Monday 26 September 2016

Kaas Plateau - The Valley of Flowers...

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

About Kaas Plateau: The Valley of Flowers...

Last Saturday, I visited "Kaas Plateau" with my friends. It was in my "must visit" list from the past 3 years and finally we planned this trip to "The Valley of Flowers". Kaas Plateau, also known as "Kaas Pathar" (in Maharashtra), is located around 145 kms from Pune city of Maharashtra, India. This place is rich in flora and is significantly known for its biodiversity. During the months of August and September, the valley provides habitat to more than 800 different species of flowers and plants. After monsoon, for a stretch of 2-3 weeks; from end of August till mid-September, the plateau blossoms with different varieties of flowers and attracts many tourists and nature lovers from across the country. In 2012, UNESCO approved it as the "World Natural Heritage Site" and since then this plateau grabbed more attention of the local tourists.

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Our Journey...

In our trip to Kaas, we left Pune at 8 am in the morning and reached Kaas at around 12:30 pm (took 2-3 breaks in between). Since it's a UNESCO approved site, to manage the crowd and to avoid damages, the officials have restricted the number of visitors to 3000 per day. Along with that, there are four time slots of 3 hours each for visiting the place. Since it was not a pre-planned trip and that we planned it in just 2 days and also we were 14 people in total, so to manage everything we kept some travel time in buffer and booked our tickets for the 1-4 pm slot. We reached Kaas at 12:30 pm and parked our vehicle 1 km ahead of the main entrance gate. After that, we started walking and reached the main gate at 1 pm. Since the plateau was located at high altitude and unfortunately we had overcast conditions, which ruined some of my plans to capture good pictures of the place. But still the beauty of the valley was of a different kind and we took a stroll across the path created for walking and enjoyed our time
 

After covering most of the area, we left for Pune at 4pm and reached there by 9 pm in the night (took dinner break in between).

Here are some of the photos I clicked in foggy weather. Hope you like them! :)

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

 Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers


Near by places to visit...
  1. Mahabaleshwar Hill Station (35 kms)
  2. Koyna Sanctuary (20 kms)
  3. Tapola (50 kms)
  4. Wai (30 kms)

How to reach Kaas Plateau from Pune...
  1. Pune-Bangalore Highway -- Katraj --Shindewadi -- Khed Shivapur -- Nasarpur phata --  Kapurhole -- Shirwal -- Bhumj -- Satara -- Kaas (20 kms from Satara)
  2. Pune-Solapur Highway -- Hadapsar -- Saswad road via Diveghat -- Saswad village --
    Narayanpur --  Kapurhole --Shirwal -- Bhumj -- Satara -- Kaas (20 kms from Satara) 

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Kaas Plateau - Valley of Flowers

Best time to visit...

Best time to visit Kaas Plateau is after the rains from end of August till October. However, the rarest species of flowers normally blossoms during the months of August(late) and September(mid).

For Photography enthusiasts this is the perfect place to capture some ever-lasting memories. So pray to god for sunny day and click some extra ordinary pictures! :)

Timings...

There are four slots of 3 hours each for visiting the valley-

7am - 10am
10am-1pm
1pm-4pm
4pm-7pm

Maximum 3000 people can register to visit the place per day. 

Ticket Details...

Rs.50 per person for 3 hours on Weekdays
Rs.100 per person for 3 hours on Saturday,Sunday and Government Holidays.

Photography charges for DSLR camera : Rs.100
Vehicle parking charges extra.

My Take...

This is one such place which you wouldn't want to miss when in Pune. It's a UNESCO site and is the only one of its kind! A perfect place for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts!! :)


Note: Few details have been taken from Google for accuracy.

I am taking my Alexa Rank to the next level with Blogchatter #MyFriendAlexa.

83 comments:

  1. I feel good when government is maintaining such places in a very good manner, as all these things add to tourism.
    Regarding your pictures, I don't want to say anaything as Master does not appreciation from small people :)
    Heared 1st time about this place, thank you for spreading awareness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True that, Anshul! Government is indeed taking good measures to keep the place clean and visitor friendly. Thanks for stopping by and providing your valuable feedback. :)

      And I'm no master in photography. ;) I love to click pictures and always feel great when someone appreciates them. Thanks again! :)

      Delete
  2. wow... why is it that I have never heard of this place!! Looks absolutely fabulous. Loved your photography and thanks for providing all the timing details. A great place to spend time with family :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's indeed a great place to spend time with family.Even I wasn't aware about the place when I first came to Pune. It's like "word of mouth publicity", I get to know about this from one of my friends and now I'm sharing this with others, so that it reaches to more and more people. Thanks for stopping by, Raj! :)

      Delete
  3. I regret not visiting Kaas, despite being a Mumbai-kar!
    But thank you, Saumy, for taking me to Kaas through your post. Your pictures are, as usual, lovely and I loved the helpful write up too, esp that you shared the timings. If I, or anyone else would be visiting Kaas, I would refer to/ and share this post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind words,Mayuri! Well, I would say it's never too late, you can plan for Kaas next year. :)

      Also, thanks again for always being so generous and supportive! :)

      Delete
  4. Planned to visit this place 3 times but somehow still on list ... we have to walk a lot to reach this place right??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, cars can be parked just at few meters distance from the main gate. It's only within the site where you need to walk to explore more. Well, plan to visit Kass next year, it's not far from Mumbai. :)
      Thanks, Ruchi! :)

      Delete
  5. Oh I thought The Valley of Flowers was only in Uttarakhand, I was there 5-6 years back. I am getting to know another one in Pune, Thanks for sharing this

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Places like these are hidden gems and the more we explore the city the more we learn about near by treasures.Glad you liked the post, Anil!
      Thanks for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  6. Nice post ,informative guide to the valley of flowers :)

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  7. Wow! thanks for the gorgeous share- it s a feast treat for my eyes. I had been planning to go for this sighting since last two years. Now your post has motivated me to plan it for next year for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Do visit it soon! May be next year as this year's season has already passed. Glad you liked the post, Shalini!
      Thanks for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  8. Wow..the place looks beautiful..and your pics says it all.. sometimes we just need to explore little more to find such places..thanks to u ..now we know about all these beautiful places :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, it's all about exploring places and creating memories! It's indeed one of the best places around Pune. Hope you add this to your itinerary when you visit Maharashtra.

      Thanks a lot, Deepa!

      Delete
  9. Beautiful pics will visit this place definitely when going for a Pune trip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for stopping by, Amrita! Glad you liked the pictures :)

      Delete
  10. I would love to visit it. I also applaud the steps government has taken to maintain the place. Three hour window is a clever trick. I will recommend this to my friends in Pune.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's indeed a clever idea to bring more people in, to visit the place. Hope you also plan to visit it some day! Thanks for stopping by, Saru! :)

      Delete
  11. Looks too good.Nice photos and informative post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Subha! Glad you liked it! :)

      Delete
  12. Absolutely spectacular postcards from Kaas Plateau! You have left me itching to pack my bags and travel to this paradise right away. And such an informative post, bookmaring it - I know I will be there someday!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Arti! Glad you liked the post and found it informative to bookmark! Well, I hope you visit the place soon and enjoy the picturesque Kaas! :)

      Delete
  13. This place is on my bucket list forever. I know S will love this place. I am wondering if I should plan a trip in october though?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jai, the best time to visit Kaas is from August end to mid of September.Also, a lot depends on weather too. A bright sunny day is always the best! Well, whenever you plan just drop me a message on twitter or FB. :)

      Thanks for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  14. Thanks for this wonderful pictorial tour of Kaas, it's on my travel wishlist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot for stopping by, Vanessa! Glad you liked the virtual tour! :)

      Delete
  15. This is mind-blowing Saumy! I had been there in last week of sept but it was too rainy and misty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot, Kala! I know it's of no worth if the place is receiving heavy rain! :( But it's not that far from Mumbai, so you can plan again. :)

      Delete
  16. It looks like the table land in Mahabaleshwar....superb capture there :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You got that right, Shweta! It's like a table land only but with loads of beautiful flowers and unique species of plant. :)

      Thanks for stopping by! Glad you liked the pictures :)

      Delete
  17. FABULOUS pictures! I went with Kala. We couldn't see half the flowers due to the mist and rain. But thanks to your post, I can now see the variety. Loved it Saumy:) Thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so very much, Divsi! I know it's disheartening when we visit some place and rain ruins everything.:( I hope you plan to visit kaas next year again! Also, glad that you liked the post. Really means a lot! :)

      Thanks!! :)

      Delete
  18. Wow! Such a beautiful place. And breathtaking pictures. Loved this post, Saumy :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Purba! The place is really beautiful! Hope you plan to visit it someday! :)

      Delete
  19. Surely a must-visit place,thanks for this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading the post, Indu! Glad you liked it :)

      Delete
  20. seems a great place , beautifully photographed in above pictures

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful place and awesome photographs !!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind words,as always! Glad you liked the pictures! :)

      Delete
  23. Wow beautiful post. Kaas Plateau is so much on my wishlist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank u so much, Svetlana! Glad you liked the post! :)
      Well, you can plan to visit it next year during September! Kaas when in full bloom appears like a carpet of flowers. :)

      Delete
  24. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by and reading the post, Yogi! :)

      Delete
  25. Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Anupam! Glad you liked the pictures :)

      Delete
  26. Seems like a heavenly place! I want to be there some day.
    Excellent captures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! It's a beautiful place. Hope you plan to visit it soon. :)

      Glad you liked the pictures :)

      Delete
  27. Having stayed in Panchgani for almost 5 years, didn't get a chance to visit this place. Next trip to Pune, I'll definitely try to cover this. Wonderful photos as usually, made the place come alive here ! Kudos !

    ReplyDelete
  28. What an asbolutely splendid place and what breathtaking photographs! India has so much to offer the traveler and the tourist. This was a treat for the eyes, Saumy :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's indeed a paradise for tourists and photographers! And true that India has so much in store for everyone that covering all the amazing places in one lifetime is not enough!

      Glad you liked the pictures, Ma'am! :)

      Delete
  29. Awesome, man. This looks so cool...nice that you finally took this journey ☺️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much,Alok! Glad you liked it :)
      It was a fabulous experience indeed !

      Delete
  30. Cool Saymy! happy to see your journey!

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  32. Woah!!! Such stunning clicks!! I had been planning Kaas trip for years and couldn't do it and finally gave up. Glad you got around to visiting the plateau in full bloom :D

    ReplyDelete
  33. Beautiful clicks saumy felt happy to see these pics. Kaas seems really khaas isnt it

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  34. Very interesting blog. A lot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that attract others, but I'm most definitely interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hey keep posting such good and meaningful articles.

    ReplyDelete
  36. How beautiful! What a feast for the eyes, right?

    ReplyDelete
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