Trekking – Desi Explorrer

Asava fort/Killa Trek guideApril 7, 2021
Sindhudurg fort”Malvan Killa”March 10, 2021
Karnala fort and Bird Scantuary (guide)January 23, 2021
Mahuli trek with full guideJanuary 13, 2021
Tadoba Andhari Tiger ReserveDecember 10, 2020

Fort Info

Name:- Asawa/ Asava

Height:- 1080ft

Place:- Boisar, Maharashtra, India

Difficulty:- Moderate

Distance:- 95km from Mumbai

Trek Duration:- 1hr 30min Max/1hr 15min minimum

Personal Experience

Started my journey to Asava/ Asawa fort which is situated in Boisar, Palghar District at 6:00@m early morning as I always prefer to go Solo but while watching my blogs and vlogs on my You Tube channel “Desirambler” they also came with me so the joy of Trekking gets more, it was and it is the time of Corona pandemic so there were few restrictions like lack of Road Transport and it was complete shutdown of Railway so Personal Vehicle was the best choice, 2 bikes for 3 person including me, our road trip started from the place where we met in Mumbai, as per the Google map it showed 2hr 36min, but with the descent speed and empty road we reached in 2hrs, the real confusion was to find the road to Fort through Village Warangade, it took 15 mins to find the actual way. we started our trail by 9:00 am after having breakfast.

You will find no parking facility near the fort, you can park bike or car in the Village on your own risks, we parked our bikes at the starting point of the trek which was 10 mins away from the Warangade Village, if you still got confused in finding the way through the village first reach near Viraj Industry which is the biggest industry at that place.

Don’t ever judge the difficulty of the Trek by its height, because I did so and got trapped in climbing the 2nd and final mountain by underestimating the way. as compare to my previous trek experience the climb was with rocks and the rocks gives legs support to climb, but at this fort the climb was full of slippery rocky way which gave our legs lots of tension to climb.

Plz don’t forget to bring enough water bottles, I recommend 3liters per person and dehydration pills if possible, carry non oily snacks as I suggest in my every Trek, on the other hand no Stores for water and snacks in between the way, the trail is full of Woodland forest with no air flowing in summer,

No chances of getting lost in the jungle because the villagers have marked arrow like picture on some countable rocks in the way to help the trekkers like us to find the route,

Me and my friends experienced a lot of humidity in the Climate, as i told you before there were no store in between the trail to buy water or snacks so i suggest to drink water sip by sip because the sweat i drained was incredible after 45mins of trekking my shirt was full of sweat so we decided to take our first break, i changed my shirt we had some non oily snacks and drank water our break last for 20 min which was a big one, now there was only on mountain to climb and this was the steepest one with slippery rocky way as i told you before, time comes when the climb becomes so hard that you lose self motivation and think of quiting the trek but you have to believe in yourself and keep trying look at th top the saffron colored flag and imagine yourself at that same place holding flag this thinking will energize your mind and allow the body to move forward, still 45 min still to climb after taking break, this time we found two local people climbing the fort as we were moving forward, as it was the occasion of Mahashivratri so they were going for worshiping Shiva Temple at the fort. They told us some interesting facts about the fort and some special places to Visit like the cave and the water stream which is 365 days of supply fresh chilling water as compare to us they lot more experienced in Climbing mountains because they were 15 to 20 years elder then us, i have always noticed that the final 100 steps remaining are the tougher steps to Climb.

Below are the few pics clicked inside the fort

After reaching the top i saw that this fort is not big enough to roam and take rest as there no place to rest Like other big forts Like Mahuli, Sindhudurg fort and Prabhalgad, we decided to take to walk around the fort to see what it has like we found 4 water tank of which 1 was huge as you can see at the below picture and small Temple, small cannon many of the monuments was flushed away due to heavy rains and also no protection facility made by Government to protect it. the cave ans water stream as i mentioned was build in between the Climbing way but at the other side which was impossible to descent and Climb again because there is only one way to exit the fort if you are First time trekker at this fort like me, we spend 1hr at the fort at the raging sun was on our head which made us exhausted and Hungry, started our exiting way as soon as possible because our water supply was going to end soon, it was much difficult to go down because there were no support of rocks or any tree and the way was too steep, if unfortunately some thing happens and we slide down it could hurt us Badly. in 1 Hr we reach the start point and exited the place in hurry because we all were starving like hell.

In between of the road we found a place which was amazing to watch and even to swim the best thing I do. It is the place where the rain water had been stored limitlessly.

To watch my full Experience video visiting Asawa fort click the given link below.

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The only best way to Travel on the hill stations is by road, there’s no other way that can be equally compared advising with my personal experience.

How to reach:- If you leave in Mumbai it take 2hr to reach at top of the mountain place which is around 95km long from my place, roads are simple and easy the best way to take help is of Google map but if you are frequent traveller like me then there would be no difficulty, petrol will cost you around 500rs for bike and for car it could be around 1000rs.

Other than roadway is railway, Neral is the closest railway station to Matheran. Situated to Mumbai-Pune line it is just 21km away from Matheran you can also board the Matheran hill railway from Neral which is one of the 6 mountain railways in India, nearest airport to Matheran is Pune, one can also take a cab or a bus from nearby towns to a place close to Matheran (3km) and take horse-rides or walk or Man pulled rickshaws to reach our destination.(Automobiles are not allowed in Matheran and hence one has to use these pollution free methods.

NOTE: I would not recommend to take horse rides because that’s animal abuse, Make sure before leaving for the journey Kindly Check your vehicle condition like Engine oil, break oil, Clutch wire, break wire, horn and Tyres air pressure.

PLaces explored during ride

One of the reasons to choose road trip is that you will love to watch the beautiful nature side by side while you travel, unimaginable places can be explored fortunately which happens mostly with me, during my trip as I traveled many times in that journey many pictures have be clicked. It’s feels amazing to see such things in real life as compared to reel life

Places of Attraction

Louisa point:- Louisa point is one of the most famous viewpoints in Matheran, it offers two different views from the top, visit Louisa point is on a clear day to enjoy the spectacular view of the city and the remains of Prabal and Vishalgad fort, the best time to visit is during sunset, it is located 1.5km away from the main market area and is easily reachable on foot. Tips:- Beware of Monkeys, do not carry any food items as they might try to snatch it, do not support animal abuse like horse rides.

Charlotte Lake:- Also known as Sharlott lake, It is one of the most spectacular attractions of Matheran, it is an ideal quick retreat for those who seek silence in the lap of nature and a perfect spot for the Campers and picnickers. Set amidst a densely populated forest, birdwatching is a popular activity here. People visit here for sunrise and sunset view of Echo point. Tips:- Since the lake serves as a source of drinking water for Matheran don’t try to take bath or wash anything in the lake it is forbidden and also beware of Monkeys and their snatchings.

Trekking routes:- Matheran has various trekking routes. All routes are easy from climbing difficulty point of view.

Sunset point is the route from Dodhani village to Sunset point. This is the most popular route for trekkers. Dodhani village is about 45 minutes by State Transport bus from Panvel.
Garbett point Route is the route that starts from Sagachiwadi a small tribal village near to Dhom dam. Garbett point is the least visited point in Matheran because it is very far away from market compared to other points. Mostly there is always no one at Garbett point even during peak season. The vast green stretch of Garbett plateau is major attractions during Monsoon season.
Rambaug Point Route is a small and popular point near One tree hill point. This route goes from Rambaug point to a small village called Pokharwadi near Chowk village. The route passes through a waterfall during rainy season.
One tree hill this route starts from Ambewadi village. Ambewadi is near Pokharwadi village, where route starts from Rambaug point. There is a view of Morbe Dams backwater while going through Rambaug and One Tree hill route.
Vikatgad route is the most difficult one. This route to Garbett point is the next more popular route. All the routes require 2-3 hrs climb to reach Matheran. The route of Rambaug point and One Tree Hill are usually not taken by any trekkers nowadays.

Food
After so much of long and hard way of trek body requires plenty of energy source. There are all kinds of restaurant in Matheran serving various cuisines. Most hotels offer packages including all meals. Try the Gujarati Thali. Or the Maharashtra style Vada-Pav (Indian burger) which is available at the various points. Also try Chikki which is available in different flavours.

Sleep During the peak season, when it is very busy, prices are often as high as four times the off season winter price. Be ready to shell out minimum of INR 2000 for modest Non-Ac double bed room on a weekend. As it is a popular weekend trip from Mumbai, mid week is less full so you should be able to negotiate better prices, and there are various hotels down the paths away from the central buildings. It’s always better to stay in hotels in the hotels in the Market as you can roam around there once it gets dark. In far off hotels you would get locked up in the room as it won’t be advisable to venture out in the dark in forest. Better don’t book any rooms from the agents who would surround you at Novel Station. There are many rooms( hotels, cottage and resorts) up at Matheran market and it is better to actually check the rooms and then deal directly with the owners as this can save money as well as disappointed if being dubbed into a poorly maintained sub standard room.

Below are few more information about Matheran

List of trees growing in Matheran

Albizzia chinensis (Udal, Kajav)

actinodaphne angustifolia (Pisa)

Sugran Tree

Chambel tree

Bambusa Vulgaris (kalak)

Wildlife:- The town has a large monkey population, including bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs. Domesticated horses for riding are also in large numbers and are one of the symbols of Matheran. Inside the forest animals like barking deer, Malabar giant squirrel, fox, wild boar, mongoose may be found, but this animals are less in numbers as compared to Monkeys and usually do not venture where humans are present. There have been reports of leopard sighting in Matheran few times in last decades but due to dense forests in valleys surrounding Matheran leopards who are on the roam may climb Matheran, not a single report have been found of leopard attack in Matheran.