1-DAY ROAD TRIP TO LONAVALA
In June, my sister, cousin and I took a 1-day road trip to Lonavala from Pune.
If you’ve been following my IG or the blog, you’ll know my sister and I have been cafe-hopping across Pune. The road trip to Lonavala was similar, more cafe-hopping with sightseeing sprinkled in.
Just because I travelled to Lonavala for cafes, doesn’t mean you should too.
Not interested in exploring cafes? Don’t fret.
Visapur Fort and Lohagad Fort are great treks for beginners. Love history? There are Buddhist caves in Lonavala (Karla Caves, Bhedse Caves and Bhaja Caves). Or, visit the iconic Ek Veera Aai temple.
However, today’s blog post is mostly about cafe-hopping across Lonavala, with a little bit of sightseeing. Interested? Here’s the itinerary I followed on my 1-day road trip to Lonavala.
- DRIVE TO LONAVALA
- BREAKFAST AT FIORI
- CORN BHAJJIS AT TIGER POINT
- CERAMIC SHOPPING
- LUNCH AT MARKAIZ
- TREK TO BHUSHI DAM
- DINNER AT ANGLO INDIAN CAFE
- MANDATORY STOP AT MAPRO GARDEN
- DRIVE BACK TO PUNE
DRIVING TO LONAVALA
Lonavala is a short 70-km drive from Pune, and takes 90 minutes. It can take longer due to diversions and road construction in certain areas across Pune.
We were travelling on an early Friday morning, so we encountered little to no traffic. That same day, but later in the day, another one of my cousins was travelling to Lonavala when he was stuck in a massive traffic jam and was at a standstill for a while.
While many might call me crazy for leaving Pune at 7:30 a.m. to travel 70 km, I’m glad I did because all the places we visited were devoid of crowds.
That aside, the drive to Lonavala is scenic once you get on the expressway. The cloudy sky hiding the sun would have made the drive depressing, had it not been for the bright green sea of grass covering the hills, adding a pop of colour to the landscape.
NOTE:- The toll fee from Pune to Lonavala (one way) is Rs. 250 for cars. Don’t forget to top up your FastTag before getting on the expressway.
BREAKFAST AT FIORI
While I prefer travelling during the weekdays to avoid crowds, this time round, it was unavoidable. That’s because Fiori is open for breakfast only on weekends.
So, that was another reason for leaving Pune early. They are open for breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
We arrived at Fiori at 9:30 a.m., and we were the first customers. That meant we had the entire cafe to ourselves. We hopped from table to table to take photos for the Gram.
The breakfast was delicious. We had the pancake stack with lemon whipped cream, the shakshuka and a cappuccino. I especially loved the shakshuka, more than the pancakes.
Whether you’re following this itinerary or not, don’t go to Fiori without a reservation. You won’t find a table. Remember my cousin who was travelling later in the day, he couldn’t get a table without a reservation.
We were able to get a table without a reservation because it was early and there were no customers. That’s why you should arrive before the crowds.
TRAVEL TIP:- The best time to visit Fiori is early morning or at sundown.
CORN BHAJJIS AT TIGER POINT
After breakfast, it’s time to digest that food, so there’s enough space in your stomach for an even better lunch.
The drive to Tiger Point is scenic, but the roads have potholes at sharp turns.
When you near Tiger Point, you’ll encounter people in the middle of the road. They’re asking you to park your vehicle and visit their stalls for tea and snacks. Keep driving till you reach Tiger Point, not Lion Point.
We almost went to Lion Point because these people kept insisting that Tiger and Lion Point are the same. They are not.
Lion Point is smaller compared to Tiger Point, which is more widespread and has better views.
Park your vehicle at the lot across the road for a fee of Rs. 70.
The best way to enjoy Tiger Point is by walking around. That’s what we did.
We just walked around to different points and enjoyed the view.
After walking around, we stopped at a stall to try the corn bhajjis. We ate corn bhajjis because everyone in our contacts told us we had to try them. They were not good. But each to their own. I would have preferred the onion bhajjis.
We spent an hour and a half wandering Tiger Point and taking photos. After the disappointing corn bhajjis, we wanted a little pick-me-up. What’s better than shopping to lift your spirits?
CERAMIC SHOPPING
If you’ve travelled to Lonavala before, you know that the best souvenirs after Chikki and chocolate fudge are the ceramics.
While driving back from Tiger Point, as you near the Bhushi Dam parking area, you’ll notice shops selling ceramics.
Every time I travel to Lonavala, my mother has to buy a teacup set, bowls or something else. If I had returned empty-handed, she would have given me an earful.
Your mother is the same? Well, then you better get her something.
Everything is pretty, and that’s the problem because there are cute knick-knacks as well as enormous pots. However, after browsing the aisles for a while, we purchased a set of different coloured bowls.
Now that that obstacle was out of the way, we had one more before we could head to lunch. We had to haggle with the vendor. Three girls who have different haggling levels are a recipe for chaos. Luckily, the vendor took pity on us and sold the bowls for a cheaper price.
With a spring in our step from shopping, we set off to our next stop, Markaiz, for a lovely lunch.
LUNCH AT MARKAIZ
I’ve been to Lonavala so many times, but I didn’t know about Markaiz until recently. It was the best restaurant I visited all day.
All the walking and haggling left me famished. I would have had a full-course meal if I hadn’t been distracted by the dessert counter.
Instead, I had the peach iced tea, the Chocolate walnut fudge croissant and the Korean cream cheese garlic bun. My cousin recommended the double cheese sandwich and the Chicken club sandwich.
The restaurant has two floors. The ground floor is the sweet shop where guests can get fudge and other treats. The upper floor is the restaurant. It has three seating areas- the bar room, the middle open patio and another seating area near the dessert counter.
If there’s one restaurant you must visit in Lonavala, I highly recommend Markaiz. The food at Markaiz is top-notch, and the vibe is pleasant and easygoing. I will be returning.
TIMINGS:- Markaiz, Lonavala is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
TREK TO BHUSHI DAM
A visit to Lonavala is incomplete without a visit to the Bhushi Dam.
The parking area for Bhushi Dam is a few minutes from Markaiz.
From the parking lot, which charges around Rs 100 for cars, you’ll have to walk for a few minutes to reach the Dam.
TRAVEL TIP:- Forgo wearing flip-flops and sandals when visiting Bhushi Dam. The way to the spot is muddy during the monsoons, and one might slip and get hurt. You could lose your footwear if the water force is too much.
If you haven’t been to Bhushi Dam before, let me inform you that the spot everyone visits is not Bhushi Dam. The Dam is adjacent to that spot.
There are a series of steps that lead to a stream. During monsoons, the Dam overflows, and the excess water through a mess wall rushes over the steps, forming the stream. It is at these steps that visitors come to enjoy.
Let your inner child out and enjoy splashing and playing in the water. Occasionally, order a cup of steaming hot tea and vada pav while the cold water splashes all over you.
Later, visit one of the paid changing rooms. I would recommend the changing room next to the parking lot because you don’t want to dirty your dry clothes on the way back to the car.
TRAVEL TIP:- Carry as little baggage as possible on the way to Bhushi Dam. Leave the extra items in the car. The stalls near Bhushi Dam store your bags for you, but there’s no guarantee.
After a refreshing dip, it’s time to head to dinner at Anglo Indian Cafe.
DINNER AT ANGLO INDIAN CAFE
When I was making a list of cafes and restaurants to visit in Lonavala, Anglo Indian Cafe was highly recommended.
Before heading to Anglo Indian Cafe, make a quick pit stop at any of the countless Maganlal outlets for chikki and fudge.
The drive to the restaurant takes 10 minutes or more, depending on traffic.
Anglo Indian Cafe is an in-house restaurant of a hotel. When I visited, construction was underway.
After parking our car, the watchman directed us towards the cafe.
The Anglo-Indian Cafe is smaller than it appears on Instagram Reels. Unfortunately, the tables were occupied and the wait was long, so the staff led us to an adjoining seating area. It wasn’t the same as the main dining area, but it was pretty.
TRAVEL TIP:- When travelling on weekends or arriving during the lunch and dinner rush, ensure you make reservations.
The upside to being seated in a different section was that it was quiet, with the light hum of the guests occupying the other tables.
Since we had stuffed ourselves with vada pavs, onion bhajjis and maggie, we weren’t too hungry. So, we agreed to share a chicken biryani.
The biryani was delicious and flavourful.
We were stuffed and didn’t want to move. But we had one more pit stop before heading home.
TIMINGS:- The Anglo-Indian Cafe is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
MANDATORY STOP AT MAPRO GARDEN
When travelling to Lonavala or Mahableshwar, it is a tradition to stop by Mapro Garden.
So, naturally, we stopped by Mapro Garden for their strawberry with cream.
It was evening by the time we arrived here, so the place was bustling with visitors. After a cursory glance through the aisles and trying the drink samples, we headed to the restaurant section.
I was full, so I settled for ordering the mango with cream, or I would have ordered the brownie with ice cream as well.
After taking photos with the fountain, the strawberry-themed car and browsing through the shops, we were ready to call it a day.
DRIVE BACK TO PUNE
The sun had set, and we were ready to head home.
It seemed everyone had the same idea. It took us 20 minutes to get on the Mumbai-Pune expressway when it should have taken a couple of minutes.
The drive back took us 3 hours. There was a lot of congestion once we crossed the city limits, and heavy rain made driving difficult and visibility low.
On the bright side, we hadn’t encountered any rain in Lonavala. Who would want to visit cute cafes looking like a drowned rat? Thank God for small miracles.
TRAVEL TIPS
- If possible, try to avoid travelling to Lonavala on the weekends or during holidays. That’s when all the office workers and families travel. Expect traffic on the highway and in Lonavala.
- Always make reservations when visiting popular cafes like Fiori, Anglo Indian Cafe and others.
- During monsoon months, Bhushi Dam is sometimes closed for safety reasons if the water flow is turbulent.
- Bhushi Dam is a great spot to visit only during the monsoon months. During the other months, the steps have little to no water. So, it’s not a great spot to visit outside of monsoons.
- Always carry extra clothes and towels when travelling to Lonavala during rains.
CONCLUSION
That brings us to the end of the 1-day road trip to Lonavala.
Here’s the summary of what my 1-day road trip to Lonavala entails.
- Drive to Lonavala
- Breakfast at Fiori
- Corn Bhajjis at Tiger Point
- Crockery shopping
- Lunch at Markaiz
- Trek to Bhushi Dam
- Dinner at Anglo Indian Cafe
- Mandatory stop at Mapro Garden
- Drive back to Pune
If you’re travelling to Lonavala, don’t forget to add the Karla Caves and Ek Veera Aai temple to your itinerary. Also, here are a couple of places to visit in the monsoons.
I hope that was helpful and encouraging. If you have any queries or suggestions, let me know in the comments.
I hope this ignites your wanderlust because
Time is what we want most but what we use worst
williAM penn
