This unexplored forest hidden deep inside the jungles of Malshej Ghat, full of flora and fauna. The trail passing through various streams and waterfalls including a popular once Kalu Waterfall. Less know fact, this trail was found by a local villager, who was lost in the forest while hunting.
The Aadrai Jungle Trek is the best way to explore one of Sahyadri’s most beautiful and untouched jungles. This trek will take you deep into the heart of this lush, green forest, where you can see waterfalls, caves, valleys, shepherd trails, famous peaks, and more. You’ll be able to experience all that this incredible Aadrai Jungle Trek has to offer in just one day!
How to reach?
Mumbai Local Train: The cheapest and most convenient way to reach the Khireshwar / Phimphirgaon base village for Aadrai Trek for Mumbaikar is through Local Train (Central Railway). Take a local train to Kalyan. I suggest taking the last train out from CSMT at 12:25 AM, reaching Kalyan by 02:00 AM. Kalyan Railway station is situated around 85 Kms from Malshej Ghat. You can find KMDT buses going to Malshej Ghat every 15 min from Kalyan Bus Depot. The starting point is around 3 KMs away from the bus dropping point (Saj By The Lake Resort).
Private Car: If comfort is your priority and travelling in a group go by car. Phimphirgaon is well-connected to Mumbai by roadways via Kalyan Ahmednagar Road, it will take around 3-4 hours to reach the bases village with a break. The road is well constructed. Several ATMs, petrol pumps, hotels, restaurants and banks are located on the route.
Aadrai Jungle Trek
A gratifying experience waits for you as you reach Malshej Ghat because the place is known for its pleasant climate, beautiful tourist spots and its beauty is here to stay. The place is the most happening tourist attraction when it comes to enjoying this scenic place.
Let's begin your journey by going where nobody dares walking, where nobody had yet walked, going deep inside the untouched jungle, exploring the valley, and witnessing the real beauty of Sahyadri.
Marking Phimphirgaon signboard along the roadside as your starting point. Watching dark blue sky playing with the mountains and with flowing water from it, witnessing the beauty of Harischandragad. You trek towards Rajwada Caves & Shiva Temple, meanwhile witnessing the Taramati peak (3rd highest peak in Sahyadri, standing on Harischandrgad)& the bird's dancing in the rhythm while walking on a flat landscape for like 40 to 45 minutes you will reach a valley point, where you can enjoy watching clouds playing hide & seek. In a minute everything around you will become cloudy & foggy, you will feel like standing on a misty cloud and feels like heaven.
The dense forest trail starts from here. Walking through the dense forest, watching bees, ant holes while crossing the stream of Taramati Naal you get a view of Harishchandragad Konkankada, a Cliff that overhang like a cobra's hood and on the other side unlimited waterfall. After crossing the Taramati Naal, you will reach the endpoint of the forest from where you have to descend. At this point, you can see many different peaks standing proudly next to each other of which one is Bhairavgad. The other end of the forest trail is the viewpoint of Aadrai Waterfall.
Especially during monsoon, the patch between the viewpoint and the waterfall becomes too risky. Therefore, would recommend doing it with precaution. To reach the waterfall base, you have to descend into the steep & deep valley of Aadrai Forest.
It's a spectacular sight, water gushing from unbelievable heights into the valleys. The pleasant bickering, the pristine water and the lush verdant rolling slopes make for the most gorgeous jaw-dropping sites. Waterfalls are indeed magical and a blessing to mankind by mother nature. Sahyadri is famous for many things but it is the waterfalls that take the cake. Drench yourself in this pristine and unexplored waterfall before following the same path to return back to the base village.
If you love to explore, on a way back you can take a diversion to enjoy an unexplored waterfall between the second stream and second forest patch.
Listen To Me:
Carry some ready to eat food, atleast 2-3 litres of water. There aren't any food options available during the trek.
Never go alone during monsoon season and always carry a windcheater for a monsoon trek.
Do not risk your life while trekking and always take a guide if you don’t know the route. Don’t write on walls of the fort, don’t litter, do not indulge in the act of drinking and smoking.
Please get a proper trekking shoe with a grip and if possible carry a walking stick also.
Talk to the native villagers gently and give respect to them, because you are their guests.
Wear full sleeves T-shirt and Pant, which will protect you from the wild insect. It's a jungle, we are bound to bump into these wild insects like leeches.
Carry an Id proof.
Snapshot:
Trek Level: Easy but Medium Endurance
Base Village: Phimphirgaon, Kalyan-Maharashtra
Time Required: 7-8 hours round way.
Region: Thane District