subject: Arriving From Pune To Lonavala [print this page] Lonavala is a hill station where all the people from Pune and Mumbai run to making it popular holiday destination during the weekends. Famous for the caves and chikki, Lonavala is nestled on the western slopes of the Sahyadri range at an altitude of 625 meters above sea level. Lonavala was discovered by Lord Elphinstone, the then governor of Bombay Presidency in 1871. Lonavala gets the name from Lonavali a Sanskrit word meaning a group of caves.
Lonavala is situated on the Mumbai-Pune expressway and is well connected to Pune by road. The distance from Pune to Lonavala is 67 km. It takes about one hour ten minutes to reach Lonavala from Pune. The drive on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a six lane well laid concrete tolled expressway, takes you through the Sahyadri mountain ranges via many mountain passes and tunnels.
State owned bus services are available from Pune to Lonavala that ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 300. Private operators provide different types of buses with a fare ranging between Rs 200 to Rs 1,000.
Taxis can be hired from Pune which will cost from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 for a round trip. If travelling in a big group it is better to hire a tempo traveller. For the adventurous, riding a bike to Lonavala from Pune can be a thrilling experience altogether.
Lonavala is also connected by train and has a railway station. A lot of the passenger trains and local trains connecting Mumbai and Pune and some of the express trains from Pune to Mumbai, have a stop in Lonavala.
Madurai Express (11043), Indrayani Express (11021), Intercity Express (12127), Deccan Express (11007) and Udyan Express (16529) are some of the express trains from Pune that stop at Lonavala.
Roha Diva Passenger (71096), Ratnagiri Dadar Passenger (50104), Pandharpur Mumbai (51028), Sainagar Shirdi Mumbai (51034) and Bijapur Mumbai Fast Passenger (51030) are a few passenger trains that connect Pune to Lonavala. The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) site facilitates online booking of tickets from the comforts of ones home.
The best time to visit Lonavala is during the monsoons, between June and September, when the hills and valleys become lush green and the rivers and waterfalls are in full flow making the place a paradise for bird watching, trekking, hiking, angling and rock climbing.
The major sightseeing attractions in Lonavala include the Ryewood Park, Shivaji Udyan, Sausage Hills, Lonavala Lake, Vinchu Kata, Tungarli Lake, Valvan Lake, Rajmachi Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajmachi Fort, Shingroba Temple, Tiger's Leap waterfall, Shivlinga mountain, Bushy Dam, Karla Caves, Koregad Fort, Tikona Fort, Tung Fort, Visapur Fort, Lohagad Fort, and Lion's Point.
Lonavala is also famous for its own sweet, Chikki, which is made of jaggery and peanut.
