What's on your monsoon menu?

Bhandardhara gt For Poha and Pravara River crossings Whether itrsquos part of your annual monsoon pilgrimage or otherwise we suggest you make that trip to Bhandardhara in the monsoon Like a carpet of evenly coated green cover this scenic locale cuts through lofty maintains and makes for a serene getaway With mostly trekkers or leisureseekers from Mumbai and Nashik for company you wonrsquot be pestered with insane crowds except on weekends Soak in the countless waterfalls rivulets including the mighty Pravara River stunning valley views as well as homely and hygienic familyrun roadside stalls where you can savour the yummiest poha that wersquove eatern on that side of the Sahyadris Our food pick Freshly made Kanda onion and Batata potato Poha Our food pickgt gtgt Scale Mount Kalsubai in the Sahyadris Maharashtrarsquos highest peak gtgtu00a0Get up close and in awe of the colonial marvel made of stone Wilson Dam Itrsquos still operational by the way gtgtu00a0Lose yourself in the tranquility at Lake Arthur donrsquot forget to bring your notepad or drawing book along words and inspiration will come easy Mahabaleshwaru00a0 gt For Dhansak and misty plateau walks Wersquove visited it so often that its table land plateaus have settled into fixed memory Yet the charm and thrill that one gets while driving down winding roads that kiss Mahabaleshwarrsquos lush landscape is refreshing on every visit From its mistfilled pathways breathtaking views of its quaintlynamed points and the Venna Lake for solace therersquos added appeal thanks to its Parsirun eateries hotels and home stays that offer hearty homecooked Dhansak Salli Boti and Caramel Custard to round things off after walks through the rain clouds Strawberry cravings must wait until winter sadly Our food pickgtHomestyle Mutton Dhansak at The Dinah you need to be a guest Mayfair or The Grapevine gtgtu00a0Trek atop the One Tree Hill just before sundownu00a0It offers picturepostcardlike scenes gtgtu00a0Spend quiet time near Venna Lake for a classic Scotlandlike vibe closer home of course Dhansak Lonavla gt For Chikki fudge and tricky treks In the past wersquove had to deal with dejected relatives who expected us to bring back chikki from our Lonavla trips we had to give it a miss looking at the hordes outside one of the Maganlal Chikkiwala outlets Such is the connection that Lonavla has with Chikki that itrsquos almost a ritual and considered blasphemous if you skip it Though we canrsquot call Lonavla a hill station due to the maddening crowds it attracts every monsoon itrsquos other delicacy the fudge that makes for a great buy in the rains A muststop is Cooperrsquos Fudge and Chikki for their Walnut Chocolate Fudge Several chikki stores in the city also surprisingly started selling fudge over the years with versions such as the strawberry fudge Our food pick Groundnut and Peanut Chikki from any of the shops in the main market Walnut Chocolate Fudge from Cooperrsquos if you are lucky to get your hands on it before itrsquos sold out Chocolate FudgeChocolate Fudge Peanut Chikki Donrsquot missgt gtgtu00a0Karla Caves near Lonavla it also has the Ekvira Devi temple closeby gtgtu00a0Dam sites like Bushi and Valvan near Lonavla gtgtu00a0Click a photo at Dukersquos Nose itrsquos named after the Duke of Wellington whose nose is believed to resemble this cliff gtgtu00a0Hike to Rajmachi one of Shivajirsquos forts Trekking to Rajmachi near Lonavla Karjat gt For spicy vada pav and Buddhist cavehopping It is hard for city residents to imagine picnicking at a locality that is reachable by a local train One can either take a short break at many of Karjatrsquos dhabastyle restaurants and move on to popular destinations such as Lonavla or Khandala or enjoy a few easy treks during the monsoon to take a dip in seasonal waterfalls Several city adventure travel groups organise fun weekend activities in and around Karjat between June and September There are plenty of simple cottages and farmhouses that offer homecooked food and are ideal for stay oversu00a0 Our food pick Pipinghot Vada Pav served with spicy Maharashtrianstyled chutneys and onions Donrsquot missgt gtgtu00a0Trek to Kondana Buddhist Caves which though arenrsquot in great form should make to your mustvisit list being some of the last remnants of arearsquos brush with ancient history gtgtu00a0For adventure lovers Ulhas River serves as a spot for raftingu00a0 gtgtu00a0Trekkers can attempt to scale the Bhimashankar summitu00a0