Alibaug
Tourism
Alibaug (also spelled as Alibag) may be a small coastal town within the Konkan region of
Maharashtra, known for its beaches, villas, and delightful scenery. Alibag is
extremely popular as a weekend getaway from the cities of Mumbai and Pune.
Water sports in Alibaug like parasailing, cargo ship and jet ski and speed
boating are quite popular during the season . Most tourist families spend at least
one night in Alibag with extending to multiple nights.
Alibaug has earned itself the name of
'mini-Goa', due to the high tourist footfall
all year round. Steeped in colonial history, Alibaug is a quaint little town
located about 96 km from Mumbai and 150 km from Pune, and is replete with sandy
beaches, clean unpolluted air, and plenty of forts and temples, ensuring that
despite being a small town, you never run out of activities to do.
Alibaug is legendary for its numerous beaches,
which are only a couple of minutes’ chase away from one another , so you won’t need to worry about which
beach to go to and which one to leave
out. The most visited beach in Alibaug is, of course, Alibaug Beach, which
offers a spectacular of view of not only the sunrise and sunset but of the
Kolaba Fort as well, which you'll take a brief boat ride to. The Colaba fort was once the cornerstone
of the Maratha Empire, and most of the edifice remains in fine condition . Other popular beaches within the area include Kihim Beach, and Nagaon Beach, with Kihim
beach being a photographer’s paradise.
Alibaug is
additionally home to Mandwa Beach, a beach famously known for the
innumerable number of movie shootings that happen here. The beach
offers a shocking view of the Gateway of
India from its bay, and you'll sit and sip on a cool
drink on the sand under the orchard of coconut trees lining the beach.
Lonavala
Tourism
Situated within the Sahyadri range of the
Western Ghats on the brink of Pune and Mumbai,
Lonavala is that the most visited hill station
in Maharashtra and therefore the place to be during
monsoons. With lots of waterfalls, lakes and hills around, it is a popular
destination for camping, trekking and other adventure sports.
Surrounded by dense forests, waterfalls, and dam
alongside lakes, it's a must-visit if you admire
nature. Located at an elevation of 624 m above water level , Lonavala is one among the dual hill stations - Lonavala
and Khandala (these two are often easily visited together).
The popular tourist attractions in Lonavala are Bhaja caves, Bushi dam, Karla
caves, Rajmachi fort, Ryewood lake, among others. Lonavala is also popular for
the treks like the Andharban trek that starts from a village called Pimpri and
ends in Bhira.
Lonavala is legendary for its production of
the candy chikki which may be a sweet eatable thing made up of different nuts mixed with
jaggery. It is also a serious stop on the railway line
which connects Mumbai and Pune.
Mumbai
Tourism
Mumbai, the capital city of the Indian state of
Maharashtra, may be a spectacular paradox of
chaos and hope, glamour and squalor, modernity and tradition. Famously referred to
as the town of Dreams, Mumbai – formerly referred to as Bombay - Mumbai may be a beautifully blended
melting pot of cultures and lifestyles.
The city soaks in everything into its fabric, making
it its very own. From upcoming actors struggling to form it big on the silver
screen; from Bolly superstars to big industrialists to tribes of fisherman and
slum dwellers, Mumbai may be a city that proudly boasts
of stories from different walks of human survival.
One of the main centres in the country of art,
culture, music, dance and theatre, Mumb
Khandala
Tourism
Khandala is a popular hill station in
Maharashtra, perched on the foothills of Sahyadri in the Western Ghats.
Khandala provides for an ideal weekend respite for the
Mumbai population, with its scenic valleys, grassy hills, serene lakes and
misty waterfalls.
It is one of the twin hill stations - Lonavala
and Khandala. The place immortalized by the favored Bollywood song, "Aati Kya Khandala", may be a must-visit
destination for
everybody trying to find beautiful nature, pleasant
weather and
therefore the feeling of mist within the air. The
natural great
thing about Khandala blooms to its zenith and divulges a
magical charm during the monsoons. Its meandering waterfalls and glittering
lakes attributes to the majestic look an imposing ambience.
The Mumbai-Pune expressway passes through
Khandala. Due to this easy accessibility, it is a popular hiking spot from
nearby cities. The Duke's Nose peak and Karla Hills are the 2 popular
spots for hiking .
Located near two more popular tourist hotspots, viz. Lonavala (3 km away) and
Karjat (7 km), Khandala is one among the right hill retreats for both trekkers and young
couples.
Aurangabad
Tourism
Aurangabad, which was declared by the Government
as the Tourism Capital of Maharashtra back in 2010, is a famous tourist hub which greets its
visitors with a richly woven tapestry of sights and sounds. The city got its
name for being the erstwhile capital of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb within the 17th
century AD. The town is employed because the base to
explore the extremely famous caves of Ajanta and Ellora, Daulatabad Fort which
is renowned for its strong defence systems, Mausoleums of Aurangzeb and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara
famous for its architecture and Grishneshwar Temple, one among the sole 12
Shiva Jyotirlingas in India.
From UNESCO World Heritage Sites to bustling
markets brimming with delicate silk items and exquisite hand-woven garments,
Aurangabad promises all tourists an exciting holiday experience. While the town is
rapidly heading towards industrial growth and globalisation, it still retains
most of its past glory, heritage, charms and traditions.
The most famous tourist attraction of
Aurangabad is that
the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO, the Ajanta Caves is home to 29 different caves, all of which
showcase Buddhist artwork belonging to the amount starting from 200
B.C to 650 A.D. All paintings and sculptures within the caves were
constructed painstakingly by Buddhist monks using only simple tools like chisels
and hammers. These paintings and sculptures portray a varied range of stories,
starting from the Jataka Tales to intriguing accounts of ancient nymphs and
princesses. The Ellora Caves, a touch distance faraway from the Ajanta
Caves, houses a
complete of 34 caves and has sculptures and paintings
depicting not one, but three different religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism. The sheer diversity of the sculptures, the architectural
expertise, and
therefore the centuries of diligence undertaken by
artisans are enough to go away you speechless.
The sole remaining example of Mughal
architecture during
this a part of the country, Bibi ka Maqbara may be a mausoleum
dedicated to Rabia-ul-Daurani, wife of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Designed by
the Persian architect Ustad-Ata-Ullah, Bibi ka Maqbara features a structure almost like that
of the Taj
Mahal , with the most structure
bordered by four towering minarets on four sides. The entire building may be a sight
to behold, and sunrises and sunsets are resplendent, with the rays of the sun
beautifully casting the reflection of the mausoleum on the water of the
canal ahead of
the building.
Aurangabad is additionally home to
temples like the
Jyothirlinga Grishneshwar temple and therefore the Bhadra
Maruti Temple, both of which have legends and myths of their own.
Siddharth Garden may be a place that each one nature
lovers are
going to be mesmerized by. A landscaped garden housing a good sort of sculpted
trees and shrubs, the Siddharth Garden is additionally home to
wild creatures like lions,
tigers, leopards, deer, and hyena. Sitting back on the green lawns of the
garden and enjoying a gorgeous picnic may be a very fashionable tourist
activity here.
The erstwhile Mughal capital has retained most
of its traditional Tughlaq cuisine, with Tandoors and Kebabs being local
staples that
you simply will find at almost every roadside eatery.
Known for its arts and crafts, and especially
its silk, Aurangabad has plenty of markets from where you can buy various local
handicrafts, exotic gems, shawls, and of course, the region’s famous paithani
silk sarees.
