Monday, April 11, 2011

Kolad - Adventure and rejuvenation

If you live in Mumbai and any time you feel like going river rafting, or maybe just for some time to have a tete a tete with nature, just hop on to your bike/car and head for Kolad which is around 140kms away!
Yes, the river Kundalika out there is fed by various dams at specific times when the dams let out excess water into the river and then the fun begins. One fine Saturday morning, we did just that, though we did not have river rafting in our agenda.
We just wanted to chill on the banks of Sutarwadi lake where this wonderful resort ‘Pooja Farms’ is. The drive took us about three hours and once there, checked into a lovely airconditioned cottage. Spent the afternoon checking out the place and soaking in the atmosphere to unwind all the urban stress. Soon it was time to watch the sky set on fire by the setting sun.It was wonderful watching the sun go down.
Had an early dinner and feeling totally relaxed retired early for the day. We were told that the river rafting begins around ten in the morning and if we wished to catch the action we would have to head over to the neighbouring village and take the assistance of the local boys to guide us to the vantage point from where we could watch the adventurers river rafting. Woke up early in the morning to catch the sunrise and the early birds. Was not disappointed.
After a hearty breakfast we set out for the trek to the vantage point from where we could capture the
sights of the Kundalika river before and after the water is released from the dam and also capture the excitement of the river rafters as they raft by.
We met some enthusiastic youngsters in the village who willingly, for a small monetary consideration, guided us to the spot. The river was more like a stream when we saw it first. The boys told us how high it would rise once the water from the dam was released and showed us where we could rest till then and set up our shooting positions.
We had to wait for a couple of hours and then we saw the birds flying past in panic which told us of the
oncoming rush of water. The gurgling of the stream soon turned into a roar of flowing water. And then we
saw the rafters screaming with pleasure as they raised their oars in acknowledgement. The beauty of this river is that you can go rafting all year round as every morning the dams release water and the river swells just enough for some exciting river rafting. Back to the resort for some lunch after which we rested for a while and returned back to Mumbai feeling rejuvenated and ready to face the urban chaos!
Click here for more details on the various activities one can indulge in Kolad and also how to reach there.

19 comments:

  1. Kolad is also known as a Rly. Station where trucks-on-rail get disembarked/embarked from/to Tokkottu Rly Station on Konkan Railway (apprx. 700 kMs)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice pics and description on Kolad, i believe you visit the sanctuary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amazing.
    Loved the 3rd pic.
    And more amazing is the fact that you can go river rafting all year round.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i'd love to go camping there. did you see any non-private property near the river? last time i went there, i could only find private plots, and none of the villagers let us camp on their property. there were people who were ready to "organize" a camping weekend for us (for a rather hefty fee) on their property adjoining the river, but we want to do it ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a wonderful, beautiful place for a weekend getaway! The sunset and sunrise are awesome! I can just imagine how much you enjoyed your weekend away! Superb photos as always!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  6. Want to pack my bag and rush to this please right now .... awesome !

    ReplyDelete
  7. the 3rd image of layers of evening light is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wowow what a beautiful place .. I would not mind going there and having all the fun :)

    lovely place


    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
  9. Breathtakingly beautiful images. Kolad sounds like a must visit place.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a gorgeous place that too so near from Mumbai!!! Wow, thanks for this piece of info!!!
    Customized T-Shirt Print
    Kannikonna flowers in full bloom

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice place, the rafting part makes it even more interesting! Must try it. Great shots too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. An absolutely stunning landscape, and some really beautiful pics. And why not some river rafting?

    I love the picture of the sunrise, really beautiful, and some would say romantic as well!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Excellent photos, especially first 3.

    I have done hiking in Kolad and can go again any day. Lovely place.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rejuvenating indeed! If the pictures could be so refreshing how good the actual thing would be :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. wonderful blog and beautiful pics :) Thanks for visiting my stream!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kolad is one of the best white water rafting spots in India.... On Kolad - Adventure Travelers Place

    ReplyDelete