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Lonavla

Lonavla (or Lonavala) is in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India.

Understand
Lonavla and the neighbouring Khandala are the twin hill stations close to Mumbai. Lonavla is a great choice for those who wish to escape the hustle and bustle, heat and humidity of India's most populous city for a few days. However, do not expect a quiet or pristine environment: the popular Lion's and Tiger's Points are the usual chaos of street food sellers, rubbish, dogs and cows with the addition of monkeys looking for food from people.

Get in
Lonavla is about away from the city of Mumbai and  away from Pune City. Lonavla is easily accessible by road and by train from Mumbai and Pune which are among the nearest locations.

By road
The road is one of the most beautiful ways to reach Lonavla. By car, you can use the Mumbai Pune Expressway to reach Lonavla. You would have to take an exit at Khandala to get in. The toll is approximately ₹85 from Mumbai, but taking the Expressway not only reduces the journey time by 1/3, but also ensures a smoother ride.

Two- and three-wheelers are not allowed on the expressway. For two-wheelers and three-wheelers, and for those who wish to avoid the toll, the other option is to use the old Mumbai Pune road NH4.

From Pune, you can again take the NH4 or NH4 and Mumbai Express Highway combination.

By train
For train travellers, there are plenty of options: Intercity Express, Koyna Express, Deccan Express, Indrayani Express, etc. Lonavla has its own railway station and most of the Express trains that cross the Mumbai Pune railway line halt at Lonavla.

By airplane
Lohegaon Airport of Pune falls the nearest to Lonavla. Apart from domestic airlines, it is also serviced by a few international carriers. The nearest international airport is at Mumbai.

Seaplane
A seaplane facility is available connecting Lonavla directly to Juhu beach. You can fly directly to Lonavala spending about ₹4000 in something less than 1 hour.

See

Do
When visiting the place in monsoon, it is fun to get drenched and play in the waterfalls near Tiger's Leap. Bushy Dam is a must-visit too: sitting on the steps of the dam or on the rocks beneath and enjoying the force of the water is a great experience in itself. In summer, as most of the lake is dried up, you can trek into the hills, or walk along the lake's edge.

Buy
Lonavla's name is almost resonant with its chikkis (nut brittle). People throng in huge numbers to the stores to buy chikki, fudges and other savouries of different varieties. In order to savour the good quality, try to go to any of the Maganlal's chikki stores which are spread out throughout Lonavla. Other stores include Purohit's, and A-1 Chikki.
 * Live Fudge Factory, Khandala
 * Live Fudge Factory, Khandala

Eat
Lonavla is a hill station in Maharashtra, and you cannot miss the hot masala chai or the vadapav (the vegetarian Indian burger containing a potato patty deep fried in chickpea flour batter as the filler). Try the hot bhajiyas along with masala chai. This is available at any of the major tourist spots. You also get hot corn at almost all of the tourist locations. While you can get these at most of the hotels as well, nothing can beat the taste of these piping hot snacks served at the roadside.

Drink
Drinking is permitted in Lonavla, and there are plenty of wine shops and hotels that serve alcohol. There is a Johnnie Walker store 'Regal Wines' in the heart of the marketplace in Lonavla.

During summer, coconut water can be really refreshing as the weather can get dry and hot.

Sleep
There are plenty of hotels available in Lonavla for various budget ranges.

Many private owners with properties in Lonavla have started giving out their homes to weekend vacationers.

Lonavla is a popular tourist spot in the monsoon and it is advisable to book in advance in case one is planning a trip during the monsoon.

Go next

 * Bhaja Caves near Lohgad
 * Aamby Valley City
 * Kamshet
 * Khopoli

title: Lonavla