An Eventful Ride...

This Sunday, we rode on the Sholapur highway 9 as we wanted a quick ride. We met at 7am at the Magarpatta flyover. It is a national Highway which connects Pune- Hyderabad- Machilipatnam. There are no ghats (mountain roads) on this highway hence we got to ride on long straight stretches. There are also a lot of interesting destinations on this highway which we will explore in our future rides and write about it for you. We rode 80 kms on the highway and took a U-Turn towards the city again. You will find a lot of Maharashtrian breakfast points. We halted at Kanchan Hotel in the Uruli Kanchan area  for a tea break on our return journey. It is famous for chai served in a clay pot, missal pav and Vada Pav. We had some snacks and resumed our journey.

At the breakfast point at Hotel Kanchan


It was a quick ride as we had to attend an event of Suzuki in the city at 9:30 am. This event was at the Cocoon Restaurant at Magarpatta, Pune. The event was held by Dream Bikes showroom. It was a display event for some bikes of Suzuki that were being transported to the factory via Pune. Bunty, the owner of Dream Bikes, spoke with the officials at Suzuki and asked for the bikes to be displayed in the city for the local riders. This way, the riders will be able to give feedback on the motorcycles that hadn't been launched. Some of the bikes that were on display were Suzuki S1000, Burgman (650 cc automatic and trip tonic) and a stunning 125cc scooter which was a mini version of Burgman. None of these bikes have been launched yet and Suzuki hasn't decided the price range or if they should launch either of the scooters. The bikes were brilliant and a must have for any bike enthusiast.

                                    Suzuki Burgman

Scenic ride to KAAS PATHAR

Like every Sunday, we planned a morning ride, but this time, away from our usual destinations or routes, we decided to stray a little to explore new places. Also, since it was the weekend of the 15th August, instead of participating in a City ride which we do every year, we decided to celebrate Independence Day by breaking the monotony and riding to a new place altogether.. We chose Kaas Pathar, which is not too far, is utterly beautiful and scenic and will be liked by all the fellow riders. The total journey from Pune to Satara is 114 kms on NH4 and from Satara, we take a right, ride through Satara city and ride further 30 kms to reach to Kaas Pathar. We wanted to ride to a destination which was inspiring and thats exactly what Kaas Pathar is about. Our meeting point was Ambegaon, at 6am,  which happens to be a frequent meeting point when we ride on NH4, before we embark on the journey. 

After meeting at Amegaon, we began our ride. We stopped to refuel our bikes at a petrol station at Khed Shivapur. NH4 is known amongst riders for its good stretches and sporty curves and turns and since its in the ghats, it is extremely lively and green.

 
 We left Khed Shivapur at 7:30 am and halted at Satara for breakfast. After breakfast, we continued our journey towards Kaas, and as we crossed the city, and entered the ghats, the atmosphere and the weather promised us that our destination will be equally so. We rode past the scenic, narrow ghat roads to Kaas. As we approached the plateau, we were welcomed by thick cloudy weather with slight rainfall and fresh air. It was beautiful that made the journey worth every minute.

Plateau, locally known as Kaas Pathar, is situated in the Western Ghat. Kaas Pathar is well know for its diverse fauna and floral and hence , its been declared as the Biodiversity World Heritage Site. During monsoon, the valley is filled with grass and flowers making it a popular tourist destination. It is a Plateau from which, at one point, you can see the east bit of Maharashtra and from the other, the Konkan region. It also overlooks Kaas Lake which looks like a big bowl of water placed strategically in the ghats, making the view even more stunning. Since a lot of people, far and near, visit Kaas Pathar, there are provisions for great hotels and resorts nearby. 

After reaching, we parked our bikes at a point and decided to explore the area. There were no flowers in the valley as the season is yet to come but it was still great. Since there are no tea stalls or breakfast points on the pathar as it is protected by the Government, everyone missed their morning chai. We took some pictures to preserve the memories and after spending almost an hour, we left for our return journey. We reached Pune at around 1 pm right in time for lunch.

If anyone would like to visit, monsoon time is the best and if you want to visit when the flowers bloom, you should go there mid- September. It is one of the most beautiful destination to visit for people in and around Maharashtra. It is green, refreshing and a great spot for picnic.

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