Ratanwadi

Nestled between the deep valleys of Sahyadri range, Ratanwadi is a remote village in Maharashtra. Since it is surrounded by hilly terrain, Ratanwadi is considered as a popular destination among tourists for trekking and camping activities. Ratangad Fort is around 2000 yrs old and is known for trekking and camping activities it offers. You can start your trek from the north side of this fort, and it will end on the western side. The view of the trekking trail is mindblowing as you have to pass through beautiful regions of the Sahyadri range. This trekking trail is divided into three parts -easy, medium, and challenging. The last part of the difficult gradient takes you to the top of the fort from where you get a postcard view of the entire village and its surroundings.

For the campers, there are camping regions as well. There is a cave nearby, which has a capacity of accommodating 20 people. When going for camping carry your essentials, water, and food supplies as the villagers don't set up stalls on a regular basis.

Day 1: Reach Ratanwadi.Check in a hotel. Later you can head to see the famous Amruteshwar Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. After this, you should go to Bhandardara which is 40 mins away from the village and enjoy the beautiful Umbrella falls. In the evening you can see the Wilson dam and enjoy the sunset. Overnight stay at Bhandardara.

Day 2: In the morning head to Ratangad fort for trekking. The initial trek is around 1 hour. However, if you want you can do camping with trekking which will take around 1 to 2 days. In this trek, it is ideal to take a guide along with you so that you don't get lost in the forest or the hills. The Ratangad fort trek has fauna which will leave you awestruck. While doing these activities beware of the wild monkeys as they tend to attack the visitors.

Summers and winters are the best time to visit as the skies are clear and make for a safe trip especially while crossing the lake to reach Ratanwadi. Boat rides in monsoons are a bit risky and depending on the weather; boat rides may be restricted. Hence, the best time to visit Ratanwadi is between the months of September and May.
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Pune and Mumbai airports are nearest to Ratanwadi. Pune is 78 km away from the village and Mumbai is around 170 km away. From here, you either can take a car or a bus on hire to reach Ratanwadi. However, the roads are not maintained and thus the travelling time is much more. Igatpuri is the nearest railway station to Ratanwadi. The best route to reach Ratanwadi is through the water. You can take boat rides which are quite frequent from Arthur Lake in Bhandardara and reach here. These rides cost you around INR 30 to 35.

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Very basic accommodation is available. Not many things to see.

Ratanwadi is ideal for people who love trekking and camping. A good weekend getaway for people living in and around Maharashtra though it is visited by people from all over. 

The top places near to Ratanwadi are Bhandardara which is 5 km from Ratanwadi, Matheran which is located 75 km from Ratanwadi, Malshej ghat which is located 20 km from Ratanwadi, Igatpuri which is located 26 km from Ratanwadi, Nasik which is located 53 km from Ratanwadi

The rustic look of the village. A delight for campers and trekkers.

The local cuisine here is dominated by Maharashtrian food with a blend of south and north Indian cuisine. This place is known for it's spicy food of curries and fries.
Misal - a spicy gravy of potatoes, peas and other sprouts, makes for a mouth-watering meal.
Vada Pav is the on the go fast food famous here.

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