February 7, 2015

My TripAdvisor Review No.66: Lavasa, Maharashtra.

“A rejuvenating drive from Pune.”

4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 February 2015 NEW
 
We left home (Pune) at 10.30am. We drove via Deccan Gymkhana, Karve Road, Paud flyover, Chandni Chowk, Bhugaon, Pirangut, Temghar dam and then up the ghats till we reached the Lavasa entrance at 1.30pm. On the way we stopped twice for some refreshments, once just after Chandni Chowk to have some sandwiches, and once on the ghats after passing Temghar dam under a shady tree to have tea from our thermos.

The entrance gate of Lavasa is at the top of the ghat and you get a good view of the township and the Warasgaon Lake at the bottom of the valley from here. To reach the township you have to go downhill along Dasve Road for another 8 km. The road is very picturesque with many hairpin bends. Finally you have to turn right when you reach Portofino Street and then you arrive at the ‘Waterfront Shaw’ and the Town Hall. We passed many beautiful villas and apartments along the way, but very few of them seemed to be occupied. Many are still under construction.

'The Waterfront Shaw' is a large complex of apartments, shops, and restaurants. One can take a leisurely walk along the beautiful promenade on the side facing the lake. The buildings are painted in bright hues of red, yellow, brown and peach. On the other side of the lake one can see the buildings housing the International Convention Centre, The Dasvino Town Country Club and the Lavasa Experience Centre. One can visit the Tourist Information Centre next to the Town Hall for more detailed information about the hotels and activities in Lavasa.
We had lunch at one of the restaurants along the promenade and then drove further into the town to explore.

Lavasa is a well laid out Hill Retreat which could give resorts like Lonavla and Khandala a run for their money. However we found that the shady green cover was not adequate along the roads, and it was not as cool and refreshing as Mahabaleshwar or Matheran.

It is still a good getaway option for residents of Mumbai and Pune, especially in the rainy season, when there is a plethora of waterfalls and floating clouds on the verdant hillsides.
The drive from Pune to Lavasa takes about 2 hours out of which 45 minutes goes in just wading out of the city traffic. Once you are past Chandi Chowk it should take about an hour or a little more to reach Lavasa.
Visited February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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