MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus / Victoria terminus : a World heritage centre, Elephanta caves : a World heritage centre (caves of 700 AD, 1 hour/10 km by boat from Gateway of India), Prince of Wales museum, Victoria and Albert museum, Gateway of India commemorates the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. Hanging gardens and Kamala Nehru park on Malabar hills with panoramic view of Marine Drive. At night, the lights of Marine Drive appears to be Queen's necklace. Mahalakshmi temple, Haji Ali tomb reached by a long causeway, which can be crossed at low tide, Nehru science museum, gardens, parks, Juhu beach, Sripati Arcade (154 m , highest building in India), Borivilli national park (35 km), Kanheri caves (109 caves of 1 C BC, 40 km), Manori, Gorai and Marve beaches (40 km), Esselworld fantacy park, Powai lake (27 km) - Indian Institute of Technology, picnic spot, Vasai fort (45 km) - large Portuguese fort with churches.
ARNALA island fort - From Virar station get a bus to Arnala (18 km) and then to fort by boat. Seperate cylindrical watch tower is an attraction. Fort has a temple and darga.
VAJRESHWARI - Temple with hot springs at Ganeshpuri (35 km from Kalyan). Akolola hot springs (2 km) are near by.
MATHERAN - Hill station near Neral on Mumbai - Pune rail route, narrow gauge toy train connects Nearl with Matheran (13 km, 5 hour), Hart point, Monkey point, Porcupine point, Louise point, 1-3 point, Honeymoon point, Alexander point, Lord point, Echo point, Caronation point, Mary point, Olympia point, Pay master park, Chaelotte lake and Bazaar are some main attractions in the 'car free' hill station.
LONAVLA - Charming hill station on Sahyadri with an average annual rainfall of 500 cm. During the monsoon the area become scenic with lots of waterfalls and greenary. Tata dam (2 km), Bushi dam (7 km), Lion's point (12 km), Sahara lake city (25 km), Duke's nose (8 km), Valvan dam (4 km), Induri fort near Talegaon. Karla caves (12 km, 80 BC), Bhaja caves (8 km, 18 in no.), Bedsa caves (10 km, near Pawna dam) etc. are some main attractions. KHANDALA (5 km) : Hill staton, Rajmachi point - a good vantage point, Bhor ghat route to Khopoli (8 km) is enjoying.
PUNE - Agha Khan's palace with Kasturba Samadhi, temples, Saniwarwada fort, Raja Kelkar museum, Panshet dam (45 km) - picnic spot, Khadakvasla dam (18 km, National Defence Academy), Osho (Bhagawan Rajnish) ashram, Sinhagad fort (25 km), Jejuri - Khandoba temple (38 km), Purandhar fort (45 km), Torna - Rajghat (40 km), Dehu (30 km) - pilgrim centre, Alandi - Pilgrim centre.
ASTAVINAYAK TEMPLES : Swayambhu figures of Sri Ganesh. Madh (15 km from Khopoli), Pali (38 km from Khopoli), Theur (25 km from Pune), Moregaon (15 km from Jejuri, Pune), Ranjengaon (53 km from Pune), Leniyadri (90 km from Pune), Ojhar (75 km from Pune), Sidhatek (20 km from Daund).
12 JYOTIRLINGAS : Bhimashankar (Pune), Grishneshwar (Aurangabad), Vajyanath (Parali/Bid), Nageswar/Aunda Nagnath (Nanded), Trikambeswar (Nashik), Viswanath (Varanasi), Mallikarjun (Srisailam, AP), Mahakaleswar (Ujjain), Mamaleswar (Omkareswar, Indore), Somnath (GJ), Rameshwar (TN), Kedarnath (UA).
BHIMASHANKAR - Jyotirlinga, pilgrim centre (100 km from Pune).
ALIBAUG - Beach and Kulaba island fort - at low tide one can walk to the fort (1.5 km). Time : 3 to 6 pm. CHAUL - fort, ancient town.
MURUD - Janjira island fort with one of India's largest cannons, nearby Padmadurg fort (3 km by boat), beach, 12m wall, 165 km from Mumbai, 300 year old fort of Siddis, palace, Korlai and Revdanda forts on Alibaug - Murud route.
MAHABALESHWAR (1438 m) - Hill station, famous for Strawberry, vantage points are Wilson point, Kate's point, Bombay point, Elphinstone point, Babbington point etc., Venna lake - boating, water falls like Chinaman, Dhobi, Ludwig, Lingamala etc. Pratapgad fort (24 km), Panchgani hill station (25 km) : Table land.
GANAPATIPHULE - Ancient Ganapati temple, beach. 50 km from Ratnagiri. RATNAGIRI - Longest rail tunnel in India (6.5 km) at Karbude, fort, beach, mangoes. MALVAN - fort and beach, Sindhudurg island fort nearby.
KOLHAPUR - Panhala fort (18 km), Girloi park, deep gorge of Pavan khind, Kopeswar temple at Khidrapur, Renkha Bhairav temple, Mahalakshmi temple and old palace, Sri Chhatrapati Sahu museum, Town hall museum, Ran kele lake. AMBOLI - Hill station, flowers.
SATARA - Ajinkyatara fort, Parali fort (Sajjangad), palace, museum, nearby forts are Chandan Vandan forts, Prachitgad, Vasota (From Khed to Chowane by bus, trek to Vasota via Nageshwar temple - steep route. Or from Kas lake, Bambanoli of Satara - 10 hour).
PANDHARPUR - Hindu pilgrim centre (August - October).
BHANDARDHARA - Picnic spot, lake, Kalsubai (1650 m).
NASIK - Hindu pilgrim centre, Simhastha fair is held here once in 12 years, temples, Ramkund - the holy tank 27 m*12 m, Muktidham marble temple, coin museum, Pandav leni - 24 Jain caves of 100 BC. Trimbakeshwar (35 km) - Jyotirlinga, temple, caves, Brahmagiri hill, Anjaneri fort.
SHIRDI - Major pilgrim centre, Sai Baba temple. 85 km from Nasik.
AURANGABAD - 9 caves, Bibi ka Maqbara : Tomb of Rabia Durani (w/o Emperor Aurangazeb), Pan Chakki : Water mill (1695 AD), Rani Begum gardens (24 km), Daulatabad fort (13 km) : large fortress and cannon, tomb of Aurangazeb at Khuldabad.
ELLORA Caves (26 km from Aurangabad) - A world heritage centre. Dance festival in March. 34 caves consisting of Buddhist (1-12), Hindu (13-29), and Jain caves (30-34) of 500 to 1100 AD. Kailasha temple is the main attraction, which is carved out of a monolith, is the biggest cave temple : 84 m * 47 m. Grishneswar jyotirlinga temple.
AJANTA Caves (110 km from Aurangabad) - A world heritage centre of 200 BC. 29 caves containing numerous images of Buddha and painting on walls. The caves are located in the hills in horse shoe shape.
LONAR CRATOR (170 km from Aurangabad) - Formed 50,000 years ago by a hyper velocity meteorite (18 km/s), 100 m in diameter and weighing 2 million tons. The circular saline lake is 1.83 km in diameter and 150 m deep. The crator rises to 20 m above the surrounding land. It is the 3rd largest crator in the world.
FESTIVALS - Mahashivratri and Holi (Feb/March), Ganesh Chaturthi (Aug/Sept).