areaWaiting for us was a monstrouslooking 4X4 vehicle a car modified into an open jeep that could accommodate 10 people mdash four inside and six at the back in the open jeep section We were told that the 45minute drive could be enjoyed the most standing at the back of the jeep at the cost of getting drenched Since we were armed with raingear we chose to stand While we expected some sort of body harness considering it was going to be an offroad ride we only had a rod for support Three expert guides accompanied us on this driveNicholas Onuwalu one of our expert guides entertaining us with a guitar session PicsSuresh KK Duck and diveSlowly we started our way into the mountainous forest taking a narrow dishevelled and winding path surrounded by trees on both sides Home to wild boars deer leopards snakes like the Green Pit Viper and also fireflies we could only spot the kingfisher and langurs en route The experts were aware of the forest and their knowledge helped us figure out the fauna along the way including a bush bearing blackberriesA waterfall near the campsiteBefore we knew it our vehicle gained speed and from thereon it was a rollercoaster Even as we turned to enjoy the view of the Rajmachi peak we had to duck to avoid branches that brushed past our vehicle We went up and down the slope and splashed into water pools formed by nearby waterfalls as we tried to balance ourselves How we missed those body harnesses This thrilling ride was the highlight of our tripTemple runAll of a sudden the narrow road opened into a vast expanse of grasscarpeted land bordered by hills and a lake halffilled with water due to lack of rainfall this season We reached the campsite by the Shirota lake Apart from the gushing sound of a rivulet and the occasional birdcall of RedWattled Lapwing that sounds like itrsquos asking you ldquoDid You Do Itrdquo pindrop silence greeted us at this stunning campsite and we felt our stress ebbing away If only we could pitch tents and cook our own barbeque here ldquoThis will be part of our overnight jungle camp post monsoons where we will teach patrons how to do these activitiesrdquo said one of our guides Nicholas OnuwaluOn exploring the campsite mdash dodging mucky areas and crab holes mdash we found a few temple ruins here too These were stone pillars carved with figurines of goddesses in different dance poses While our guides were unaware of their exact date or the dynasty they belonged to they informed us that long time ago a temple had been submerged under a flood and these ruins were part of that structureAs we mulled over the mystery Onuwalu pulled out his guitar and played classic English and Hindi tracks The music sounded much better in this picturesque setting After tucking into sumptuous snacks that included a burger an apple and a juice we made our way back to the parkThis camp may be too comfortable for adrenaline junkies who love to rough it out in the woods However for green thumbs like us who often feel claustrophobic in the concrete jungle the jungle camp rejuvenated us and gave us a dose of adventure at our own pace Just the way we like it