The hill stations of Khandala and Lonavala are on the Mumbai Pune highway on the Sahyadri hills. The twin towns are a favourite  getaway of Mumbai residents due to its proximity to Mumbai. Khandala and Lonavala were developed by the British as their retreats. Scenic waterfalls flowing down from the valleys and fog all around makes one fall in love with this place during the rainy season.

	Duke's Nose, Khandala
	Image By Flickr User saagar Used under Creative Commons Attribution License

Best For:

• Panoramic view of green valleys and waterfalls
• Old Parsi bungalows
• Forts of the Maratha kingdom
• Beautiful Lakes and dams

Summer is from March to May when the temperature rises up to 36 o C. Winter begins from October to February with temperature dropping to 10 o C. Monsoon (June to September) is the best time to visit Khandala-Lonavala  due to the waterfalls that are created in the rains. It is advisable to carry light woolens in the winter and cotton clothes in summer.

Many good hotels in Khandala-Lonavala accept international credit cards. There are few ATMs nearby but still it is best to carry cash to this place for convenience.

No permit is required to travel to Khandala-Lonavala. Just a visa to India is all what is needed.

Khandala and Lonavala are 66 km from Pune and 110 km from Mumbai. Buses can be taken from Mumbai or Pune which will drop the tourist near Khandala from where an auto rickshaw is available to go to the hotel. Mumbai Pune trains are also convenient as one can get off at Lonavala station itself.

Major Airports:
Pune which is at 66 km is the closest airport to Khandala-Lonavala. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is 110 km from here. It connects Mumbai to the world. International flights operated by Air India connect Mumbai to major cities of the world. Jet airways offers services to London, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, etc. All major international airlines like Singapore Airlines, Emirates Air, Cathay Pacific, etc fly to Mumbai.

• Rajmachi fort in Khandala built by Shivaji
• Karla and Bhaja caves with beautiful carvings in stone.
• Various lakes like the Lonavala lake, Valvan Lake, Bushi lake, Tungarli lake and their dams
• Tiger’s Leap which is a cliff giving a view of the valley below.

Nearby excursion from Khandala Lonavala include

• Korigad is a fort located at 35 km from Lonavala. The trek to the fort is a nice one.
• Lohagad literally meaning the Iron Fort is 10 km from Lonavala.
• Kamshet which is around 11 km from Lonavala has paragliding and adventure sport activities.

Recommended Circuits:

Mumbai - Khandala – Lonavala – Pune – Mahabaleshwar – Panchgani – Mumbai

Mumbai – Matheran – Khandala – Lonavala – Pune – Kolhapur.

Where To Eat :

For some authentic Maharashtrian vegetarian and non vegetarian cuisine hop into Joshi sanitarium in a narrow by lane near hotel Hari International in Lonavala. They serve homely food which brings you back to the place. Manashakti Kendra which is a training centre for Yoga and alternative therapy has a canteen which serves good breakfast items. Kailash Parbat in Lonavala is a multi cuisine restaurant and bar. Lonavala is famous for Peanut chikki and Jelly sweets also. Hot Butta or corn can be relished at various places.

Where To Stay:

Fariyas holiday resort is a five star resort in Lonavala. Upper Deck is a nice boutique resort perched on a hillock. Many other hotels like Biji’s, Kumar Resort and Rainbow Retreat are located in Lonavala. In Khandala one can stay at Hotel Vallerina, Duke’s Retreat or Hotel Mount View. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) also has a resort in Karla near Lonavala.