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Karla Reviews

VERY POOR SERVICE
Jun 12, 2017 12:36 PM 4757 Views

Have booked Deluxe cottage for 5 people and guess what, along with us we also have special guests like cockroach, Lizards, Frog and other insects in our cottage. Deluxe room doesn't have TV. Train seats are much better than the SOFA in the living room,


No water facility. rooms are so terrible, and bathrooms have an odour, no cleanness.beds and blankets having unpleasant smell, Overall Out of 10 I will give them -5 point for there service, there staff. For 2 nights I have pay 7.5K but according to value there service, room, staff are not satisfied.


Please don't prefer MTDC pay extra money to hotel because at least they are clean.


Mumbai India
MTDC Karla - away from Lonavala still connected
Oct 26, 2010 03:06 PM 12318 Views

We had been to MTDC Karla on 23rd October 2010 with 8members and booked 3 non ac cottages....half of us reaching from Mumbai and the other from Pune...overall drive to Karla was smooth from expressway (2nd right to Lonavala exit) you reach MTDC after the toll of Rs.23/- in 15mins - the lane ends on MTDC resort and just before the entrance is Balagi tambe herbal hospital.


Indrayani restaurant serves the best Maharashtrian food in a clean restaurant and small play area for the kids makes your life easy and relax as u want a picnic to be.Cottages are clean and more than spacious (2rooms with 4 persons can sleep comfortably) and a verandah to sit out talk and relax.


Site seeing:


Karla caves with ekvira devi mandir (walk of 100 steps on the hill) (do have malai pedas.....ummmm) Bhajaa caves (100steps) opposite to karla caves, Tony Dhaba - 15kms from MTDC Balagi tambe - herbal hospital (next to MTDC resort) (they charge exorbitant, instead ramdeobaba medicies are cheap) Wax museum - charges 100/- per head and has only 15wax idolsThe water park was closed for renovation, but had a boat ride Rs.150 for 4 ppl and saw kingfisher and other birds near the lake.


Overall...a good place for a days picnic.


MTDC Karla
Feb 16, 2010 06:14 PM 11460 Views

I recently visited MTDC Resort in Karla ( 12-15 Feb'10 ) along with my family and it was a wonderful experience. I did had a experience of staying at MTDC Resort earlier at Mahabaleshwar and so was very well aware of what to expect from MTDC Resort. One can really enjoy their stay @ MTDC if they decide not to compare it with any other private hotel or resort as MTDC do not have facilities like prompt service , room service for food , rooms with all latest amenities etc.


All MTDC resorts are located at best place available in that particular territory and MTDC Karla was no exception to it. Resort is spread across a huge area and has thick greenery surrounding the entire place.


It offers options of different room types and we booked special suite which had two separate rooms and a common hall. It was almost like a tiny bungalow with all greenery around.Resort has a Indrayani river passing through it and has a boat club and a water resort inside.


One can book online maharashtratourism.gov.in/ Booking well before 15 days is recommended if you are planning to visit on weekends as it is houseful almost on every weekend.


Getting there - From Mumbai place is around 100 km and very well connected through expressway. It took us 2 hours to reach place from thane in our private car. While coming from Mumbai make sure you are taking second exit and not the first one for Lonavala.


Food - MTDC Restaurant is decent for Veg meals. If one is Non veg fan then u must visit Toni Da Dhaba some 12 kms from MTDC towards pune on old highway n do try Roti ki tokri there.


Stay - In rooms , do carry additional mosquito mats. TV is there but reception quality is poor but TV watching should not be a priority at place like karla.


Overall a wonderful refreshing break from hectic city life at a very reasonable cost !!


YOUR RATING ON

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MTDC Karla
Apr 07, 2009 12:28 PM 12611 Views

I have recently visited MTDC Karla(14-15 June 2008). We have booked three Garden AC Rooms, well the atmosphere was so plesent that we never actually started the AC.


The rooms were clean & neat to an extent, towels & other toilet accessories were provided and every day room cleaning was very prompt.


The parking nearby rooms is also renewed with cyment blocks and hence gives  much better feel.


I aware of the food quality(Tried myself a year back and decided not to dare next time) and hence we searched a place to eat nearby and the best thing is a Dhaba(Sheetel's Dhaba) is just outside the MTDC(Towards Lonawala - Main Road, just a two minutes drive, wakable distance but being mainroad, prefer not to).


The food quality there was very good and it also serves all drinks:-), the cost was also in limits, so our food problem was solved completely.


The only problem at MTDC Karla is solved by SHEETAL'S DHABA Outside.


Well about the staff, they are bit clumsy but if delt properly(not necessary that by giving money), but if you know Marathi then few sweet words and they talk properly, but that doesn't mean they serve better, but you get a decent talk.


mumbai India
Calm and Quiet
Apr 02, 2009 12:34 AM 8684 Views

Just returned from MTDC Karla. Some descriptions.


About the hotel


The MTDC Karla is has a very large area with beautiful trees surrounding it.


The place is lovely and peaceful if you are looking for quiet and romantic place you can go there.It was quiet cool in the morning even during this season.There was no noise in the morning except the chirping of the birds and squirrels. Very quiet place away from noise pollution.


The reception area was good and my checking was quick.


The hotel is not maintained well but It has got lots of trees and plants.


The resort has a good Water Park(Entry Fees : Rs100 Per adult).


There is also boating on the Indrayani river which costs Rs 150 for 4 people.


The hotel also has a Ayurved/Spa center AYUR BLISS.


Overall the hotel area was very beautiful.


The room


We stayed in the A/C Garden room which had TV, cupboard, chairs and a double bed.The Bathroom was also very large.


One thing I must say that the Garden rooms are as good as cottage rooms just that they are located a bit away from the reception.


The pattern is Special suites are near to restaurant and reception, then comes the Non A/C garden rooms then the A/C garden rooms.The Deluxe rooms are placed on the otherside and have a different road which leads to them.1 thing to keep in mind the Group accommodation is just behind the Non A/C garden rooms so one need to check if any large group has booked it or else the stereo or the music noise can ruin one’s sleep.


I must say I was lucky I didn’t get the Special suites or the Deluxe rooms couse there was a party at the hotel restaurant where in the noise continued till late night.Since I was at the A/C garden rooms it was pin drop silent there.


The restaurant


The resort has a restaurant called Indrayani which was looking clean


Food


The restaurant serves Veg/Non veg food.I have seen the review of people telling about the quality of the food but to my surprise the food was good at all times.The rate card was also ok not much expensive.I check about the Bar but the staff informed me that they don’t server liquors anymore.


Final verdict


Its good for family .For couples its a romantic place and very near to Ekvira temple.


Do remember these points which will help u a bit :


There is no room service you can only get the tea in the morning at your room.You can also parcel the food and have it in your room they also provide the plastic paper places and spoons.


If you are coming from Mumbai via Mumbai Pune express way don't take the First Lonavala exit but take the Second Lonavala exit .The exit itself is called Lonavala/Karla exit.Once you leave the express way from this exit it will directly link you to Old mumbai pune road and From here u will reach MTDC Karla in no time.


The ekvira temple is near to MTDC karla wherin the vehicles(Cars /Bikes) can reach to the top but do remember that there are still 150 Stairs to walk to the temple.So think twice if you have an elderly person with you.


Beautiful Karla
Aug 18, 2008 01:37 PM 7149 Views

\It was my birthday and we decided to go to some place which was near to Mumbai so that we don’t get exhausted in the traveling. It hardly took us any time to zero in on karla. I had already been to Lonavala once and the experience was wonderful. But I did not want to stay at the hotels inside the town because they were too noisy. I wanted to just relax and chill out in a silent place far away from all the hustle-bustle. MTDC karla was a wonderful option for that.


As usual I went through all the reviews of that place on MS, and was rather disappointed to see the negative reviews of that place. Everyone had said something or the other was bad. But I still insisted to go with it, because my previous experiences of staying in MTDC resorts were great.


We started off from Vashi on Friday, 6th of June. It was already evening, because we were coming directly from office. We did not have a private vehicle. We caught a normal roadways bus. We reached Lonavala bus stop in almost 2 hours, because there was the Friday traffic. It was drizzling when we got down and the weather was perfect for a weekend at lonavala. It was almost 8.30 pm, and we did not know the way to karla, so we took an auto from the lonavala bus stop, who charged us 100 bucks. It sounds a bit too much, but considering the time and distance we did not worry much about it. It was dark outside so we could hardly see the scenery around us. We reached the premises of the MTDC resort in about 20 minutes.


I could not make out much of the campus but still it appeared big enough to satisfy us. We paid Rs 200 as deposit money which was returned to us on checking out. We had booked a non ac cottage which was 2000 rs for two nights. A person led us to our cottage. Old british styled cottages and rooms were dotted through the whole campus. And the most important thing was the presence of a lot of greenery all around. There were huge trees, bushes and all sorts of flowering plant every where, there was even a park for children to play. I was already feeling good about choosing the place. We reached our cottage which was on the farthest end of the campus. The cottage looked good from outside. But the moment the person opened the door and turned on the lights, we saw a small rat sitting on the sofa. We shrieked and the rat vanished somewhere. It took the house keeping staff 5 minutes to drive the rodent out.  We double checked all the windows and doors for any probable entry points for these rodents. But the house keeping staff assured us there were none. This was the only incident that occurred to us during the stay. The rooms were very spacious and the master bed was very good. They had clean sheets on the bed but as a rule I always ask to change it to a new set. The bathrooms were big and clean. It had geysers too. There were two rooms in total one master bedroom with a large bed which could easily accommodate 3 medium sized people and one single bed in the tv room, with sofas and table. I liked the whole arrangement very much. There were two cute little balconies on either side of the room. We freshened up quickly and went for dinner. The menu didn’t offer us much, especially for the veg people. Food was ok. But since there is no other restaurant nearby, you don’t have an option. People have complained about the distance of the rooms from the restaurant, but I did not mind. We chatted all along the way and loved walking.


The fist thing we did next day was to check out the water rides offered in the campus. There is a beautiful river running on the side of the campus. There are speedboats and water scooters. Charge for a boat is 140. We got into a boat and enjoyed the water ride too much. Far away we could see velvet clouds on mountain tops. We stood with our hands stretched out while the boat cut through the waters and felt truly like the king of the world. Local villagers on the banks waved us back.  There were also  camel rides for the kids in the campus. After the boat ride, we booked a cab from the reception and set off for karla caves. It was a long long climb, but there are refreshment stands all along the way so no need to worry. We paid the entry tax, which was 5 rs something, but they charge 100 bucks for foreigners. Karla almost looks like a depleted form of the ajanta ellora. Nothing much inside the caves. There is a dark stinking staircase which leads all the way to the top. But apart from the view of the whole valley, there is nothing much after climbing. Karla is the site of the largest Chaitya Caves (shrines) in India, built in 80 BC. We visited the temple and took some pics of the valley from here. After this we moved on to Lonavala. We checked out the several points here, bhushi dam, kandala point etc. I liked khandala point very much because of the panoramic view of the valley from here. The beautiful Bombay pune highway is also seen from here.


We returned back to the resort in the evening after a fun filled day. It was drizzling and we enjoyed a stroll through the campus. We explored every nook and corner and took pics. It was like getting lost amidst nowhere. The pebbled walks and the flora and fauna were really rejuvenating. There is also an ayurvedic centre in the campus which offered massages but we did not have time to check it out. That night we simply curled inside the quilt and watched tv while it rained outside.


We returned on Sunday, following the same route- auto to lonavala station and ST bus from there.


Karla is a wonderful place to choose if you wish to spend some quite moments with your friends and loved ones away from the hue and cry of the city life. The MTDC resort offers a good and clean campus, only the condition of the room are not exactly that of a five star, but one can compromise this much when it offers all the peace and solitude you can ever ask for. Thus you can see guys, my experience was quite good, it may all depend on the time you choose to visit karla. Avoid public holidays, because it is too crowded then. I was so fascinated by the place that I wish to go theer again and again. Infact I am planning to go there druring the last week of this month. Hope you too enjoy your stay there. Ciao!


P.S:  I have forgotten the karla MTDC number , but the main regional office contact numbers are :


TEL: +91 22 2202 4482/ 4522 / 4584 and **+91 22 2202 6713 / 7762 / 4627


E-mail: webmaster@maharashtratourism.gov.in


Website: https://maharashtratourism.gov.in


it is advisable that you book your rooms prior to your travel through online booking, because Karla is almost packed on all weekends.



Mumbai India
Nice place but bad resort
Aug 18, 2008 11:31 AM 6571 Views

I went to karla with my wife, 8 month kid and my wife’s parents on this long independence weekend. The mood got dampened at the expressway toll as we got caught in a traffic jam for about 45 minutes  as I guess everyone was going on a holiday to enjoy the weekend. Took a decision that in future its better to take a one day leave and travel rather than on a holiday.


Took the 2nd exit to lonavala from the expressway and then took the old mumbai-pine highway and we reached MTDC resort. There is  a toll from lonavala to karla(Rs. 23 for single journey and Rs. 35 for a pass for 12 hours for any number of times). The person at the toll was good and without inquiring gave us the directions to reach karla.


We made the mistake of going to lanavala on the first day and again got caught in a big traffic jam which was so irritating when you are on holiday. So I decide that on 2nd day I wont go to lanavala but enjoy the sights towards pune.


We went to bhaja caves which had  a wonderful waterfall at the base in which few people were taking a bath. We didnt go to the caves as there were lots of steps which we would have to climb to reach there.


We also went to karla caves again tll the base and didnt climb the stairs. The view from there is  also very good. We tried going to pauna dam(near kamshet) but since it got late I didnt want to ake  a chance in monsoon on ghats and so turned around and went back to the resort.


We stayed at MTDC holiday resort karla -the deluxe cottage(non-ac).  3600 for 2 nights for 4 persons and 10% luxury tax. The water park and baoating was closed on account of monsoon but the river which flows through the resort is very nice and scenic. There was greenery all around the place. Even if you are not staying there, you are allowed to explore the water park and boating.


The first sight of MTDC room and and I was impresed with the size as it consisted of one huge hall with a balcony, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms(both with english style toilets but no jetty). There as also one more small balcony at the entrance. Also, the tv had all channels and there was a generator in the resort to take care of power failures.


I will let you know the things we didnt like:


1) There was no flush handle in one of the toilets which was replaced after we called house-keeping.


2) One of the taps was not working which was again repaired when we called housekeeping.


3) The pillow covers and the mattresses were dirty with small bits of hair all over them as if someone has used them after having a hair cut. They also were replaced after we called housekeeping.


4) Food was bad and the problem was with no other restaurants nearby you are forced to eat in the hotel restaurant.


5) There were ants all over the room.


6) There were some lamps etc in the room which when you looked at them you could see that they had never been cleaned.


7) On the 2nd day, the water which came from the taps was dirty(of light brown clour).


8) For 15 minutes on the 2nd night there was no power despite the resort having a generator.


The good points:


1) The toilets and bathrooms were clean.


2) The room was huge.


3) There was greenery all around.


4) The river flowing through the resort.


The only thought which came again and again to us was how we wish they maintained such a beautiful place which was totally ruined because of poor maintenance.


Nowadays lonavala and places around have lots of youngsters who come and then play loud music till late in the night and dance. I am ok with them enjoying but I guess 12 should be the limit. We had people in the surrounding room who played loud music till 4 in the morning. For me, that spoils the charm of  a hill station.


I had selected MTDC as otherplaces had hiked their prices very much for the long weekend. I wish someone from MTDC reads this review and takes appropriate action to revive such a wonderful resort.


KARLA-SHORT & SWEET
Sep 24, 2006 07:05 PM 8381 Views

This trip was weekend getaway type, short and sweet. Though it was planned, time was a little short cause I had to meet other deadlines.


Left home at 06:45(Pune) and after a halt of 15 minutes at the fueling station we were on our way to Karla Mtdc where I had my booking. Decided to take a different route rather than the obvious Pune-Mumbai Highway via Pimpri & Chinchwad or for that matter the Expressway. After leaving from home i.e Kondhwa we took Tilak road via Swargate and then onto F.C. road. We hit university circle in no time and then onto Baner road, here I faced a little bit of a rough patch cause of the flyover work.


Carried on this road through all the bends onto Dehu Road which hits the Katraj-Mumbai bypass, took a right here and got onto the three lane bypass. Super stretch of road, with a light shower on the windscreen, and ‘raindrops keep falling on my heads’ by B.J. thomas playing at full blast. We sang along till we hit the expressway turn, decided not to take the expressway and carried onto hit the pune-mumbai highway, just before Talegaon. Here you have to take a left and the good part of this bypass is that it clears you of all the trucks and early morning traffic if you go via Pimpri & Chinchwad.


The drive from home to the pune-mumbai highway via this bypass was 35 km on the speedo. We then carried on this newly done up road via Talegaon, Kamshet onto Karla.


Slow down one you reach Karla cause the Mtdc tuning comes up all of a sudden to your left, 65km on the speedo at this point. Clock said 08:15. beautiful drive and whats more important short and sweet. Overcast and the showers made it worthwhile.


We checked into the Mtdc, room # 38, right at the remote end, but loved the peace and quiet. Deposit of 200 which is refundable and 30 bucks tax. We had taken the cottage non a/c room which came for 750 per night sans meals. I liked the budget garden non a/c rooms as well for 600 a night for my future trips.


The rooms were cozy and neat, had two rooms and two balconies, bathrooms were neat. Well protected from mosquitoes by netting. Buildings were dilapidated but interiors were in good condition. Bedroom had a cupboard, dressing table and a large bed, 3 can easily fit. The drawing room had an extra bed and a sofa with peck tables and cable tv, so the kids were taken care of. We were famished so immediately drove down to the restaurant Indrani and had aanda bhurjee and paratha. Reasonably priced considering no other choice nearby. Only don’t order their toast butter, which comes for 40 bucks. Their curries are reasonable, mutton/chicken curries are about 60-65.


While you are there you could try out the dhabas in and around the highway, not bad.


Lonavala is about 7 km away where you can pick up your supply of chikkis and chocolate fudge. Don’t pick up from anyone other than the original Maganlal’s outlet on the otherside of the station, they have no branches. The chocolate fudges are the best and all the shops around the highway are fakes and make chocolate barfis.


While at lonavala drive down to Ins Shivaji and Tiger point, early morning to see the fog and then the sheer drop. Have a budget lunch at Kamat, south Indian snacks etc.


Don’t forget Bushi Dam towards the afternoon, there should be enough light, avoid this place in the late afternoons as it invariable gets late and then its dangerous.


On the last day I backtracked from MTDC towards pune and about 2 km away is the turning for Karla and Bhaja caves. Both similar and you need to drive another 2km before you hit the steps on foot. The carvings are beautiful though the place need to be better maintained. Bhaja is a better bet and the carvings are easily photographed.


Last afternoon was reserved for relaxing and so we headed for the waterpark at the MTDC itself. Small and nice, 100 per head and the kids had a ball but don’t forget to take along your costumes.


ONE LAST THING YOU MUST HAVE YOUR OWN VEHICLE HERE CAUSE THE MTDC RESORT IS PRETTY BIG AND WALKING AROUND CAN BE TIRING.


MTDC Karla
Aug 08, 2006 08:14 PM 7592 Views

We travelled to MTDC Karla on 5th August 2006 and stayed for 2 days. It was raining heavily. The resort is green and quiet and spread over a very wide area with individual cottages. We stayed in 3 3-bed cottages. The rooms were clean and well maintained. Each cottage had a bedroom with 2 beds, and an additional bed in the living room with TV and a veranda outside. The bathroom was spacious and clean, with hot and cold water. Room service was average. The resort has a restaurant called Indrayani Restaurant which serves standard fare. We had a vehicle, so travelling around was not a problem. One must see the Lohagad Fort, the Bhaja caves and the Karla temple and caves. There were multitudes of waterfalls all along the way. It was nature at the peak of its beauty.


The service at MTDC Karla is okay. If one expects a clean cottage and simple food, away from the madding crowds on a low budget, then the place is perfect


Mumbai India
Nice Place But Horrible Resort (MTDC)
Jul 30, 2006 04:52 PM 14332 Views

We stayed at the MTDC Resort. It is a wonder how we survived the place without getting into a fight with the staff! The resort is built over a huge area and to say that it is ill-maintained would be an under-statement. The staff have a massive attitude problem and behave like govt babus. I will simply list out my cribs: 1. the cottage was far far away from the reception/ restaurant and accessing it through the dirt and weeds was really difficult, 2. there is no room service, 3. although we had a suite meant for 3 where 1 of us could sleep in the bed in the living room, the reception curtly told us that one suite can have only one mosquito repellant machine; the fact that the place is full of mosquitoes was not their problem, 4. the restaurant waiters behave like they are doing a favour to you; there are very few items available and that too is served with attitude after a long delay and tastes horrible, 5. there is a permit room but they charged twice the MRP (which is illegal), 6. there is a nice river flowing adjacent to the resort but the approach route to it is a nightmare, 7. there are no eateries or shops nearby, the place is in the middle of nowhere, so if u need some food or medicines, then you are in trouble, 8. the intercom in our room was out of order and even though we stayed for 3 days (they take the full money in advance, so we were trapped!) and complained everyday, they didn't do anything; as a result we had to trek to the reception/ restaurant each time we needed something, 9. we saw dead rats and disposed wastes lying scattered all over without being cleaned up, 10. they claimed that all rooms are full and booked 7 days in advance (as a result we couldn't get a room for a friend even in advance) but we saw that most of the rooms were lying locked up; so there's definitely something funny going on there. Overall we had a terrible experience and were left wondering whether MTDC officials are even aware what is going on in this place? A place with great potential is being destroyed by the rude and lazy staff. The place is an insult to the usual professionalism found in Maharashtra. My advice is, don't stay at MTDC Resort. If you must visit Karla, stay in one of the private places like Neel resorts or Treasure island (both near MTDC) to have an enjoyable stay. Visit the Karla caves which is a lovely place, especially during the monsoons. Other tips: you can reach here by road either from Pune or Mumbai (it falls on the old Mumbai-Pune highway, just after Lonavala if you are coming from Mumbai). You can make a one-day trip to Khandala/ Lonavala and another day trip to Karla caves. If you have your own car, then great. Otherwise, autorickshaw charges you Rs. 400 for Khandala/ Lonavala trip (Indica charges Rs. 800) and Rs. 200 for Karla caves.


Mumbai India
Resort Location-Fantastic, Service-Pathetic
Jun 19, 2006 03:37 PM 7567 Views

A trip to Karla along with my wife and 2 kids was primarily for getting some peace of mind after a hectic work schedule at Mumbai.


Took a train (Deccan Express) to Lonavla and for there hired an auto rickshaw to the Karla MTDC resort (Rs 80). The place is around 10 km from the station.


We had booked a Cottage Room A/C (Rs.900) from the Mumbai MTDC office at Dadar (Tel: 2414 3200)


The rooms are clean and good with a few small insects here and there.


While we had travelled during June and expected some rain, the rains gods let us down.


The best time to visit this place would be Jul and Aug when the rains are at their peak.


What I liked was the fantastic location of this place, which has greenery all around along with lots of clean air. You wake up to the mornings with sounds of chirping birds. Absolutely breathtaking.


The bad part is the service. There is no room service and the cottages are far from the restaurant.


They did not even serve milk in my room for my 1 yr old daughter...


The restaurant is thoroughly understaffed and very badly managed.


When I complained to the manager about the service, he said this was natural on Sat and Sundays.


The resort is also managed like a pucca sarkari place with the staff least bothered about you.


Once for lunch we had to wait for 1.5 hrs for someone to even ask us for water since the tourism minister had visited the resort and all the staff was serving him.


Overall, the food is tolerable.


The water park is lousy with just 2 rides. Do not go into the water if there is no power as the water is full of insects and mud. The wave pool is good.


Price : Rs 100 extra (not included in the room tariff)


Also, there are 5 hr power cuts everyday and the generator is switched on only at night.


Positives


Excellent location


Lake for boating (the view is good, boating not allowed during rainy season)


Negatives


Pathetic service


Power cuts


Attitude of staff


Tips


If you do visit this place , carry lots of eatables, milk (if you have kids).


Good for people who have their own vehicles as they can go out and eat.


Carry your own towels


Take a room close to the reception


Relax and refresh - No Frills attached
Jun 14, 2006 11:13 PM 9687 Views

Whenever we think of a weekend getaway, the picture we see is that of an exciting location with lots of fun filled activities to do, places to go, sites to adore and huge expenses. In contrast to all this, stands the pretty decent location of ‘Karla’. ‘Karla’ is a rarely noticed place near the popular hill station ‘Lonavala’, and hence a few reviews. Unlike any other hill station this place does not boast of breath taking scenery or any thing extra ordinary, but is just a simple and ideal destination to relax and refresh yourself, and yes, within a small budget. Karla is situated at a short distance from Mumbai City and is less crowded as compared to its neighboring destinations viz. Lonavala and Khandala. The trip would ideally be for 2 days, leaving Saturday early morning and getting you back by Sunday late night. The best time to visit the place would probably be the month of July, when the rains are in their regular form, trees have fresh green leaves all over them and one would rather than doing any thing extra ordinary, just enjoy getting wet in the cold rains, then getting back to your cozy rooms have a hot shower and just sit back and relax. Overall the trip would mainly consist of eating, drinking, a little bit of site-seeing, morning and evening walks, some less tiring games and lots and lots of rest.


Karla is about 12 kms. from Lonavala, getting there would take you anywhere between 2 3/4 – 3 1/2 hrs. (i.e. provided the trains are running on time and as per schedule.) from Mumbai. One could hire a vehicle and get going to the place, but since we are talking about a budget getaway it would be better stick to our not so reliable but reasonable public transport, besides you wouldn’t much feel the need of a vehicle as there are a few spots to be visited, and which can be done by the local mode of transport – The Autorickshaw. Thus the best route to get there would be to board a train to Lonavala (Say Indrayani Express, Inter-City Express that leaves Mumbai early morning between 5.30 – 6.00 am and gets you to Lonavala between 8.30 – 9.00 am.) and from there you could get a State Transport Bus or more preferably an autorickshaw to Karla. Travelling to and fro this destination by the suggested train and rickshaw would not go beyond Rs. 150/- per head.


There are not many accommodation options out there like in Lonavala and Khandala, however there are a few resorts, and yes the suggested MTDC-Karla. The MTDC-Karla is spread over a vast area with a variety of accommodation option like a Standard room, Garden Room (AC/Non AC), Cottages (AC/Non AC), Suite, Deluxe Suite etc. and a Conference Room. Like any MTDC the room are well maintained, clean and reasonably priced, with cost ranging from Rs. 500/- per day for 2 persons for a Standard Room to Rs. 1900/- per day for an Executive Cottage AC which accommodates 4 persons (Rates differ on seasonal basis).


No sooner you enter the vicinity of the resort you are greeted with the pleasant atmosphere, tree filled surroundings and pin drop silence. The thing that impressed me the most is the silence, in the city you have such a lot of sound and vibrations your mind is never let to relax, as against which the amazingly silent and peaceful surroundings at Karla just lets every single part of your body relax. Once you have checked in your accommodation you could spend the rest of the day and the next day just resting with a little outing here and there within the resort area or with sufficient rest and go to a few sites. Karla is the site of the largest Chaitya Caves (shrines) in India, built in 80 BC. amongst the best-preserved Buddhist temples in India, they represent the zenith, in terms of design purity, of this style of temple architecture. About 3 kms from the main road is the more peaceful setting of the Bhaja Caves. Though to date from around 200 BC, 10 of the 18 Caves here are viharas (monasteries) while Cave 12 is an open chaitya earlier than Karla. Amongst other places that could be visited is Dukes Point and the Lohagad Fort that is of some interests for trekker is at some distance aprox 15 kms. from here.


The MTDC-Karla also boasts of a small lake within its vicinity, which provides with boating facilities and also a small water park. The resort also has a substantially big garden right in the middle, crowded with trees and equipped with not very plush but simple and traditional slides, see-saws and swings. An advice would be just switch off your gadgets and enjoy the feeling of being some what disconnected with your daily life and feel the peace and purity of nature around you. There is almost no other place to eat other than the restaurant of the resort, which provides you with basic food no frills attached.


Have a good nights sleep wake up lazily late, again spend your day the way it suits you the most, then pack your bags and be ready to get back to your dwelling place. You could leave evening say between 6.00 – 7.00 pm. depending on the train timings from Lonavala, all set to crash home by night. Alternatively, if you could manage so, one could spend the Sunday night as well at Karla and head off early Monday morning back to Mumbai straight to your office, it could be done, people do travel between Mumbai – Pune for work on a daily basis.


(Information in bold has been collected courtesy https://maharashtratourism.gov.in)


Karla Delights - weekend break
Apr 24, 2004 05:05 PM 13884 Views

It was Sept/2003 we decided to go out for a weekend to be by ourselves. And our loyal Zen (Need to review Zen sometime) flew us thru the Expressway -what an experience it is ...


Karla is just a few kms from Lonavala - we had our bookings at MTDC Karla Resort. This resort is spread over quite a large area and apart from the usual restaurant, garden etc has close to 50 cottages, a small water park, lots of greenery & trees and the Indrayani river flows touching the boundaries of the resort.


The cottage we had was quite inside the compound and very peaceful. The cottage was very neat and had 2 rooms, a Bedroom and a small drawing room which had a sofa, TV and a divan in it apart from a small table and couple of chairs. All the cottages have a small porch/balcony in front - where u can sit and relax over a cup of tea, sipping in the fresh natural breeze which caresses every now and then. All this for appx 900 bucks - need you ask more !!!


The food at this resort is decent or let me put it this way - u better like it or stay hungry as the resort is quite secluded. Suggest you also carry some fruits and snacks before you check in.


Woke upto birds chirping after the most pleasant sleep.... We decided to go to where else but Karla caves which are close by. More details of caves available at https://indiatravelite.com/feature/goamonsoonmagice.htm


The climb/drive is steep for going to the caves and the caves itself are a surprise considering the location. I feel all historical sites in India can be definitely better managed. The main cave stinks but is worth a look, though the entrance to the grand cave has been spoilt by a new temple. The arched wooden roof at the entrance has survived despite it being close to 2000 years old !!!


Also the huge pillar is amazing - You can still see/touch the pali writing on the several pillars. One can feel the carved pillars & actually imagine the monks who must have created them some 2000 years back - their residences are close by a few meters away, their rooms, windows .... the view from this place is excellent. There are some small pools in inner caves..which kind of give a mysterious look to these caves.


Back to present times we decided to drive to Valvan Dam, the road passes thru several small villages winding up and down. The dam is huge with a large water body but no crowds and very peaceful - it is offlimits to tourists. We decided to take the back road to Lonavala which passes thru dense woods.


This journey was one of the most beautiful ones I have had in my life - lots of dense trees, huge rocks and hardly any car passed by during our 45 minutes drive. We stopped our car at several places to feel the small waterfalls and sometimes to feel the silence ...this silence cannot be explained and felt in our cities. Some of these areas were very dark n cool and had small pools of cold water - all in all I would most certainly drive by this forgotten road again.


The next day morning we explored the resort, saw a few snakes and checked out the thin flowing river - they have boating here post- monsoons. Post-lunch we were ready to go home ...via the express flyway.


I highly recommend this short weekend break, if you have your personal vehicle - the whole trip is very economical.


Next travel review on Sydney, Australia sometime next week.


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