Banej Shiv temple : Excellent natural beauty in Gir forest ( Adventure Jungle Ride )

Route : Sasan gir - talala - jamwala - Chodvadi forest check post - turn right toward Banej

Excellent natural beauty in Gir forest, in fact, very few people know about this place forest area around this place. The best place in the entire gir forest. Especially when you visit after monsoon when permits start. Wintertime is also good. It's a totally off-road journey so fewer ground clearance cars are to be avoided. in Road travel your car window opens to enjoy forest noises and fresh air of nature (if you get lucky you may encounter lions on the return journey specially early mornign or evening time).  A permit is totally free but with strict disciplined drive & avoid Noise by Horn to disturb wildlife, This Banej trip will give you a feeling of a Jungle safari ride. Good to enjoy a day excursion. Carry water & snacks with you. Suggest to start at early morning with sufficient food and water since you wont find anything on the way

Our journey to Banej started on 20 aug 2022 morning, we leave at 9.30 am from dhava village. & first, reach ankolwadi to jamwala forest entry & Single Patti road. on way, we enjoy Live garma garam thabdi penda. then after reach jamawala checkpost. ( Nr jamwala, famous jamjir waterfall is also their, one can visit )

Forest entry is free at jamwala checkpost but all information we share like a number of people, male, female, kids along with from where we came & car number, with strict rules as follow mention in receipts back side, key rules is avaoid plastic waste & No noise to disturb wildlife. forest office is cooperative.

The road is not so good but one should visit at least once in life. It may not be a long run as per kms but the road is too rough and have suv type of vehicle. The total distance from jamawal to banej is 23 km on Google Maps. From jamwal to chhodavadi forest check-post distance is 15km on google Maps but due to off-road, it takes 1hrs to reach there. from chhodavadi check-post to banej shiv temple distance of 8 km.

we reach chhodvadi forest check-post, on the way we see a peacock, deer, monkey, Bagla & Neelgay etc, also witness kala karto mor.  from chhovadi checkpost right side banej shiv temple & left side kankai mata temple. we are in between monsoon so heavy waterflow on road, no access to reach kankai mata mandir, so we visit only banej shiv temple.

chhodvadi forest to take right side & drive 8 km with travel time 40 min reach at banej. on way, heavy rain make a road in bad conditiion & car is difficult to pass but we manage & reach banej,  

in normal time river has less flow, and the car can easily pass through the river, but now the heavy rain river flow is high so we park a car on the opposite side & decided to walk & reach shiv temple. put all stuff like a mobile purse at car & water level is upto high then thigh. we cross the river in support of each other & it is a thrilling moment for all of us. again walk for 500metre one check dam cross with high flow water & it is also thrilling adventure for us.  Its a peaceful place as per location n place.

The Indian mega-epic Mahabharata's famous character Arjuna comes alive here so this place is famous because of him. Once travelling through this forest, Pandavas gets thirsty and Arjuna uses his bow to discover water from the earth. There is a Mahadev temple here called 'Banej'. Today the place is there & water came from there, now then call as "Banganga" & temple drink this water only.

if you planning to Sasan Gir & you love nature & forest then this is must visit place in your itinerary. although it is a hectic journey with a 10-15km speed car ride you get a thrilling & adventurous experience through this road travel. 

Near River @banjej

Kala karto Mor

On way Deer

Hamta Pass Trek - Himachal’s Valley of Flowers, Perfect one for Beginners

Hampta pass trek is considered easy to moderate in difficulty and a perfect one for beginners. Simply put, the Hampta Pass is Himachal’s Valley of Flowers. The landscape is strikingly similar to that of Valley of Flowers – a narrow green valley protected by snow-covered mountains. At 14,000 feet Hampta Pass in Himachal Pradesh falls under those rare, dramatic pass crossings in the Himalayas. On one side is the lush green valley of Kullu — with forests, grasslands, and flowers blooming on the side of your trail. 

Background of Trek

our journey started with a group of nine people, including Nitin, Shailesh, Alpesh, Kashyap, Amresh, Snehal, Sachin, Hiren & Rajan.  initially, 4 people group planned for the trek & make a booking of the trek by surat to Delhi train ticket, later on, Shailesh joined, he manages his own booking. after talking with Rajan, more than 4 members join. that's why how our group formed & 9 people join the journey.

Out of 9 people, 3 have prior experience of Himalayan trekking, the rest are beginner, so first thing buy gadgets from declathon for hampta pass trek. also advise prepared your self as daily 1hrs physical workout.

20 May 2022

we all reached the surat railway station at 7.00 PM, our train Surat Rajdhani 12951 departed at 7.48pm sharp, and we order Harikrishna Dish for dinner on the train. settle in train & adjust the seat with co-traveller & we 4 in one compartment, rest 4 is in a different compartment. overnight sleep & I read a Novel during travelling Shallaja Sagar, written by Ashwani Bhatt.

 
   Surat Railway station 

21 May 2022

Morning wake up at 6.30am & take breakfast of sandwich & tea. our train reached 8.30 am on time at New Delhi railway station. all meet at platform & then march toward Paharganj side, we have Volvo booking from Delhi to Manali at evening departed 6.30pm. so we book a room for rest. evening we reach at RK ashram Piller no 26 for departure, where zingbus office. but came on time & we all started our next journey toward Manali, we have 2 halts on way to Manali, one for dinner & second for breakfast.

 
In bus Delhi to Manali

22 May 2022

we reach Bhuntar at 9.30am & then take 35 km taxi jeep ride for Reach base camp at Rumsu village, nr Naggar.  Rumsu (2200 m) is a small traditional village about 3-4 km from Naggar. It makes for a quaint experience to see the local village lifestyle in the mountains.  Rumsu is also chiefly known for being the starting point of the trek to Malana. There is a well-defined trail through a forest of deodar, pine and other trees that leads toward Chanderkhani Pass.

    at Base Camp

    acclimatise walk in the evening

jeep drop us on-road in rumsu village, then we move to our base camp by trail walk for more than 10 minutes, we witness Rumsu is a charming village with old wooden houses; the residents worship Jamlu Devta (the main deity of Malana). we get a warm welcome from camp leader Ranjit Singh, after settling in the room, we take tea.

next 1 hrs we fresh up & take lunch & at 3pm we go for acclimatise walk around the village.  In the evening we get raining & suddenly the atmosphere is change from dry to cold. on the first floor. we have a brief about the trek, many are first-timer.  we are a group of 38 people in that age group from 7 years to 55 years age group people in our group. after dinner we all going to sleep in a room with sleeping bags. many are uncomfortable with a sleeping bag

 
the     evening suddenly weather change 

    with sleeping bag

23 May 2022

we leave at 8 am from base camp to hampta dam.  From rumsu to Nagar to Prini then hampta dam it takes 2 hrs jeep ride. Crossing the Prini village and facing right on the visage the hefty foothills of the Himalayas standing in its majestic charm, was like wow. A reward, so soon, was kind of unexpected. Yet I, rather we all trekkers, accepted it with warmly open hearts. I was at Pir Panjal range and felt, deep inside, very blessed.

we all group of 38 people with 3 group leaders & supporting staff 5 members started our journey. Trekking should be packed in with the fun, adventure and scope for lots of memorable moments for the future. we took packed lunch on way to Hult point, with adventures crossing 2 river streams, luckily glacier water flow is not too much so we easily pass by the support of each other. With the increasing altitude, my tiredness was also increasing but it used to soon fade away by the views of the hues of the myriad terrains- from dense greenery to the stony mountains.  Finally, reach campsite chikka. suddenly clouds gathered an evening & Rain started. off & on the rain we experience. enjoy campsite & doing the garba & dance & after dinner goes into tent.  OverNight Raining in the valley. 

    Hamta Dam 

    Start trek from hamta Dam

    with trek leader ranjitsingh

    Ascending toward camp site

    Resting Time

24 May 2022

on wakeup, we see a totally different atmosphere the previous day, velly is full of clouds & raining continue, as per group leader, we can't send today, as Balu ka Ghera have too much rain overnight.

Rajan & Nitin 

We full day stay at chikka campsite, morning session we go for small trekk where snow is there & doing skiing in snow & enjoy.  later in the evening, all groups decided to descend as there is no chance for hampta to pass due to only 1 day left, batter we do descend  & enjoy one extra day at Manali.

 

25 May 2022

sunny day, the cloud is disappeared, send is possible but last night group agree for descend so we all move to descend toward hampta dam. & we reach at 12.00 pm at hampat dam. & take a jeep for Manali & check in at the hotel at 3.00pm

later evening visit Hidimba temple & mall road Manali.

    Descend toward hamta dam

    Final meetup groups with instruction 

 26 May 2022

hire bullet for day & visit Atatl tunnel, sisu & jogani mata waterfall. & evening we have booked for Delhi from Manali. & next day from Delhi to surat by Tejas Rajdhani.

 I was glad that I made good use of my time, money as well as strength. It's always good to try something new; the Hampta Pass trek is the best. yet I am not finished. but next time again does the same trek in future

 

Lessons from this Trek :

Don't focus on the Destination, Enjoy the Journey

Himalayan is calling again, Don't chase Himalayan

Vanil Eco Den : Eco camp site develop by GSFDCL

Route: Surat - Simada- Canal road - turn right toward NH8 - Navsari - boriach tall Naka - turn left toward sapautara road- rankuva - vansda - turn left toward vaghai- 8km from vansda, on main road opposite site vanil eco den 

Vanil Eco Den is developed by Gujarat state forest development corporation Ltd (GSFDCL). It is an environmentally-friendly site located in the lush green western Ghat Forest area of Vansda taluka in Navsari District. It is easily accessible by waghai-saputara road & tourists can Experience nature amidst dense tropical forest areas.  
we are a group of friends and family, total of 10 adults & 5 kids, we reach at 1.30pm. after taking entry we rest at the rest zone for 1hrs. we hire 2 cycles for kids, kids enjoy cycling. after 2.30 visit various attraction zone. and finally, visit the adventure zone. this place is on way to surat saputara. so its use as a resting & relaxing location for nature lovers.

Brief about Site 

At the entrance, you get a ticket counter 50/- entry fees per person & 50/- for car parking, if you park the car outside on-road then no pay for parking fee. the place is good for relaxation & connecting with nature. 

Vanil campsite has accommodation facilities.
4 Executive A/c Cottages charge is 3000/- + GST
and 4 Deluxe A/c Cottages charge is 2000/- + GST 

few cycles are also available for cycling its fee is 60 per hr

For video shooting fees 500/- & professional shooting fees 5000/-

Main  Attraction

• Butterfly Zone: there is no butterfly, a special zone created a shape like a butterfly & also watching to make by bamboo, so u can view from Top. The top view looks like a butterfly 

• Tribal Zone: it is developed as traditional dangi people lifestyle like a hut, well, bullock cart, traditional cot with their musical instrument use in festivals, also wall painting of dangi tradition 

• Herbal Zone: various herbal plantation which is used as domestic Gahr gahtthu upchar

• Adventure Zone: it is for adults & kids who both enjoy activities. rop claiming, balancing activities is their in adventure zone

• Wildlife Zone:  wildlife animal statues make in green lush forest 7 from far it look like a real animal in the jungle

• Eco-Trail: small trail for trekking made in the forest 

• Cycling in woods: hire cycle & experience cycling in Jungle

• Wooden Bridge: selfie point whee you can do a picture with a wooden bridge

• Dhanvantri Garden 

• Furniture & Dhanvantri Products Sales Outlet: it has various wooden furniture use in the home, once can buy also, there is a price tag on every piece of furniture, along with dhanvantri ayurvedic product display for sale.

Amenities

• Dining Area- Tribal cafe

• Separate Area For Campfire

• Sahyadri Hall for Meeting/Get together

• Parking Zone: Paid parking available for car 50 for bike 20 for bus 500/-

• Drinking water: RO filter available

• Rest Hut: wooden bench & sofa their for rest, one can rest in green loan also 

Best Time to Visit  July to March

One can reach Vanil ECO DEN by road using a taxi, private vehicle or any other road transport mode

Address : Vanil Eco Den, At & Post: - Navtad ,Ta-Vansda, Dist-Navsari Pin-396580 (Gujarat).

For Booking & information Contact
9033115500 / 7284076511

Entrance Cani Eco Den

Tariff Rate 

Activiy Zone

Butterfly Zone

Forest Therapy 

Road map 

Various attarction

Wilder zone Anilam staue 

Harihar Fort Trekking, A Dream Trek for Every Traveller and Adventure Lover | Trimbak | Igatpuri | Nashik

Unexpected Journey toward Harihar fort trek, but most memorable for me & Kashyap. by profession I am Doctor & work as a Family physician in surat with my friend Dr Kashyap is a dentist. this Diwali vacation we plan for something adventurous & decided to go Konkan Coastal way with a bike ride, till 24 hrs before our schedule is same, but ask support from one friend & he tells limited time you did not enjoy then costal way, & You go Harihar fort trek, which is mind-blowing & a dream for every trekker. & that's our journey planed.

The Harihar Fort trek difficulty level is medium. It lies at an altitude of 3,676 ft from sea level. The hill on which the fort is built looks like a rectangular shape from the base village.  It is a trek that can be executed both by professionals as well as beginners with ease. The route is pleasant and the duration is also manageable, making it one of the more popular treks in the Western Ghats. The edges of the Harihar fort are almost vertical. The attraction of Harihar fort is the iconic steps to the top of the fort. It is almost 80 degrees vertically inclined. Here, trekkers must climb roughly 100 Iconic steps to reach the top of the mountain. This cave-like chamber is reachable by a crawling trap door after climbing those steep steps. The peak of the fort can be reached by the passage of the cave. There is a small temple of Lord Hanuman and Shiva as well as a pond in front of it.  The view from the fort is beautiful. You can see many forts and peaks such as Bhaskargad or Basgad, Anjaneri fort, Brahmagiri and Utwad fort from the top.

The best Season to do the Harihar Fort Trek is from June to February. During this period you can see the spectacular views from Harihar fort. Monsoon is the best season to see the lush green Sahyadris. All the fields in the villages and trails will be full of green grasses. Post monsoon season offers a clear view of the famous forts and peaks from the Top. You can expect pleasant weather during this time.

Short Story: New Year morning after the completion of get2gather with family at 10.45am we leave from surat by eating breakfast of khaman & samosa. out route is Surat to NH 8 - Navsari - Valsad - Vapi- bhilad - charoti ( Mahalaxmi ) - jwahr - amboli - Harihar fort. take the first half at Chikhli, on NH 8 any time I go, I take a halt at SAI tea stall. it has beautiful space for sitting & delicious snacks available, we both take 2 glasses of cold masala buttermilk. then again start our ride. The next halt is Mahalaxmi mandir, due to New Year heavy traffic for darshan, so we avoid darshan & take sugarcane juice & relax for 15 min, next our route is charoti chokdi to left toward jwahar - amboli. we enjoy ghat road & bike riding at speed of 70-80km. the road is awesome. late evening we get cloud & start sudden raining for 1.5hr. we stop under one shop for 1.5hrs wait to stop the rain, our time wasted & we are late to reach base village harshewadi, so we direct go trimbak for night stay it is 10km far from amboli, after check-in hotel & fresh up eat dinner & rest overnight,

The next day after checkout first visit trimbakeshvar jyotirlinga, get the blessing of shiva & then proceed toward Harihar forte. it took 1hr from trimbk to reach base village harshewadi. road & views are awesome, I get a few clicks On the way & reach harshewadi at 12.30pm. 30 charge for per person entry fees for Harihar fort taken by Maharashtra government. local people are helpful & supportive, we assort our luggage & take only one bag with us which carry water & few snacks. another bag & helmet is put to local village home & our bullet is a park in a parking area which charge is 10/-.

we start trek @12.45pm, it is cloudy weather so not feel too much hot, still slowly after 1.30 hrs of upside trek we reach the base of the plateau, then after 80 degrees vertically inclined iconic step start, These rock-cut steps look scary but once you start climbing them, you have enough support there for your safety. So it is not scary as it looks from far. There are notches carved in for support. Make sure you take complete advantage of them. Place your foot carefully. During monsoon season they become slippery because of the moss formation. Do not turn back while climbing the steps if you are afraid of height. It looks very scary. There are around 90 steps before you reach the Mahadarvaja. They are maintained pretty well compared to other forts in that region. After the Mahadarvaja, the trail takes you to a left traverse. Here, your left is open to a valley and your right is the wall of the fort. You can see the Harshewadi village on your left. Once you cross the traverse, you encounter another set of steep steps. After climbing those steep steps, you pass through a small cave. After almost an hour of an exciting climb, you reach the fort.

this trek is a dream for adventure lovers, High adrenaline Rush while claiming & get fulfilment & happiness after reaching on top of the fort, get spectacular views of surrounding Bhaskargad or Basgad, Anjaneri fort, Brahmagiri, Utwad fort, Phani Dongar hill which has a needle-like structure and many other forts are around you. It is fun to identify all of the forts and peaks if you are in a group

we reach 5.30 pm at base village & return toward Nasik, check-in hotel & relaxed overnight, Next day morning back to surat via Nasik - peth - dharmpur - vansda- chikhi- Navsari surat.

For Stay & Food @harihar fort trek 
contact Madhukar 9850500093 who is a local villager @harshewadi village
Charge around 300 per person cost for night stay

Top Harihar Fort

Breakfast Before leave surat

Sai Tea Stall @ chikhli Masala Chhas

On Road @ jwahar 

Bullet Ride highlights

Cloud Set for Rain 

View from Ghat Road

 Trimbakeshwar Shiva Jyotirling

Harihar fort view from base Village

on way to trek route

relaxing mood

80 degrees vertically Step

View from Iconic Step

Harihar fort Trek journey highlighted in the video