Five monsoon weekend getaway spots to try out near Mumbai

Monsoon calls for a short break away from the daily grind and slogging at work You can plan a weekend getaway because travelling for such trips is also a lot easier and more convenient Indulge in interesting recreational activities like camping cycling trekking or rafting or explore some amazing places for a quiet time Here are five such places where you can either relax or go for an adventure Your callRepresentational PicHarihareshwarHarihareshwar is a town in Raigad district which is surrounded by three hills named Harihareshwar Harshinachal and Pushpadri There is a famous temple of Lord Harihareshwar at the north of the town that is said to have been blessed by Lord Shiva Harihareshwar is often referred to as Devghar or house of God The deities in Harihareshwar temple are the Trimurti Brahma Visnu and Mahesh along with Devi Parvati Harihareshwar has two beaches on either side of Harihareshwar temple One of these beaches is about 24 km long and lies in front of the temple while the second beach which is 2 km long lies in front of MTDC Resort Harihareshwar along with the two beaches named as Shrivardhan and Diveagar Beach is considered a widely popular weekend getawayGanpatipuleGanpatipule is a small town along the Konkan coast in Ratnagiri district that boasts of long pristine beaches This town is about 340 Km away from Mumbai and is an ideal holiday spot during the weekend Apart from the 400yearold Ganesha temple the beautiful village of Velneshwar 41 km from the town boasts of a peaceful coconutfringed beach where one can spend some time for relaxation and unwinding The fourcenturiesold beach temple considered one of its kind in the state enshrines a swayambhu selfevolved stone idol of Lord Ganesha facing the west against a backdrop of lush green hills of the Konkan region The tiny Ganpatipule village of 150 homes with a population of around 450 presently attracts a whopping two million pilgrims and tourists annuallySaputaraTake a drive till Saputara thats located on the MaharashtraGujarat border around 250 km from Mumbai After crossing Nashik Dindori and Vani you arrive at tiny hill station that offers great drives through forests and byrivers The places to visit in Saputara are the Saputara Lake Gira waterfalls Step Garden and Nageshwar Mahadev temple Dont forget to check out the sunset point or the sunrise pointBhandardaraTake advantage of your long weekends and plan your trip to a monsoon destination like Bhandardara Nestled around 185 km away from Mumbai Bhandardara is one such place where gushing waterfalls meandering lakes green paddies and misty mountains play hide and seek The best places to visit in Bhandardara are the Bhandardara Lake Wilson Dam Arthur Lake Randha Falls Ratangad Fort Amruteshwar Temple The hill station can be reached by rail and road and the nearest railhead is IgatpuriPawna LakeThe Pawna Lake near Lonavala is 10 Kms off Kamshet on the old MumbaiPune highway where you can indulge in pedal boating and kayaking during the monsoon season Pawna Lake is actually an artificial reservoir formed by the water of Pawna dam With life jackets available you can also go for a dip in the lake even if you do not know how to swim If you are a history buff then a visit to Tung Lohagad Visapur and Tikona forts in the vicinity will better your stay tenfoldStay Healthy This Monsoon With MetropolisCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates