Malshej Magic...

A short family holiday destination is a huge problem to finalize, especially with Indian families where the elders want to include a temple visit and the gen- y needs something that has fun and adventure. The perfect combination of one such holiday is the Shirdi- Shani Singnapur- Malshej Ghat trip which I recently tried out.

 My mom was not ready to go on the trip unless we figured out a way to make sure her temple sector was covered, so this was the compromise me and my brother bargained for. Being a family who loves long drives, from Mumbai we choose to reach Shirdi by car, after taking the blessings of Sai Baba in the morning darshan we proceeded towards Shani Singnapur did the night darshan of Shani Dev and settled in for the night. Shani Singnapur offers very few options in terms of good accommodation and food facilities so make sure you have enough food to last you the night or have a early dinner en-route your destination.

The next morning we left from Shani Singnapur and reached Malshej Ghats by afternoon. The ghats are truly the epitome of natural beauty especially in the monsoon. The mist engulfs you, the waterfalls entice you and the greenery simply makes you fall in love with it. You can park your car on the side of the road and enjoy a dip in the waterfall, go click crazy if you love photography as every bend, every turn offers you a new visual treat. 

Malshej doesn't have many resorts or restaurants like a typical tourist destination but there is a  MTDC resort, that offers an awesome view of the ghats. The fun at Malshej is in the bhutta's (roasted sweet-corn) and the hot cup of chai from any of the road side tappri's (stalls) in the pouring rain. On way from Ahmednagar towards the ghats the road offers you the backwaters of a dam that are a very beautiful sight. those adventurous at heart can find a way through the kaccha rasta (improper road) and spend some time there, secluded and away from the hustle- bustle of the crowds.

Malshej is a great Family short holiday destination, coupled with the temple visits or without depending on your choice. With a group of friends too Malshej can be super fun in the rains. If you are going to enjoy the high of alcohol make sure you have a sober driver as driving in the rains can turn out to be very tricky on the ghats. A Monsoon weekend is the ideal time to visit but if you are not too fond of crowds try and make it into a weekday thing.

If you don't hire a car then you can hire a cab or go by bus to Malshej. A trip to Malshej and back wont be too hard on the pocket except for your transport cost, all the beauty and the mesmerizing view that you can make into fabulous memories and bring back home is absolutely free!!

Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Kalyan.

Nearest Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.

Malshej Ghats, Thane, Maharashtra, India.