Located at about 120 Kms from Thane, Malshej Ghat can be easily accessed by private vehicle or by ST bus from Vashi and Kalyan. By car it can be reached within 3 hours via thestate highway 222(also called NH 61), which is in good condition, except the Kalyan - Shahad 5 Km patch and few spots just before Malshej.
Starting from Ghodbunder Road, Majhiwada petrol pump(odometer 000 Kms), 0nce you are on NH 160 highway, cross the Thane Bhiwandi toll naka(Rs 29) at odometer 005.9 Kms, take right at the large cross road junction on the NH 61(also called SH 222). As soon as you turn right on NH 61 there is first Indianoil petrol pump on left, also Mahanagar Gas CNG station on left. Beware of the Mahanagar Gas CNG as people have given negative reviews of this station as they over charge or cheat my manipulations.
Continue straight till you see a left turn on bridge and crossing that will take you to Shahad, You will come across Centuary Rayon factiry o left at odometer 026.4 Kms. After this there is a dusty village of Govaili, where you will see lot of autos parked on road. The only good vegetarian restaurent here is Dajiba Dhabba. It offers Thali, Dal Khichidi, Paneer and other Vegetable, Dal fry, etc at reasonable rates. This is the only proper vegetarian hotel and there is no good food joint till Malshej Ghat and return, where you will find large variety with a good taste. So, either have food here or pack it for two days if you are a vegetarian.
If you miss Dajiba Dhabba, it is highly recommended that you try excellently cooked Poha(Rs 50), Sheera(Rs 50) and Tea(Rs 20) Coffee(Rs 30) at the Nilesh Punjab Restaurant(vegetarian) which will comes on right hand side of the road at odometer 037 Kms after 1.5 hours from starting point. While these preparations are very good, the missal is horrible. They remain open from 7 am to 10 pm on all days.
After this you will also come across Vruksha After this you will also come across Vruksha Valli Restaurant at 070 Kms with average food followed by Indian Oil petrol pump on right side at 071 Kms
At odometer 075.5 be on a look out for a very good place famous for its Tea called as Hotel Subhash. I can assure you that you that you will get the best tea here on this whole route. Adding to that you can have very good missal pav, vada pav and bhajjias They have basic seating arrangement with farm view.
At 111 Kms you will see a mandir on the right in a small cave also known as Krishna Bela point. Then you will pass a tunnel.
At 113 Kms you will find a narrow lane going left(can be missed easily so be alert). This leads to MTDC resort, the only place for cheap accommodation. Rooms here start from Rs 1500 for simple double bed room to Rs 3, 500 for private AC bungalow and Rs 3000 for non AC bungalow. All bungalows have valley facing balcony. There is another place Sushant Resort which is 5 Kms ahead from MTDC at 118 Kms, but with good and lavish rooms starting Rs 6500 going up to Rs 12, 000. They have restaurant also. Just outside Sushant Resort there is a eatery on highway which sells reasonably priced food.
Flamingo Restaurant at the MTDC serves reasonably good food at reasonable prices. They have good water filter for drinking water so no need to buy mineral water.
MTDC offers very good breathtaking views of the valley and clouds. They have placed railings on the edges for safety and benches for sitting and enjoying the scenery. There is a play area for children, wheel chair facility for the needy and a very large parking area.
Malshej Ghat is at its best during monsoons when clouds surround the resort and even spray fine mist on your face. It is for someone who needs a peaceful holiday amongst the mountains, loves the nature and tranquility. and certainly not those for those who look for shopping, crowds and interested in watching TV inside their rooms.
You can easily visit Malshej Ghat in one day from Thane, Mumbai and Pune as it is only 3 hours journey. You need to stay overnight if you want to see other nearby spots also. There used to be thousands of migrant flamingoes in the nearby lake but since last two years their numbers have come down drastically.
During monsoon season, from Friday to Saturday, MTDC is fully booked as Malshej Ghat is overcrowded. If with family, avoid going from Friday to Sunday during monsoon season. During off-season there is hardly a soul to be seen.
You can visit Shivneri, the birth place of Shivaji and see the fort. It takes less than 45 minutes to reach Shivneri from MTDC, and another 3 hours to climb up the hill to see the fort, and come down. There are two Asht Vinayak – Linyadri and Ozar. Linyadri will come 2 Kms short of Shivneri Fort, and for Ozar you will have to drive another 20 - 30 mins from Shivneri. But as the roads and scenery are good, the drive is enjoyable. Harishchandragarh Fort is also worth visiting.
Only Hutch and Idea will be able to catch weak and intermittent signals, so you will be at peace to enjoy the nature. Junnar village near Shivneri will be the only spot where all the cell phone servioces will work properly.
Upon return from MTDC, you will get petrol pumps at 164 Kms, 171 Kms, 179 Kms, 194 Kms and 203 Kms on NH 61. There is no CNG filling station on this route till you each Kalyan.