Kamshet is a picturesque hill station in Western Ghats, renowned for paragliding and flying schools. Surrounded by Western Ghats, this place is regularly featured in the top 10 must visit destinations of India for an adventurous junkie.
Located in Pune district, just 45 km from the main town, Kamshet is a paragliders paradise. It’s a beautiful place with small villages with natural scenery and fresh air. You can enjoy the surroundings and also have a closer look at the village life of India with muddy huts and village markets. The area is surrounded by paddy and sunflower fields, and it provides an awesome view while you are enjoying the world-class paragliding facilities here. Among other important attractions in this region are the Bhairi caves, Bhedsa caves, Khondeshwar temple, Pavana Lake and Shindewadi hills. Due to its proximity to other hill stations like Lonavla and Khandala, one can include those places in this trip as well.
Things to do In Kamshet
Paragliding: Kamshet is one of the top spots in India to experience the feel of paragliding in its entirety. With much experienced gliding schools and trainers, Kamshet is that hub for parasailing where you can safely indulge in the sport and make it one of the most redefining experiences of your life.
Shinde Wadi Hills: Shinde wadi hills is a paragliding take off point. This spot is ideal for the paragliding beginners as the take off height is just about 100 to 200 feet above the ground level.
Madhavrao Shinde’s soldiers are believed to have ambushed and fire from the hilltop of Shinde wadi during the battle against British.
Pawna Lake: With visitors and tourists flocking to Lonavala for morning treks and campsites, Pawana Lake is somewhat aloof, about 20 kilometers from the Lonavala Railway Station. The sheer size of the lake along with the surroundings make for an awesome sight as it imposes itself like a canvas painting in your eyes. A camper’s paradise is what it is, surrounded by high towering hills and blessed with an all year round pleasant climate rendering it a lovely getaway location.
Bedse Caves: Located slightly far from Kamshet, Bedse Caves is a group of rock-cut Buddhist monuments dating back to 60 BC. Also known as Bedse Caves, it is one of the oldest caves of Maharashtra tracing back to the Satvahana period.
Kondeshwar Temple: Constructed using stones, the temple represents an ancient Hemadpanti style of architecture. The rocky terrain makes it a rough climb up to the temple and therefore monsoon visits are not advisable.
Bhairi Caves: The cave is located on the high rocks of Kamshet and is known for animal sacrificing that still takes place here.
The cave has some utensils, and it is believed that anyone who tries to steal them will be punished by God of Bhairi and would be thrown into the adjacent valley. The place can be reached by climbing the steps that lead to the caves though the trek is rough, challenging and tricky and can be dangerous.
Best time to visit Kamshet
Kamshet has a Tropical climate. The destination experiences constant weather as nearby cities in and around the district of Maharastra do. As paragliding is the main sport here, it is advisable to avoid monsoon visits, as the winds are strong. Cool winters and warm summers are the best time to visit Kamshet. Waterfalls can be spotted here during monsoons.
How to reach Kamshet
Pune Airport serves as the closest airbase to Kamshet tucked 55 km away. It is well connected via trains, buses, and taxis to the serene destination. Local carriers like Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet, Indigo and Go Air have their frequent services of flights between major cities of India to Pune.
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