My trip to Malshej Ghat was a bittersweet experience. To call this the perfect getaway location would not be completely true, and to call it not so good a place would be a lie.
This review is both about Malshej Ghat and the Malshej MTDC Resort. We had decided to stay at the MTDC Resort (also called Flamingos Hill Resort) because it was one of the few options available on the ghat (according to the ‘52 Weekend Getaways from Mumbai’ book that we regularly consult).
Our journey started from Kalyan station where we took an ST bus from the depot outside Platform 1. The fare was Rs. 54 per head - the distance about 90 km. It was long 2.5 hours journey – thank God we had seats.
The journey was bumpy, but we felt safe in the bus with lots of people. The ghats are known to be treacherous – falling rocks and leopards are the main things to worry about, but this area also looks like it could be overrun by bandits. Riding up here on a motorbike can tiring and very risky (especially in the fog). A big private vehicle is what I’d recommend if you don’t dare take the ST bus.
We arrived in the noon and were welcomed by a thick blanket of fog. You could barely see 3 meters ahead and we began to wonder how the ST bus drivers manage to drive so well. We could not even see the MTDC resort, even though it normally is seen very clearly from the road. Luckily, we found some people who were leaving the resort and they pointed out to a path to take. We tread each step warily.... slowly the ghost of a hotel started to emerge.
The resort was pretty bad - it actually felt like a haunted hostel. The dampness from the fog was felt all around. The bed-sheets and pillowcases were stained, and the paint on the walls had long peeled off. We had already paid for the stay in advance in Mumbai, so we did not bother checking into any of the other accommodation options in the region. It cost us Rs. 800 a night for a couple, and all they included was a measly breakfast.
The fog had decided to stay with us the entire day. So beautiful a place, but nothing to see! The next day was much better. The fog had cleared up and we could really enjoy the scenic beauty of this place. It is a really wonderful place – I highly recommend it to all couples and nature romantics. The view is indeed breathtaking. Please remember to take along your camera and lots of film (if you’ve not gone the digital path yet). And yes, do pack in lots of patience as well. If this is single day trip for you, it would be very disappointing to see nothing but thick fog all day long.
Electric failures are frequent here and they soon became an annoyance. I would not recommend an overnight stay at this place, unless you are prepared to deal with it. Once it becomes a little dark outside, there’s absolutely nothing to see due to the fog and darkness combined.
The restaurant at the MTDC Resort was doing badly too. Their soft drinks were not cold even though the electric power stays on long enough to keep a fridge running. They also did not have any snacks like chips, biscuits, chocolate, etc. To add to all of this, their meals are quite tasteless too. The menu is very limited although they serve both Veg. and Non-Veg.
To sum it up, my overall experience is a follows:
The good:
The Ghats - the scenery Good for photography Good for a romantic getaway
The Resort Location
The fog - actually some of it is cloud! You can actually see a thick blanket of clouds over the lower terrain – and you are up above the clouds. You can usually get such a view only from an airplane.
The bad:
The accommodation at the MTDC Resort
The Resort Food
The room prices
The power failures
The All-day fog
The 2.5 hours ST Bus ride