Travel experts suggest hotspots to develop for adventure tourism in Maharashtra

Trekking at Karnala Fort

Sea the stars
Nishant Patel, founder, The Grand Vacationist

Ranked at 96 globally, India has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to adventure sports and activities. State tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray has taken a great initiative to regulate adventure activities and define safety standards that will result in higher safety and more participation from adventurists and operators," shares adventure enthusiast and travel experience planner Patel. His reccos:

>> Ganpatipule: The town on Konkan's coastline is ideal to try motorboat activities and water sports.
>> Kolad: It has a 12-to-13-km-long stretch on the Kundalika River that's great for white water rafting.
>> Kasara: Stargazing is a mesmerising experience at Kasara, where you can identify constellations for hours in the moonlight.

Of caves and forts
Aseem Hattangadi, founder, The Travel Therapist

Ajanta Caves is one of the many ancient caves in the state. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

"Maharashtra is a state that's blessed with numerous water bodies, clear skies, rugged interiors and a coastline. It's no surprise that high-adrenaline activities needed the boost via the Adventure Tourism Policy that was recently approved," explains Hattangadi. From jetskiing to hiking, there are several activities to try,
he shares:

>> Diveagar beach: Located in Raigad district, 170 km away from Mumbai, the beach offers numerous adventure activities like jet skiing, boating, and ATV rides. There's also the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary nearby.
>> Maharashtra forts: There are 350 forts in the state. The few accessible and noteworthy ones are the sea fort Murud-Janjira, Raigad, Panhala, Tikona, Rajmachi, Pratapgad, Daulatabad and Sinhagad (Kondhana). They're good spots for hiking and trekking.
>> Caving: We have many ancient cave sites like Ajanta, Elephanta, Ellora, Bhaja, Karla and Junnar that are ideal for caving.

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Closer home
Dhiren Talpade, founder, Jumpstart Outdoors LLP

Waterfall rappelling near Karjat

Talpade, who designs experiences in the outdoors, shares, "The policy will require all operators to get registered with the government afresh to ensure maximum safety." In and around Mumbai, most activities happen over the weekends, he says. Here are some that he recommends:

Both organised by Talpade

>> Kamshet: It's a paragliding hub, but this time of the year, it's a good idea to head there to explore the lake, streams and small hills.
>> Karnala Fort: Karnala is currently open but the forest department has certain rules due to COVID-19. It's quite scenic in this season for trekking.
>> Karjat and Khalapur: Waterfall rappelling is a tricky but great activity to try out in the Karjat-Khalapur belt. Ensure you tie up with a trusted vendor.

Walk the line
Navin Devnani Torres, founder of Slack Mitra and member of Slackline India Association

Torres highlining at Nagphani. Pic Courtesy/Gayatri Juvekar

Torres, who runs Slack Mitra, which offers slackline gear, workshops and connects to the community, suggests that slacklining is an activity that should be included within the scope of the policy. "Slacklining is a fun balance activity and one of the easiest ways to enter the state of flow. It entails walking, jumping or doing tricks on a one-inch wide flat rope which is stretched and anchored between two trees, or mountain cliffs with a safety leash, also known as highlining," he explains. Safety is paramount and guidelines should be underlined in the policy, he says, suggesting two spots perfect for the activities:

>> Juhu's Pushpa Narsee Park and Juhu Chowpatty: Best way to start slacklining is to meet up with the friendly, inclusive local slackliners, usually on a Sunday morning.
>> Nagphani, Khandala: Nagphani or Duke's Nose is the hub for highlining in India. Highlining should be attempted only by those who've had prior training in slacklining and the safety aspects of the sport.

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