An Experience You Will Cherish Forever: A Complete Guide to Camping at Bhandardara (2020)

The best way to reach the place is on your private vehicle by road. Though public transport may make your journey tiring because of poor road patches, the journey goes comfortable with several restrooms and restaurants along the highway.

The camp trip is an outdoor activity that includes staying away from home overnight in a caravan, tent, or a motorhome. Normally, participants spend their outdoor time amidst nature doing some activities for fun. Camping is regarded as an outing wherein you spend at least one night outdoor that sets it apart from picnicking, day-tripping, and other recreational activities of short-term.

At Bhandardara camping, you get an exciting lakeside escape to get rid of the stress and tiredness of city life. You also experience rejuvenating and serene landscapes. Staying in camping tents at Bhandardara lake’s banks with various facilities such as barbeque, boating, toilets, campfire, etc. is a natural delight. These tents are wonderfully decorated that enhance your stay experience.

Bhandardara is a perfect place to shoot amazing stars at night time. At this spot, the sky is clear, the atmosphere is silent, and the surroundings are dark, which makes it best for stargazing. You can gaze at the stars while lying along with your closed ones or friends.

During Bhandardara camping, you can go completely natural and grill your snacks and food. From frankfurters, meatballs, kababs, and chicken salamis to paneer, aloo tikki, and veg kababs, you can grill and eat anything you desire. Add ketchup and mustard for taste. The best part about these is that they are easy to cook. And, most of the campers like to grill their food or snacks on the camp.

At the campsite, lighting up a campfire adds warmth and light. However, you can also use its heat for cooking. Further, the fire also acts as a deterrent for insects, predators, and beacons. Campfire is also a famous camping feature, and campers love this for natural warmth. There are some fun activities usually performed around this fire, such as singing and dancing at night to add more memories to the trip.

It’s not an easy task to sleep outdoors and wakes up to chilling mornings, but the delight of watching beautiful sunrise makes it worth it. The reflection of sun rising above Arthur Lake and the mountains is distinctly seen from the camping spot. See the unique phenomenon of how the sky changes its colours which is a common view during mornings at Bhandardara.

The most beautiful and the largest lake across the country is Arthur lake at Bhandardara. And, boating is one of the exciting activities during camping for which you can use recreational boats like sailboats, paddleboats, rowing, or powerboats. Further, Arthur lake is distinguished by warm summer winds in addition to calm and cold water, making it a perfect spot for boating.

Here, you can take the benefits of the ecosystem’s exceptional elements. Anandvan provides special opportunities to their guests to enjoy the waterways and companion. You can select to peddle the boat or row it in-between.

With significant canyons in the mountain ranges of Sahyadri, Sandhan Valley is a great combination of a valley and a canyon. It is situated in the Nagar district, which is close to the popular Ratangad fort. Besides, Sandhan Valley is also referred to as the Valley of Suspense.

You get an experience of a lifetime while walking via narrow valley streak with 300 feet on both the sides of rock walls. Trekking at the Sandhan Valley is an unforgettable outing while the icing on the cake comes in when you stay overnight along the valley’s reservoir side under the dark sparkling sky.

At the Dam Corner café, you must not miss the Google bhajiyas. It is the first thing that’s served during the evening to campers. These bhajiyas make everyone go crazy for their taste.

Adventure-loving campers would do anything to experience a ride on the top of a jeep within mountains. Across the inner parts that are characteristics of the countryside, drivers drive in between Shendi and Ghoti. And, during this path, you are allowed to sit on the rooftop of the jeep. Don’t miss to enjoy the mountains and valleys' view beside them from that top.

No trip is complete without a collection of group pictures and selfies. You can pick spots where you can get an easy view of the lake in selfies and group pictures. While group pictures serve as memories of the trip, you can use selfies for various purposes. Show off to your colleagues in the office or friends at college. Or, you can also put it as a display photo on social accounts or your phone’s wallpaper.

Set up at Bhandardara’s picturesque location, the cam takes you to the natural beauty of Arthur Lake. You will spend a night beside the lake in tents after a fun-filled campfire session in the evening, including various activities and games. The peaceful night stay ends with a serene morning experience to the golden light at the sunrise sparkling over the lake’s water.

This camping tour includes travel arrangements from Kasara to Bhandardara and back in a private jeep. You get twin/triple-sharing tent accommodation for one night along with mattresses, blankets/sheets, veg evening snacks, veg/non-veg dinner, and veg breakfast. However, travel accommodation from your home to Kasara isn’t included. Also, you might need to bear costs for extra food/beverages and those caused by unforeseen circumstances.

The itinerary starts with a jeep from operators picking up campers from Kasara railway station at 3:00 pm, followed by a 2-hour drive to Bhandardara, evening snacks, and night arrangements. The next day, you will get breakfast and can capture some pictures followed by departure for Kasara at around 9:30 am. The trip ends when campers reach Kasara railway station at around 11:30 am.

This camping tour is provided by Sumeru Trekkers at the rate of Rs. 1,750 per person with a maximum group size of 50 campers allowed.

This tour offers a night of lakeside camping at Bhandardara lake. Campers can enjoy a bonfire, star-gazing, peaceful night stay, and other fun activities. The tour includes camping accommodation in tents, barbecue, unlimited food, games, and music. Though travel accommodation isn’t included, you can get by paying an extra amount. However, food is included for dinner, breakfast, snacks, and bbq with an option of veg & non-veg for dinner.

The itinerary starts with campers reaching the campsite at 3:30 pm and get some free time to wander around before orientation at 4:00 pm. This follows high tea, snacks, and games at 5:00 pm, then BBQ at 7:30 pm, and finally dinner, music, and campfire at midnight. The next morning starts at 7:00 am, and you get to enjoy the sunrise and breakfast until 9:00 am. After some leisure time, around 10:00 am, campers leave after check out at 11:00 am.

Camping tents on a 2/3 sharing basis, blankets, mattresses, washroom facility are also included. You are allowed to bring alcohol as well as use common facilities and amenities at the site. Adventure Club Pune provides the tour at the cost of Rs. 1,200 per person.

The tour lets you experience the sight of fireflies, glorious tiny creatures besides the breathtaking Sahyadri ranges. Few days before the end of monsoon, Bhandardara witnesses the arrival of fireflies who start emitting a glow by sparkling and shining. The reason for their shine is to attract prey or mates, and this phenomenon of theirs adds magic to summer nights of campers. You can play with them and also click photographs for a long life memory.

Local transportation to and from Kasara is included. On the FnB list, inclusions include a welcome drink, barbeque, evening snacks, dinner, and breakfast. Other additions are boating, tent stays, fun games, activities, and basic first aid. Mineral water, insurance, and transportation between Mumbai and Kasara are not included. Campers will be taken from Kasara at 2:00 pm to the campsite and welcomed with a drink. This will follow witnessing sunset while boating and a pleasant walk beside the lake come next. You enjoy evening barbeque, night club, fun activities, and games before dinner with music and dance. And then, the most-awaited part of sighting fireflies comes. The next morning starts with blissful greenery around, and hot tea served.

Then, explore the campsite, click some pictures, and then pack your tents for check out. Since fireflies arrive at a specific period only, the camp is organised on particular dates. Hikerwolf doesn’t take any responsibility for the low sighting of fireflies. The tour is available at a starting price range of Rs. 1,799 per person, and you can opt for travel accommodation from and to Mumbai for
Rs. 2,199.