Malshej Ghat | How to Reach This One Day Destination From Mumbai?

Malshej Ghat |  How to Reach This One Day Destination From Mumbai?

About Malshej Ghat

Malshej Ghat is the highest motorable mountain pass being situated in the range of Western Ghat of the Sahyadri terrain. The Ghat is located at a distance of 85 km from the Kalyan- Ahmadnagar road of Maharashtra, India. Shimmering waterfalls in monsoon, Foggy weather, and the curvy road is the peculiarities of the Malshej Ghat. Though it is known for a monsoon road trip, it is also famous for its cooling climate like Mahabaleshwar. Malshej Ghat is a perfect one-day destination near Mumbai and Pune. It is not only the tourist spot; it is also the connectivity to Ahmadnagar district from Mumbai, Thane, and the Kalyan region. A site is also a place for flora and fauna along with colorful birds. The height of the Malshej Ghat is 700 m above sea level.

How to Reach Malshej Ghat

Malshej Ghat is on Kalyan- Ahmadnagar road near Mumbai, Pune. The nearest airport is Mumbai and Pune. It is further 140 km from Mumbai and 126 km from Pune.

By Road

Malshej has very good road connectivity from Mumbai and Pune. From Mumbai, the road goes from Mumbai-Thane-Kalyan-Murbad-Malshej Ghat, and from Pune, the route is Pune-Chakan-Peth-Manchar-Junnar and then to Malshej Ghat. State transport buses are available from Kalyan to Ahmadnagar. The state bus station is right next to Kalyan railway station, you can catch any bus going towards Ahmadnagar. You will get a bus every half an hour to reach here.

By Train

Kalyan is the nearest railhead to reach the Malshej Ghat. From here one can take local transportation to reach Malshej.

One who loves bike ride, it is an ideal option to reach. The roads from Murbad to Malshej have very scenic beauty and it’s a dream of every biker. It is like a dream come true for bikers. 

My Experience of Malshej Ghat Trip

This all started one day when my friend suddenly called me up and was discussing the necessity to be away from the pandemic world. We started scrolling the mobile to search the place free of covid and with the minimum crowd. Malshej Ghat was the place that strikes immediately, and as decided we made a plan to explore this hidden gem of the Sahyadri. This is one of those places where I along with my wife and my friend traveled by his four-wheeler. I normally prefer to ride on my bike, but my friend forced me as he wanted to explore the beauty of the Malshej.

The distance to Malshej was not less than 140 km for me, so we started around 9 am in morning from Mumbai. The initial 50 km ride was a kind of body massage for all of us. People from Mumbai, Kalyan might have got the idea about the road condition from Mumbai to Kalyan and further to Kalyan to Murbad. Adventure comes after a long struggle right? Murbad to Malshej drive was more adventurous than what we suffered from Kalyan to Murbad.

THIS IS THE GHAT ROAD TO DRIVE TILL THE TOP

The route from Murbad- Malshej was so stunning to drive; it passes through the forest area. One can spot a long pinnacle standing on the right side while driving from Murbad to Malshej, this is nonetheless than Bhairavgad Fort. The open road with dense forest along with your favorite song and your loved person is sometimes all the therapy you need.

LAST VIEWPOINT AT MALSHEJ GHAT ON WEEKEND

Malshej Ghat is one such place having the most numbers of shimmering waterfalls on the roadside. This is one of those places where small children along with their family can enjoy the moments. As I mentioned curvy roads are the peculiarities of the Malshej Ghat, it is also on the list of the most dangerous ghat to drive. Many lives have been lost here. One needs to be careful while driving on this road, one mistake and you are down in the valley, so better to go take some basic information about the place before you arrive. Going ahead road becomes more beautiful with sceneries. Nowadays railing has been installed at most of the viewpoints in the ghat for safety purposes and this viewpoint has developed recently to take the tourism to next level. There is enough space on the roadside for vehicle parking. This is the road that connects further to Ahmadnagar and Pune district, people going towards it take a halt at this location to refresh them with the beauty of nature. The beauty and peace of Malshej Ghat cannot be expressed without actually visiting this place.

Malshej Ghat is known for its innumerable waterfalls as well as trekker’s paradise. There are so many treks like Nane ghat, Harishchandragad, and Ghatghar that’s start from this location. Malshej Ghat is entirely covered in dense fog during monsoon time with low visibility. It also has small caves along with the temple of Shiv and Ganesh where ghat ends, besides that there is one waterfall which is a special waterfall for car washing; yes you heard me right, Malshej has one point which is known as Car wash waterfall. When you drive through the ghat, you find this place at the end and near to Ganesh temple where people stop their car for a second in the middle of the road and waterfalls water washed the entire car. Moving ahead there is the single tunnel where you pass and this tunnel opens to another and must-visit viewpoint of this location.

HARISHCHANDRAGAD STANDING BEHIND THE VIEWPOINT

Some railings have been installed for safety purposes. This viewpoint has developed in such a way where people can sit and relax for a long time. This viewpoint provides picturesque views of the surrounding mountains. This is the last viewpoint of the Malshej Ghat and you can take a long photogenic break to capture the surrounding mountain in your lenses. You can find countless stalls of food sellers that offer Corn, Maggy, Tea, and some snacks at reasonable rates. 

ONE CAN ENJOY THE SWEET CORN AND HOT MAGGY WITH THE WATERFALL VIEW

Malshej Ghat road is 12 km starting from Sawarne village and ends at the MTDC resort at the end of the ghat. The arrangements for stay are made in this valley-facing resort. Hundreds of tourists visit here in the weekend time. An online booking option is available to book this resort for your stay. For us, it was one day trip so we thought not to stay and return home on the same day.

The Ghat was constructed for transportation purposes and became a tourist destination. It looks so beautiful when shimmering waterfalls pour a massive amount of water on the road especially during monsoon time. The place is very astonishing; one should definitely include it in the bucket list. 

Must-Visit Place in Malshej Ghat

Pimpalgaon Joga Dam

One of the exquisite beauties of the Malshej Ghat is Joga Dam. It is located at a distance of 2 km from the Malshej MTDC resort. One has to take left from the Khubi Phata near Malshej to reach this destination. You can enjoy driving with the view of Joga Lake on the right side. The lake resides in the Pimpalgaon village so it is called Pimpalgaon Joga Lake. You can witness typically hidden gems of the local village of Maharashtra. While visiting Malshej, you must visit this place without fail. The charms of this place cannot be captured but you can only feel them. It was a wonderful one-day trip for me.

DRIVING TO PIMPALGAON ROAD ALONG WITH THE VIEW OF JOGA DAM

JOGA LAKE VIEWPOINT WITH HARISHCHANDRAGAD

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Ideal Time to Visit Malshej Ghat

No doubt Malshej can be visited throughout the season. Travelers who travel to Ahmadganar or Pune take a halt to explore Malshej Ghat on the way.

Monsoon is the ideal time to visit Malshej Ghat. You witness countless waterfalls while driving throughout this trail. You can stay at MTDC resort here. One who loves to be wet through the day, this is the ideal place to visit.

The best time to visit is October to March to enjoy a breathless view of Dams, Fort, and other sightseeing surrounding the ghat. This is one of the seasons for camping lovers who loves to explore lakeside camping with bonfires. The temperature in this season sometimes falls to below 15 degrees. You can also witness many trekkers trekking to the Harishchandra fort.

Summer is the season with fewer footfalls to the forts around Malshej. For one who wants to take a break from the hot and humid climate, it is an ideal place to stay. The stay can be done at MTDC base resort for some peace and chilled climate. 

Where to Stay While Visiting Malshej Ghat?

There are holiday resorts available at the start of the Malshej Ghat. The booking can be done online along with the food. MTDC resort at the top of Malshej also offers a stay to the visitors. The prices also vary as per economic room to deluxe room. There is a very fewer number of stay option in Malshej. Otherwise, you need to drive 30 km further for your stay. 

Things to Remember Before You Visit Malshej Ghat

• Always remember not to do rash driving while driving through the ghat road, one mistake of overtaking can take you close to your last breathe. 
• Few viewpoints have been developed for tourist purposes, take a halt at only those places.
• There is no washroom availability on this road.
• There are one or two numbers of restaurants on the top of the Malshej Ghat to have your proper day meal.
• Do not litter the area around the viewpoints.
• Avoid visiting here in heavy rainfall.

Source:- Sambhaji Patil