Mumbai to Matheran

Route: Mumbai-Airoli/Thane-Dombivli Shil Phata-Badlapur-Neral-Matheran

Distance: 85 km

Best Part: Narrow semi-finished roads with lotz of bad patches and a great Ghat section makes the journy on this route a real adventure and thrill

Description: If you are from Central Mumbai Sub-urbans, hit the Eastern Express Highway and continue till Airoli. From Airoli reach to Dombivli Shil Phata via Mahape. If you are starting from Western Mumbai Sub-urbans, take Ghodbunder road and reach Thane. From Thane, you can reach Dombivli Shil-phata by two ways:1. Thane-Mumbra-Dombivli Shil PhataShil Phata.2. Thane-Airoli-Mahape-DombivliThe 2nd route will be a better choice as roads are always bad in Mumbra.Once you reach Dombivli Shil-phata, take left turn and continue along the road that goes to Dombivli city. Just 7 to 8 kms before the Dombivli city, you will find a old Octroi Naka, take right turn after the naka. The new road is called Badlapur-Pipeline road. Your fun journey starts from here. The road is excellent (except few bad kms near Badlapur) and the traffic is also very less.After you take right turn from Badlapur, the road till Neral is a realbeauty. The road isn't that good what makes it great is good scenic nature along the road and beautiful view of great mountains and waterfalls.Hey...don't look at them too much concentrate on driving Once you cross Neral the road to your right goes to Matheran....your dream destination. Matheran is just 7 to 8 kms from here but what a road it is....real thrill....I am sure that you will never forget those 7 kms of Ghat climbing experience, especially when you have a bulky pillion rider with you on your back seat :)) You can test all your Ghat climbing skills on this small road.Park your vehicles in Dasturi and start walking towards Matheranstation......Yes you can't continue on your vehicles after Dasturi

Stopovers: No stopover is required as this is a very small route of 85 to 90 kms from Mumbai

Fuel Stations: After Dombivli Shilphata to Matheran, you won't find any fuel station. So get your tank full in Mumbai itself

Tips: The road from Thane/Airoli till Badlapur Pipeline road is a big pain.These few kms that are sufficient enough to give you a hard back pain...so drive carefully

Mumbai to Murud-Janjira

Route: Mumbai-Panvel-Alibag-Kashid-Murud

Distance: 170 km

Best Part: Not far from Bombay! Great coastal food almost every where you'd want to take a bite.

Description: This route is a treat, but for its paradox. The best time for the beach is certainly not the monsoon, but the ride is best during the rains.A ride to there is early winter (nov) could provide a best of both! The ride to Panvel is a drag.... once you're past Panvel the ride changes in charecter. The road is quite well laid and you make good time. Do watch for the diversion to Alibag. else you'd find yourself hurtling towards Goa (not bad really) After Alibag is when the ride is at its best. the road is narrow and you pass thru the Bazaarpeth of Revdanda. The town is seeped in history for those who seek to explore it. This town was a hub for arab traders in the years past. The mosque at Choul is HUGE, but is scarecely known. Revdanda is also a place where you can wander along the remenants of the old portugese fort and see the ruins of the chapel where St. Francis gave perhaps his first sermon in india. From Revdanada you head on to Kashid with is a magnificient beach. along the way you pass by an another portugese fort of Korlai and also drive thru the Phansad wildlife sanctuary. Past Kashid the views continue to enthrall. One is almost sad to reach the destination !!

Stopovers: Plenty... i would particularly recomment the 'woods' at Karnala.

Fuel Stations: No fuel stations as you pass thru the santuaries at Karnala and Phansad.

Tips: I'd encourage you to explore and make some detours... this route has a lot to offer!!

Mumbai to Jawhar

Route Mumbai-Vajreshwari-Wada-Khodala-Jawhar-Charoti-Manor-Mumbai

Distance: 350 km

Best Part: Of the 350 km, only about 100 km are straight. The rest is twist, twist and twist some more...

Description: Start on superb, but straight NH8, turn off to Vajreshwari some 40 km later. The road is bumpy, mostly straight but has enough corners to keep you amused.Blow by Vaj'wari and keep going until the road ends. Turn left for Wada. Road is good, fast, has a few corners and does have traffic. Past Wada, the road to Khodala may not be great, but changes direction every 200 m or less. AWESOME. You are inside the Tansa forest, and there is a 10 km ghat section which has awesome surface. Expect to meet another vehicle every hour or so. NICE. Past Khodala, the road quality remains the same until about 20 km from Jawhar. Reaching Jawhar, passing through to Charoti is FANTASTIC. All hilly, all squiggly with great road quality and absolutely no traffic to speak of. Expect to be dog tired when you return to Mumbai. There are a couple of alternatives routes to return, apart from the drone down NH8, but have not tried them out yet.

Stopovers: Road side dhabas abound. All the towns make nice stops.

Fuel Stations: Wada, Khodala and Jawhar have fuel stations, but they are few and far between. So stock up before.

Tips: Vaj'wari supplies water to Mumbai, the 23 km from highway can be slippery and wet. For Charoti, use the route that goes THROUGH Jawhar, not the Silvassa short cut. And when you get to the Thane/Charoti fork past Jawhar, pick Charoti.