Holidaymakers’ Diaries: The great escape

They plan our dream holidays. They schedule our itineraries. They are our holidaywallas. The Trip decided to find out where the travel gurus head out when they need to recharge over the weekend

Holidaymakers' Diaries: The great escape

Gaurav Athalye (Jungle Lore) Pench
What's unfortunate about Pench National Park is that while it is located on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, most of its tourism is concentrated on the MP side of the border.

Few are aware that the Maharashtra side of it is untouched and beautiful. This is where my friends and I head if we have a weekend off. The animals near this border are shy. Deer, who are familiar with sighting vehicles in national parks, dart off when they spot us.u00a0Of course, tiger spotting is comparatively difficult in this area but not impossible. But you have to get to a point where you enjoy the experience by itself rather than worrying about spotting a particular animal to truly savour this trip. Also, there are only a couple of government rest houses here ufffd no star properties for those in search of luxury. But roughing it out is part of exploring a new area and this one is totally worth it.u00a0
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Prateek Deo (Life Away From Life) Fort Tikona
The drive to Fort Tikona near Kamshet is beautiful. The fort is located in a secluded area and it takes an hour-long trek to reach the top.

However, if you wish to spend the night at the fort, you should know the essentials of camping and cooking. Usually, I drive down, carry my own utensils and camp there for a night. It's a fantastic stress buster. The view from the top is gorgeous and potable water is available.
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Jayesh Morvankar (Odati Adventures) siddhagad
On the rare occasion when I get a weekend to myself, I head to the hills. It is nice to go on a trek without any pressures of getting everything right. We often drive down to a fort called Siddhagad, it's about 110 kms from the city, near Murbad. Here, you can pitch a tent or sleep under the stars, cook simple meals and walk around in the forests.

The walk to the fort is through paddy fields. En route is a picturesque, little plateau that is covered by mountains from three sides and shaded from the sun. This is where we usually camp though the adventurous ones can go up to the fort's summit, which takes another hour. There is a vantage point from where you can view the Sahyadris. However, the climb to the fort is tricky, especially post winter because the ground becomes loose. Usually, we stay at the base where you receive only (thankfully) intermittent mobile signals. Explore the robust ramparts, engage in bird watching and soak in a lovely view of the plains.
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Rushikesh Kulkarni (Breakfree Journeys) korlaigad
Korlaigad is a crumbling Portuguese fort near Alibaug that is relatively unexplored. Earlier known as Castle Curlew, the fort has a lighthouse nearby, where you can take a guided tour for Rs 10 only. The light is placed on top of an open platform. It might feel claustrophobic while you reach this point but the view from the summit is spectacular.

You can view multiple shades of blue of the waters below. There are steps behind the lighthouse leading to to the fort with numerous courses that seem like hidden passageways. You will spot cannons located at strategic locations; it's thrilling to imagine how a war would have been fought from here. The Korlai beach is clean and transforms into a beautiful sight in the monsoons. My favourite spot here? The piece of land on the beach that juts into the sea, making one feel like you are on a tiny, private island.
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Yogesh Shah (The Backpacker Co) Pawna Lake
This place is gorgeous, especially because one has access to a lake as well as the mountains. A friend owns a farmhouse in the area.

So whenever I visit, I carry my cycle along since I am a cycling enthusiast and, it's great to discover any place on two wheels. You can also try boating or kayaking in the lake; it's actually created by the Pawna Dam. There are not too many places to get lost in this area so you can easily amble around. Drop by a village, chat up with the chaiwallah, mingle with the locals and make the village your own.
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