Kaas Road Trip - WHATTEY FUN !!!

[ashish0712]

Kaas Road Trip - WHATTEY FUN !!!

Into the ‘Garden of Eden”-Kaas Plateau "Valley of Flowers"

Well Kaas has been on my wishlist for the last 24 months ever since I stumbled on a Travelogue providing details about ‘God’s own Masterpiece’. Kaas Plateau or ‘Garden of Eden” is nestled in the Sahyadri hills near Satara. This plateau is well known for its high hill plateaus and it’s amazing ‘Flora and Fauna’ and sheer beauty of the place when in full bloom will have more than 200 variety of flowers and to visited during monsoon in particular September and October.

Finally had my wish fulfilled as I made it to the ‘Garden of Eden’ with my friends exploring its sheer beauty. Although I was late by at least 2 week thank to late arrival of new toy Canon 550D ‘Damn you-Villain’

Also covered other attractions nearby - Sajjangarh, Thoseghar, and Chalkewadi

And an Unexpected Surprise to end this ‘Fan-Tas-Tic’ Trip–Visited an Emu Farm in Satara

Trip Details
Car – My Lady in Black ‘Honda City’
Partners in Crime – Abhinav, Pooja, Navin and Your Truly
Time - 30 Hours
Distance-560 Km
Money spent on Petrol - Rs 3000
Money spent on Toll Tax - Rs 610 (305*2) (Khalapur, Talegaon, Khedshivapur and Anewadi)
Route-Mumbai-Pune- Satara–Kaas (via Mumbai-Pune Expressway and NH-4)
Introducing My New Toy-Canon 550D (Hero & Villain of Kaas Trip)

Kaas-‘Garden of Eden’


First View of the Kaas Valley


DDLJ View


Smithia Hirusta' aka Donald Duck Flower


Your's Truly @Kaas Plateau in the Background Kaas Lake


With my Friend Navin (Partner in Crime)


Smithia Hirusta-Macro View...Not Close enough though...I am Learning Guys


B-E-A-U-I-T-F-U-L











Take a Look @ Rule No 7





EMU Smile

 

[jalex]

Nice pictures. Those Emus look nice, And speaking of Emus, do they peck or bite? I have turkeys and they do attack strangers.

 

[cooldhaya]

Nice pictures bro , Canon 550D is a good camera indeed!

 

[Surfer]

ashish0712 Nice pics , post some more yar , I know you have them
And what bout Sajjangad and thoseghar pics ?

 

[ashish0712]

Nice pictures. Those Emus look nice, And speaking of Emus, do they peck or bite? I have turkeys and they do attack strangers.

@jalex: Thanks. Yes they were well behaved Emu's...They attack only when they are angry...I am not sure if they peck or bite

Nice pictures bro , Canon 550D is a good camera indeed!

@cooldhaya: Thanks a Lot...Yes it is 'Fan-Tas-Tic' Camera...Had Gr8 time clicking during this road Trip...More to come from my new toy

ashish0712 Nice pics , post some more yar , I know you have them
And what bout Sajjangad and thoseghar pics ?

@Surfer: Yes will post more pics and a detailed T'log Very Soon

 

[ashish0712]

Prologue
Had gone to my home town Ludhiana during Dussehra Break as I knew this time won’t be able to make it during Diwali Holidays due to work. Had told my gang earlier that will be doing a ‘Road Trip to Kaas’ during Oct 8-9th weekend and also that I will go ahead with this Trip even if I have to go alone. While on my break had called up my friend (Navin) to check his plans and weather he is comfortable doing Kaas Trip this weekend. Navin and me had enjoyed Road Trip to Jawahar-Dabhosa during monsoon, So immediately came the reply ‘Game On’ for Kaas Trip

Returned back from my home town on Oct 7th and the messages regarding the road trip were sent to other members of gang. Some initially said ‘Yes’ than later 'No' while others earlier said ‘No’ but next day 3-4 hours before the Trip said ‘Yes’. So Finally partners in crime with me for this road trip was Navin, Abhinav and Pooja.

Day-1 October 8th, 2:30 pm Mumbai-Pune-Satara
We wanted to have an entire day to cover nearby attractions (Sajjangarh, Thoseghar, and Chalkewadi) and I wanted to spend atleast 2 hours early in the morning @Kaas Plateau and return the same day. So we decided to travel to Satara on Saturday afternoon and reach Satara by around 8:00 pm. I attended my office on Saturday and came back to my place by around 2’o clock and after quick shower grabbed my bags, my iPod and my new toy Canon 550D and left from Wadala by around 2:40 pm to pick my friends from Sion.

Got the Tank filled up and picked up my friends (Abhinav & Pooja) from Sion and left for Chembur where Navin was supposed to join us. We reached Chembur by 3:40 pm and it took us another 30-40 min to hit the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Finally at around 4:15 pm we were crusing @140kmph on Mumbai-Pune Expressway en-route Satara.

Always enjoyed driving on Mumbai-Pune Expressway highway and this time hit a personal milestone (Touched 150 kmph ) But only momentarily and quickly reverted to normal 120-140kmph speed limit. Took us exactly 1 hr 30 min to reach Pune after hitting Expressway, but after exiting expressway we did encountered some city traffic till ‘Katraj Tunnnel’. But later on NH-4 was great fun to drive on and we were again cruising to our destination.

We decided to take a Tea break after Khedshivapur Toll (one of the worst managed toll on NH-4) last time had stopped at McDonald’s but this time carving for tea made me stop @ Hotel Natraj. Had Masala Tea and some snacks quickly and left for Satara by around 6:45 pm as our destination was another 88 km away. So after covering twisty turns of Khambatki Ghat and driving for another 1.5 hour reached Satara by around 8:15 pm.

Now the search for a good hotel begins as we didn’t had any prior booking. We did checked couple of Hotels (Hotel Sairaja and Hotel Sagar) but found these hotels bit shady. Had read about Hotel Maharaja Regency (only 3-Star Hotel in Satara) so we went and enquired about it and booked the Non-AC rooms immediately. Although, it is a pricey hotel but it is your best option in terms of good accommodation in Satara. We had our Dinner at the Hotel Restaurant only as we were very hungry although there is a good option in the nearby market (Big Bite).

I wanted to wake up quite early next morning by around 4:30 am and leave for Kaas by around 5:00 am but that plan was unanimously rejected by other members and finally we decided that will leave for Kaas by 7:00 am

My friend (Navin) had his relatives in Satara and we told them about our plans for next day to cover Kaas, Chalkewadi Thosegar Sajangarh, Vasota & Bamnoli. We were told that it is better to take a Satara registered vehicle (MH-11) to Kaas as others have to abandon their vehicles at a parking lot 5 km before Kaas Plateau they also told us that it would not be possible to explore Vasota in such a short trip. My friend (Navin) and his cousin conversed in Marathi about the plan for next day, All I understood that we will leave for Kaas by around 7:00 am in the morning.

We reached back to our Hotel by around 11:15 pm tired and exhausted although I still had time to read a piece on Kaas in Oct10 issue of Lonely Planet just to build the excitement. I went to bed by around 12:30 am with dreams of Kaas Valley in Full Bloom

Day 2: October 9th, 7:30 am Satara-Kaas- Chalkewadi Thosegar and Sajangarh
Woke up at 5:30 am and I got ready quickly by around 6:00 am and clicked few pics of Satara Valley, Hotel and Eiffel Tower of Satara. Had a morning tea and after checking out from our Hotel left for Kaas Valley en-route changed cars with Navin’s cousin also joining us for local sightseeing.
Well drive through the valley was magical with breathtaking views. We got our first view of Kaas Valley by around 9:00 am and spend some 2 hours exploring it’s amazing ‘Flora and Fauna’

Here comes the Pics

 

[Thetraveller]

All the pics have come out so nicely. You must have had a great trip I am sure
thanks for posting.

 

[ashish0712]

@Thetraveller: So you liked the pics. Thanks But I am still learning. It was just my second shoot with my new toy Canon 550D. And yes Road Trip was Great Fun

 

[AppU]

Nice Pics Ashish Sharma,

The Flower bed spread creates a awesome sceneries yaar,

Is Emu is a calm bird? I thought it will bite us

 

[ashish0712]

@AppU: Yes and there were plenty of flower beds all around Kaas Plateau.
These bunch of EMU's were very Calm. You could touch them, pose with them and get your pic clicked. Owner of the Emu farm told me they attack only when they are angry

 

[avindu]

This place is just Awesome. Wonderful pictures Ashish. I can see the kind of experiments you have tried with your newly acquired possession (C 550D) and the close-up shots - simply love them.

I first read about this place in Surfer's TL and now this. Please do post more pics of the Emu farm and of course your black beauty.

 

[ashish0712]

This place is just Awesome. Wonderful pictures Ashish. I can see the kind of experiments you have tried with your newly acquired possession (C 550D) and the close-up shots - simply love them.

I first read about this place in Surfer's TL and now this. Please do post more pics of the Emu farm and of course your black beauty.

@Avindu: Thanks, Yes Kaas-God's own Masterpiece is just Awesome
...Well I am still on Learning Curve...Need to experiment a lot with my new toy Will post new pics of Black Beauty and Emu Farm soon

 

[ashish0712]

Photologue of Kaas Road Trip Continues...Chalkewadi, Thoseghar, Sajjangarh and Emu Surprise

Last Glimpse of Kaas Valley


Chalkewadi




Thoseghar Waterfall Trails







Thoseghar Waterfalls























Temple en-route Sajjangarh Fort


Sajjangarh Fort








Emu Party Begins

 

[ashish0712]

Photologue of Kaas Road Trip Continues....












Trying my Hands on Macro Photography

















Big Thank You to My Lady in Black

 

[AppU]

Nice set of Pics, your black lady looks cool.