Lonavala or Lonavla and the adjacent Khandala are beautiful, charming and twin hill stations, 622 m. above sea level and 5 Kms a part from each other are situated in the Sahyadri ranges.

They are located around 64 km away from the city of Pune and 96 km away from the city Mumbai, popular getaway from Mumbai and Pune.

Lonavala is also known as the ‘Jewel of the Sahyadri’ is situated in the western part of Maharashtra.

Khandala is smaller, quieter and calmer of the two, though browsing through Lonavala’s bazaar could yield some wonderful surprises. Both the hill stations are known for their scenic beauty, green hills, deep valleys,historic forts, lakes and waterfalls.

Tourist attractions in Lonavala and Khandala

Karla Caves :

Karla is the site of the largest Chaitya caves (prayer halls), located around 12 Kms.of India built in 80B.C. The caves have the best-preserved Buddhist temples in India. The temples represent the purity in design and excellent temple architecture.The interiors of the caves have lion pillars, huge elephant forms, carved images of Buddha and dancing couples. The entrance gate is in the shape of a “Peepul” leaf, which is the main entry to the huge Chaitya grihaor hall. The high roof is semicircular in shape.

Bhaja Caves :

The caves similar to Karla caves, houses several caves and monasteries. The rays of the setting sun gilds the dark interiors of these caves, where one can see carved images of deities. One can also see the impressive fort of Lohagarh here.

Bedsa Caves :

Situated very close to Lonavala, it lies north of the Pawan Dam. From Bedsa there is a hike up hill around 3 Kms for the caves. These caves have huge pillars, lions and humans figures and ahuge Chaitya hall with resting rooms. The special feature of Bedsa is anarched roof supported by 2,000-year-old woodwork, which provides lighting to the entire cave.

Lonavala Lake :

It is a picturesque spot surrounded by natural scenery, about 1.6 km from the town. The lake also called as Bushi Lake is located just half Km from the town. The Tunguli Lake, Pavna Lake,Valvan Lake are other famous lakes. The lake dries up during the hot summer months.

Rajmachi fort :

The fort used by the Maratha warrior Shivaji is a must visit place. It can be reached only on foot as it is surrounded by deep valleys on three sides and a thick forest on the fourth. Other must visit forts are the Manoranjan Fort, Shrivardhan fort,Visapur Fort, Lohagad Fort and the Tunga Fort.

Ryewood :

This is a big and beautiful garden situated close to Lonavala. This garden covers a lot of ground and it is full of majestic tall trees. There is an old Mahadeo temple in this park. This garden has plenty of place for children to play.

Tungarli Lake :

Tungarli Lake is an artificial reservoir in Lonavala. This lake is the major source of water supply to Lonavala city. There is a dam across the Tungarli Lake. During monsoons the lake fills with water and during summer the scarcity of water is a common problem.

Valvan Dam :

Valvan Dam has a beautiful garden at its foot, and is a popular evening spot 2 km from the town. This exquisitely-built dam supplies water to the Khopoli power station at the foothills of the Sahyadris for generating electricity. The Kundali River feeds into the dam’s reservoir.

Duke’s Nose :

Duke’s Nose stands 12 km from Lonavla, clearly visible from the highway while driving towards Mumbai. This is the finest landmark in Khandala and is popular with hikers. It also looks like a hood of a snake, which is why it is also called as “Nagfani” (Hood of Snake). The cliff owes its name to the Duke of Wellington, whose famous and ample nose it resembles.

Tiger’s Leap :

This is a special spot in this area. If one looks at the valley carefully from this spot it appears as if a tiger is leaping into the valley, that is why this name. It gives a fascinating view of the valley. There is provision for viewing the valley from the safe confines of a big hole. A stone thrown down from here ricochets at many places and gets destroyed here.

Kune Falls :

Kune falls are the water falls near Lonavala which is another attractive place of tourism interest. The water falls down from a height of more than 100 feet and flows into the valley. Kune water falls are between Lonavala and Khandala hill resorts. These water falls can be seen for many days long after the monsoon season.

Best time to visit Lonavala and Khandala
These hill stations have a pleasant climate as the summer temperatures reach a high of 36° C and drop a minimum of 12° C in winter. So it can be visited throughout the year, but the best time to visit is during the Monsoon. One must bring the special cloths for different seasons like cool cottons for summer, while woollens are necessary for winter.

How to reach Lonavala and Khandala
By Air : Lonavala and Khandala do not have their own airports. The nearest international airport is Mumbai (110 Kms) and domestic airport is Pune (66 Kms).

By Rail : The Lonaval and Khandala railway stations have the trains from Mumbai (110 Kms) and Pune (66 Kms).

By Road : The Mumbai-Bangalore National Highway connecting southern and western India passes through Khandala -Lonavala.From Mumbai (110 Kms) and Pune (66 Kms) the State roadways buses, private buses, taxis and tour operators buses are available.