Malshej Ghat is a mountain pass

Mountain pass

A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...

 in the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 range in pune district

Pune District

Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India . Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population...

 of Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The site is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

. The best time to visit is between August and September. At this time of the year, the hills are clothed in a soothing shade of mint green and the weather is cool due to the monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

s. Known for its misty tops and ice cold cascades at this time of the year, the site is a very popular weekend getaway for most of the city's residents at that time of the year. It has got number of waterfalls and the greenery is just awesome during the monsoons

The site is home to hundreds of different kinds of flora and fauna especially the avian population such as quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

s, rail

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

s, crakes, flamingo

Flamingo

Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...

s and cuckoo

Cuckoo

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...

s.

Getting there

Malshej ghat is situated in Pune district near the borders of Thane and Ahmednagar districts. It is at a distance of 154 km from south Mumbai towards northeast and 130 km north of Pune. The nearest railhead is Kalyan near Mumbai. To go to Malshej ghat by road from Mumbai, take NH3 to Bhiwandi and turn towards Murbad or take state highway via Kalyan, Murbad, Saralgaon and Vaishakhare to reach the ghat. To go to Malshej ghat from Pune, take NH50 (Pune-Nasik highway), turn left at Narayangaon and pass through Junar. State Transport buses are cheaper and available from Kalyan, Karjat and Pune at regular intervals.

Shivneri fort, where Shivaji was born, is 40 km from Malshej ghat.

Activities

For trekkers and hikers, it is a heaven of sorts as the solitude of unending rolling hills provides quite some experience. One can scale the peaks or explore the intricate jungle paths below. The Shivneri Fort

Shivneri Fort

Shivneri Fort is a historic military fortification located near Junnar. It is the birthplace of Shivaji.Shahaji, Shivaji's father, was a general in the army of the Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur. He was concerned for the safety of his wife Jijabai during her pregnancy as there was constant warfare...

 is also the birthplace of Shivaji — one of the great past rulers of Maharashtra. Often dense fog

Fog

Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...

covers the peaks of the hills. The site is also devoid of the mad rush of tourists that normally accompanies most other locations near the city. However, weekends attract many people during the monsoon.

Bird graves

The ghat has the dubious distinction of being a graveyard for small birds during the onset of the monsoons. Most of the birds nest among the cliffs of the Western Ghats. In this season, strong gusts of wind, heavy rain and dense fog often result in the birds getting disoriented. As many of the birds gravitate to the bright lights of the passing vehicles, the birds hit the cliff faces often leading to their deaths. However this phenomenon has decreased in the recent years according to local naturalists.

Accommodation

Since the area is at a considerable distance from a small town, there are not many posh restaurants and shopping malls. Flamingo Hill is a resort run by MTDC – Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in the vicinity.
You need to book hotel rooms in advance, especially at weekends during the monsoon. Hotel booking can be done from any MTDC tourism office or online at http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in.

The MTDC resort has improved over the years. The resort is huge and the view is fabulous. Unlike Lonavala where one gets to see only other resorts, the view from MTDC is that of mother nature i.e. greenery and the valley. The restaurants has mix of veg and non-veg options but the options are very limited. One has to order in advance to get a decent meal. The prices are reasonable.

However, during rainy season (July and August)one would hardly find a vacant room in this huge resort. But other than MTDC resort, there are other private resorts where you can spend a day or two. Resorts are cheap but prices may hike in rainy season.

Accommodation is also available in a nearby village called Madh. Madh is about 6 km away from Malshej ghat. Ranwara Residency offers excellent lodging facilities. The residency is situated by the picturesque back waters of Pimpalgaon Joga dam. The residency offers self contained 6 bed, 7 bath and breakfast at nominal rates. Ranwara Residency is also used by several film shooting crews from Bollywood & Tollywood.