Day 1: Travel like a local

We knew this would happen at some point but thought we would have an alternative by this time and it hurt, it hurt – after 5 years, Clare’s Emirates credit card expired and she couldn’t get to the lounge at Doha airport for free. Sad day. Oh well, my card is still active for a few more months so we paid for one guest.

The flight to Mumbai was smooth and fast and we even got to sleep a bit. We cleared the customs quickly and the officer even recommended a different hike in the region since he was from there.

We decided to experience local transportation on our own so we went for a bus instead of booking a taxi to our hotel. The bus was packed and we didn’t even know what to do with our bags. It didn’t have a number but they told us it was going to a train station and that was good enough. We ended up at Andheri railway station and got a ticket to Masjid station which was right next to our hotel.

The whole journey took some time and we were warned by one guy that we were being watched and to be careful but other than that it was surprisingly easy. Also, the whole one and a half hour journey across the town cost us 30 rupees ($0.35).

The part of the city where we got off and where our hotel was could only be described as a hole. It didn’t help that we got there at 11 pm. We quickly walked and found our hotel which was on the 8th floor of a building that looked terrible from the outside but the hotel actually looked OK.

We didn’t feel like going out after we saw the street so we ordered food from the hotel and they brought it from a nearby place. We went to sleep just after midnight and wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

Day 2: Our neighbor Susan and a walk through Mumbai

The night was an experience. Everything was fine, the bed was cozy, and there was just sound from the trains passing by which we expected.  But suddenly I heard a noise much closer to us. It turned out we had a roommate, a massive black rat! She lived in the walls or somewhere under our bed and got attracted by the food we had for dinner. I got rid of the boxes but forgot about our snacks for tomorrow. We got woken up by her jumping off the table. Clare was able to fall asleep after we put everything away but the rat, whom we christened Susan by this time, came back for the used plates from dinner. I didn’t know if I should leave the plates somewhere to get her away from us or get rid of them completely but then she may come after us! In the end, I left the plates as far as possible from us and fell asleep but I was pretty restless.

We woke up quite early and couldn’t go back to sleep because of the trains and especially because I could still hear Susan on the plates. We spent the morning in bed, got a few coffees and breakfast (included) from the hotel, and changed rooms (hopefully no more Susans there).

We set off towards the South of Mumbai around 11 am. Our first stop was the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (the main train stop). It has beautiful neo-gothic architecture from the outside and also in the ticket lobby.

We then continued to the Gateway of India monument and stopped to exchange money (we got 82.30 INR for 1 USD in October 2024) since card machines are hard to come by in India. The monument was just being repaired so it was surrounded by scaffolding and we couldn’t walk through it. After, we stopped for a coffee and to get a break from the heat.

We then walked a little bit further south through the district named Colaba. That’s where we were approached by a beggar (not the first one) with a little child saying that he doesn’t want money but if we can buy milk for his baby girl. We wanted to do something nice so we did. However, in the shop nearby we got charged a lot but I didn’t think twice at that moment because I thought that child formula is usually expensive, plus we bought them rice. But as we were walking away, I had this bad feeling and by then we were pretty sure this all was just a scam. He most likely had a deal with the shopkeeper and just brought the stuff back and they split the money. We tried to do something nice and ended up feeling like shit.

We continued back towards the town and stopped at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya which is a beautiful building and it harbors a local art museum. We are not much into art so we didn’t go in and instead walked to the old Mumbai University district and checked out the Rajabai Clock Tower and saw people playing cricket in the park nearby.

Not far from there was the Mumbai coastal promenade (Chowpatty Seaface) so we headed there and walked the full length of it further north into the town. Since it was very warm and we needed a break we stopped at a local restaurant that served beer and got two draughts each.

Our last stop that day was the Mani Bhavan, the building where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked. We definitely recommend a visit here to get a glimpse of his life. It’s done very nicely.

We had a snack (leftovers from the airport) in front of Ghadhi’s house and then were on our way back to our hotel. It was a long walk and the city was getting busier and busier. Towards the end, it was hard to follow each other and get through the hoards of people and cars on the streets. We stopped for dinner near our place, bought water for the night, and went to our hotel. The area around still looked like an absolute shitshow even when we already got used to the things here.

We got a shower and went to bed early. We didn’t bring any food in and hoped Susan wouldn’t show up. We were so exhausted that we wouldn’t even know if she did.

Day 3: Beautiful Maharashtra and Harihar Fort

We were up at 5 am because we had a driver scheduled to pick us up at 6 from the hotel.

This is not what we usually do since we try to travel cheaply but we only had 5 days to explore the state of Maharashtra and didn’t know how easy would it be to find transport around in the villages since we don’t speak the language and planned to move every day. Therefore, Clare managed to book a private driver for 5 days for about $250.

Ram picked us up a wee bit after 6 am in his white Suzuki and we were on our way. The start of the drive was surprisingly smooth considering going through Mumbai and we were out of the city in no time. After about 2 hours we stopped for breakfast and Ram went to get CNG.

After we got back on the road, we noticed that Ram was still looking for petrol stations because he actually couldn’t get gas before. We then hit a lot of traffic on one of the hills and turned away from the main road towards the Harihar Fort. Here it started to get worrisome because the car startled a few times and I saw on Mapy that there were no petrol stations nearby and we didn’t even know if he could use petrol and definitely there wouldn’t be any CNG around. In the end, he got 2 plastic bottles with petrol from a local villager and we were able to make it all the way to the Fort. Compared to the main highway and the city, this part of the country seemed so peaceful.

We got our gear ready and split up with Ram in a village called Nigudpada. The first kilometer was through fields and then a steep incline started. The climb ended at a meadow and then it was just a wee bit more up to the Fort. It took us about 45 minutes to get there.

The bottom of the Fort is what makes it so special. To get inside you have to climb about 30 meters of nearly vertical stairs carved into the mountain. We took our time and first had to wait for a group of people to come down. Once you get up the stairs there are more going through a small cave and finishing at the top of the mountain. From there it’s then just a few hundred meters to the highest point of the Harihar Fort. To reach the top some small rock-climbing is required. On the way, you will pass a few sellers and a temple.

There wasn’t anywhere to buy water in the village so come ready. There were then sellers at the top.

None of the trails we have done in India were marked. The paths are usually easy to follow but 100% have offline maps to even find the start.

Even though it’s less than one kilometer from the bottom of the stairs to the peak, it took us almost an hour because we had to wait a lot while climbing the stairs. And I’d say it wasn’t even busy and don’t want to imagine how dangerous the stairs get when there are more people.

We told Ram to expect us back in about 4 hours on the other side of the mountain so we had to get going. The way down was a little bit faster because there were fewer people but we climbed slower. We then took a path to the south that should bring us to the road a few kilometers from the village where we started. At first, the path looked unused and lost to vegetation but later it was easy to follow and we found our driver waiting at the location sitting on the rock.

We then headed to a nearby town of Trimbak to buy beer and then back the way to a village named Koroli where we booked a stay on a local farm. While we were sipping our beer, the caretaker at the form made us villagers veg dinner for 600 rupees. We ate and went to bed around 9 pm.

Day 4: Kalsubai Peak and almost killed by monkeys

It was just after 8 am (and two coffees) and we were on our way towards the Kalsubai Peak, the highest mountain in Maharashtra.  We stopped on the way for dosa for breakfast and to buy water and just before 11 am we were in the village of Bari, just under the peak.

The hike was steep and the start was not easy to find but the locals helped us. We were only passing people as they were coming down and almost everyone told us we were too late, it was too hot, and that they started at 3 am.

The hill is pretty steep and the elevation is about 750 meters from the village but about 45 minutes in we reached a series of metal stairs and ladders that helped to gain the elevation very quickly. After that, it was about another 30-45 minutes up to the top with one more last ladder to the peak. We were told several times that it would take us 2 hours, most likely 3, to reach the top but we made it in 1 hour and 33 minutes.

The views on the way and at the top are amazing because you can see all the peaks around the Bhandardara dam. There is a small temple at the top.

We decided to extend our hike and continued to Sakira Peak which is just beside Kalsubai. The path was less walked and took us about 100 m down and back up. However, when we reached a meadow just below the peak the path disappeared completely. We tried to find a way through the high grass but ended up turning back.

This was also the time that Clare’s blisters on her heels became unbearable and we had to do something about it. We tried different plasters but nothing stayed on for longer than 30 seconds. We ended up fully wrapping Clare’s ankles in bandages and headed back.

The way down was easy but when we climbed down the first ladder there was a family of monkeys and some of them just started fighting. As they fought, they loosened a big piece of rock from the wall above and it flew just by Clare’s head and smashed into a rock next to her! We were pretty sure that a direct hit would kill her!

We continued quickly down and just stopped at a wee stall for a local energy drink made out of freshly squeezed limes, lemons, and salt. We definitely overpaid but it was an old lady so we didn’t mind.

Once we reached the bottom, we met with Ram and drove to a nearby homestay that Clare found. It was the most expensive accommodation we had (2000 rupees pp pn) but it should have come with food. I was a wee bit skeptical because this doesn’t always go well but, damn, was I wrong! Right away we were offered coffee or tea and then snacks before dinner. The snacks itself could almost count for dinner! We got a shower and just chilled on the terrace afterwards enjoying the view of the wheat fields.

Two hours later we got a massive dinner and chatted with the owner Keshav. We learned more about Diwali and that the local area is full of waterfalls but they are only “alive” during the monsoon season (June to September).

Day 5: Ratangad Fort and a leopard’s den

The family at the Bhandardara Hotel had a small praying ceremony with music during the night but nothing that would disturb our sleep.

We got up and got two coffees and potatoes and eggs for breakfast with chapati. The Ratangad Fort wasn’t far from there so we left around 9 am. The hike starts from a place called Ratanwad and the Shree Amruteshwar Temple. You can see the temple nicely from the road so we didn’t pay to go see it up close (also, I was wearing shorts which are usually big nono around temples).

The first 2 km of the hike were flat and followed the river. Again, it wasn’t marked in any way and there were a few intersections but Mapy got us covered. The incline then started when we got closer to the mountain and finished with a set of stairs just below the fort. The last stairs will even take you through the old entrance arch into the Ratangad Fort.

There was a temple on the right side of the ridge and many locals were hiking with us that day to come pray, light incense, and bring offerings because of the upcoming Diwali.

Maybe because it was a sacred place for the locals there was barely any litter on the path which was surprising compared to the other treks (especially Kalsubai...a mountain of trash).

The top of the mountain where the fort used to be is quite extensive so we spent about an hour circling it. There is another arch entrance on the northwest side, a natural arch, and more ruins on the other side of the ridge.

There were a lot of people and everyone wanted a photo or was taking videos of us so instead of staying we headed down. Just 20 minutes below the fort there was an intersection. We saw this on Mapy and decided to use a different path to finish in Koltembe and not use the same path twice (we made this decision already in the hotel so we sent our driver to pick us up from there).

From the start, the trail looked less walked but it was still there so we continued. At one point, we realized that we deviated from the path on Mapy and instead of going back (the smart and rational decision) we decided to go through the dense forest and connect to the right path. To do that we had to cross this small peak and there was even a small path between the trees so we thought we were not the first ones to do that. After about 20 meters, there was already a suspicion in my head that no human could walk through there and that it must have been an animal. When we reached a small plateau there were signs of “beds” in the ground and also a few meters later in the grass at the top of the hill. We couldn’t go any further because the other side was too steep and had to return. That was when Clare found a relatively fresh leopard’s shit on the path (yes, she checked the Google dump catalog to verify it). From that point on, we were talking loudly and tried to make noise because we thought the leopard could be nearby.

We found the path again and continued for maybe one more hour. Our checkpoint was an intersection about halfway through. When we reached the place the trail still continued further up but not down as where we were supposed to go. There was a river wadi that we followed down for about 100 meters but it looked less and less like a trail.

We were on our feet for 4 and a half hours and were pretty busted and needed to make a decision on what to do. I think we did right to turn around and walk back. We had no clue if the path would be there when we got down the wadi and it was still over 6 km to the end. The way back was slightly longer but it was the safe option.

When we reached Ratanwadi, we were hiking for almost 7 hours and were happy to see our car and bought some sodas at a local shop. Ram was originally waiting in Koltembe but we were able to reach him with the help of some other hikers.

We were so happy to get to our hotel and just chill and not worry about food or anything. We got snacks, coffee, and later dinner. I couldn’t walk after how much food we ate and there were still leftovers!

We chatted for a bit with Keshav again and found out that we were supposed to have permission to hike Ratangad but no one asked so all good.

Day 6: Harishchandragad Temple and Kokankada

We wanted to leave for our last hike early because we had at least a two-hour drive ahead of us but got breakfast a little bit later. The reason we wanted to leave early was because on all the websites (and even from people in person) we learned that it takes about 5 hours to just reach the top from the village of Khireshwar.

We set off around 8 am and were at the start of the hike to Harishchandragad in 3 hours. We told Ram that we would be back between 5 and 6 pm and told ourselves that we make it where we make it.

Because it was just before Diwali and we had met so many people on the other trails, we were really surprised that we were on this one alone. But it worked amazingly in our favor because we could focus on the incline and didn’t have to worry about passing people. In the end, we were done with the steep part at the start in 40 minutes, finished with the small more difficult climbing part in another 20, and in under two hours, we were already exploring the Harishchandragad Temple! This was actually the largest ruin we saw during our hikes and it was well taken care of. There were also many carved caves/rooms in the area. One of them, the Kedareshwar Cave, was especially nice with an altar surrounded by water.

It then took us another 20 minutes to reach the cliff and viewpoint of Kokankada which was just breathtaking.

Because of our time, we thought about scaling one of the peaks because they were only about another 100 meters in elevation but the 4 days of hiking in the heat had an effect on us and our legs were like jelly. We made the smart conclusion to turn back since we (rightly) estimated that it would take us longer down than up.

We met a good amount of people at the top but again no one on the way down because most of the people start their hike from a village called Pachnai which is supposed to be a wee bit shorter and less demanding but it’s quite of the main road to/from Mumbai.

We arrived back down close to 3 hours but to even Ram’s surprise before 5 pm. We then headed to our accommodation near the town called Murbad and for a while tried to get a pint in a bar but there wasn’t any. We bought a few bottles for us and Ram close to the town and had them later on a balcony.

We booked our place on Airbnb and it had no reviews so we were a wee bit worried if it was a scam but the communication went well and we found the place easily. What went wrong was the state of the place because it wasn’t very clean. There were stains on the sheets, mold on glasses, and plaster falling off the walls. But to enjoy a beer and sleep it was enough and the AC was working.

There was no restaurant around so I went with Ram back to Murbad and got a takeaway. I guess, white foreigners aren’t too common in this part since I was the attraction of the restaurant/ bar taking photos with everyone and shaking hands. But in return for that, we got possibly the best food we have had so far and quite cheap.

Day 7: Long drive to Mumbai

We read in the morning and I wrote a bit of this “story” before we started packing. We were ready to leave just after 10 am but we found there were coffee satchels and stayed for one.

The distance to Mumbai was only roughly 85 km but road 61 was in a terrible state and the heavy traffic started already in the Kalyan city, about 50 km before the airport.

We stopped for a quick breakfast of Misal (which could only be described as dry Chinese soup and a variety of crackers with sauce) which was surprisingly nice.

The traffic was heavy in Mumbai and Ram took a few different turns to avoid it and to avoid tolls but it caused that he also missed a few of the right turns. Eventually, he got himself into a situation where he had to make an illegal turn (this doesn’t even make sense when you experience all the crazy stuff they do on the road). Even worse, there was a female police officer just there and she was on it! She was giving fines to car after car so we weren’t spared. In the end, Ram paid 200 rupees (less than 3 dollars…what a bargain!) and we were back on our way.

We reached the airport just a wee bit after 3 pm and everything went smoothly after that. We don’t know if it was just for Diwali, but the Mumbai airport looked really nice and clean and everyone was very friendly.

The only downside was that we couldn’t get into the lounge (it still makes me sad). We chose to just get a coffee and waited for the flight.