Introduction:
Bhandardara is a vacation resort village close to Igatpuri, within the western ghats of India. The village is found in the Akole tehsil, Ahmednagar District of the state of Maharashtra, around 185 kilometres or 115 miles far from Mumbai and 155 kilometres which is 96 miles from Ahmednagar.
Bhandardara is near the Pravara river, and also near the waterfalls, mountains, Wilson dam, Arthur lake and Randha falls are measure tourist attractions.
The historic and natural places are close to the dam. From Bhandardara, trekkers can climb up to the Ratangad and Harishchandragad Fort. Or, trekkers can follow the paths that takes them to Ajoba and Ghanchakkar peaks. The best peak in Maharashtra, Mount Kalsubai, is 1646 m, and the start line for this trek is Bari Village, set 12 km apart from Bhandardara. At the top, there is a small temple located at the peak of Sahyadris and Bhandardara. The toughest trio forts in Sahyadri are Alang Fort, Mandangad Fort and Kulang Gad (also referred as A-M-K) sit on the southern face. The narrow Sandhan Valley is on the Western face of the dam.
Location-
State: Maharashtra
Taluka: Akole
Exact Location: a vacation resort village Bhandardara is found on the western coast in Ahmednagar.
Nearest Town: Akole.
Distance from Akole: 45 km.
How to reach-
Bhandardara is well accessible by road from Mumbai which is around 185 km, and Pune is around 191 km. Watch out the small roads while driving on the ghats towards bhandardara.
The nearest airdrome is in Nashik around 90 km, while igatpuri Railway Station, 45 kilometres away, has the closest railway station. One can take the transport bus from Igatpuri to Bhandardara. Regular buses are offered from both the cities to reach Bhandardara, otherwise you can even rent a taxi to complete the destination.
Speciality –
The place is known as a vacation resort village and is known for its lush landscapes, abundant hills, cascades, lake, river, wildlife, and more. But, above all, tenting during this abundant location offers a nature retreat and a lifespan experience away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Bhandardara lake tenting is favourite among the tourists searching for a natural water body. It breaks and offers an unforgettable tent experience kept under the sky full of stars. This Maharashtrian village is one among the most beautiful spots in the state that provides the best night views of milky ways, in which bright stars, and a lot more can be seen. The speciality is that one can even see all these with just the naked eyes. It also attracts Astro lovers and provides an ideal setting for a different perspective on our stunning galaxy and capturing the best shots.
Not only this, tenting close to Bhandardara also allows the trekkers to relish a refreshing night keep, party around a fire, relish native delicacies, savour adventures like seafaring, trekking, hiking, or explore a spread of historical or natural spots set near. Regardless of these once you decide on, you should positively love the sweetness and experience of tenting here.
My trip experience-
We were five friends and we went on the very next day of Christmas that’s on the 26th of December. It had been the best experience thus far in lake face tenting. The guides, specifically Vikram Suryavanshi and Krishna, were so good and humble to us. With sensible guides they were sensible humans too. They were also working with some non government organisations and were giving some of their earnings to the non government organisation. Not only this they also used to feed stray dogs and sometimes cats also. They both were true gentlemen. They allocated our tents. Tents were really neat and clean and the bedsheets and woolen blanket were also given to us. When checking we had our evening snacks that was Tea and Maggi. We then went back to our tents. Krishna started a bonfire around 7, close to the camps. We also helped them with various chores and asked if they wanted some more help. We then sat around the fire and I played the guitar, one person started singing and another one started to dance. it had been such a smoothing and unforgettable moment, with cold wind flowing and that we were taking part in and enjoying each and every passing second of our life. And then after sometime our tour guide, Vikram brought kebab sticks for barbeque. As I already mentioned, the weather was extremely superb. We were lucky as we got a chance to see both sunset and sunrise. The food was literally amazing. Veg and Non Veg both choices were available. We were offered both but as we all friends are pure vegetarians and none of us has even eaten eggs up until now, thus we decided to have vegetarian food. Lightning was dim and that was simply good. We also dance till 12 in the night. We also visited the lake in the evening. We clicked some nice images there. The trip was unforgettable and I am sure enough to visit next year in the winter season.
