BHANDARDHARA - FIREFLIES FESTIVAL 2024 - CAMPING

Join us for the upcoming batches in May and June 2024 to experience the thrill of walking through the forest region to spot the fireflies. This camping event is safe and suitable for girls, women, kids, families, groups, and solo travelers coming alone for the camping. Here at Bhandardhara Fireflies Festival organized by Mischief Treks, you get to experience the sound of chirping birds and calm water rippling is the beauty of lakeside camping. The ambiance is breathtaking and relaxing to rejuvenate.

• Category: Fireflies Festival Camping 2024, suitable for beginners.
• Duration: Overnight Camping
• Date: 18-May2024, 25-May-2024, 01-Jun-2024, 08-Jun-2024, 15-Jun-2024, and 22-Jun-2024
• Source: https://www.mischieftreks.com/tours/fireflies-festival-bhandardara

Travel Options and Charges for Bhandardara Fireflies Festival Camping:

1. You can reach the campsite in your Own vehicle. We will be sharing GPS locations and directions/instructions on the WhatsApp group. Camping fees with this option will be Rs. 1750 per person
2. Camping & Pickup/Drop from Kasara Railway Station. Pickup/Drop Time: 2:47 pm kasara / next day 9:00 am pickup from bhandardara. Camping fees with this option will be Rs. 2200 per person
3. Kids Charges: For Kids Camping Charges without pickup are Rs. 750 and with Pickup from Kasara are Rs. 1300

⚠️ Booking closes once slots are sold out. Book well in advance to avoid missing out.

Do not book this event without reading and understanding the event details on this page.

DETAILED ITINERARY - Bhandardhara Camping - Fireflies Festival

Meeting Point

For people travelling in their own vehicle: Those coming by own vehicle need to reach the meeting point Dogra Food Mall Kasara, before 3.10 pm and follow our vehicles till Campsite. OR you may reach the Campsite directly. 

Those who have opted for pick up and drop from Kasara Local train station need to board CSMT-KASARA local train at these timings from a station nearest to you.

Train For Bhandardhara Fireflies Festival Camping

Catch the Kasara Local train from the station nearest to you

Train timings:

• CSMT-12:30 pm
• Dadar-12:43 pm
• Kurla-12:50 pm
• Ghatkopar-12:54 pm
• Thane-01:12 pm
• Kalyan-01:37 pm
• Kasara-02:47 pm

Once the train reaches the station local jeeps will be waiting outside the station to take you to the campsite. The jeeps will halt at a dhaba for participants to freshen up and proceed to the campsite.

Schedule for Bhandardara Fireflies Festival

• The event leader will reach the campsite along with the train participants around 06:10 pm. We shall then have a short introduction once everyone has gathered at campsite.
• Once you reach the Campsite you can freshen up, then we'll be allocating tents to everyone.
• Relax and Team-games by 7.00 pm. 
• Dinner will be ready by 09:30 pm. 
• Post dinner we shall go for a walk around 10:30 pm to spot Fireflies.
• You can choose to sit/lay down for the night enjoying the mesmerizing weather for as long as you want. 

Day 2 

• 07:00 AM - Wake Up Call, freshen up.
• 08:00 AM - Breakfast
• 08:30 AM - Chill in lake water and boating
• 10.30 AM - Start return journey towards Mumbai 
• You will reach Mumbai around 1/2pm depending upon the traffic.

Don't miss reading the IMPORTANT Note section.

Coordination: Three hours prior to the event date and time, we will be creating a WhatsApp group for coordination purposes, coordinator contact, etc will be shared in the group. 

But please note there is network issue at campsite and connecting on phone might be tough. We recommend meeting us at Kasara itself. Meeting point : Dogra Food Mall (kasara)

Inclusions:

• Evening tea and refreshments
• Dinner Veg/Jain/Non-Veg
• Morning breakfast & tea 
• Fireflies Sighting 
• Tent Stay 3/4 sharing basis OR Alternate Stay arrangement (Twin sharing available on additional cost of Rs.500 per couple)
• Transport ( if opted for) 
• First Aid Guide & expertise charges.

Exclusions

• Personal expense 
• Personal vehicle parking charges 
• Rescue charges
• Soft Drinks 
• Bottled water
• Things not covered in inclusions

Things to Carry

1. Identity Proof (must)
2. Torch with extra battery (Must)
3. A bottle of water (atleast 2 Ltrs)
4. Some ready to eat food. Plum cakes, Biscuits etc.
5. Optional- Extra Mats/Sleeping Bag or blanket to add on to comfort level in tent.
6. Medicine that you require usually (We do have a basic first aid kit)
7. Please avoid wearing Gold and other ornaments or carry precious items.
8. Extra pair of clothes.

Points to Note and FAQ's - Bhandardara Fireflies Festival 2024

Following are the frequently asked questions regarding Bhandardara Fireflies Festival - Camping and Trek

Q: I have booked/paid for the event, is my booking confirmed for Bhandardara Fireflies Festival? 

Ans. No !, your booking can become invalid if you do not submit the ‘Most Important Details’ required for emergency situations. For any Trek/Adventure event the organizers need to have your details at least 24 hours prior to the event. We do not allow anyone to the campsite until we have complete and authentic details of the person. This info is crucial in case of an emergency and is a mandatory KYC parameter. The link for the ‘personal details form’ will be sent on WhatsApp immediately after you complete the booking instructions mentioned on the website. Submitting incomplete/incorrect/fake details in the form will make your booking invalid and no refund will be provided in such case.

Q. Why is submitting emergency contact details and KYC information mandatory?

Ans. It’s a standard protocol and also part of guideline by local authorities. We are accountable for every Human-Body present at our event, and in case of any unfortunate event need to provide all relevant information about you to governing authorities. In order to comply, we have to take authentic information from you. Providing Fake/Incomplete information, or non-submission of the details will make your booking (paid amount) invalid and no refund will be provided in such case. You will not be allowed to participate in the event.      

Q. Does the cancellation policy/rescheduling policy apply to me if I book on event day or last day?

Ans:  Yes, the policy is applicable irrespective of the booking date. The cancellation/reschedule policy is applicable to everyone with immediate effect from the date and time of booking. The refunds/rescheduling requests will be processed based on the date and time of cancellation/reschedule request sent to us. The date and time of booking the event are irrelevant for calculating applicable slabs for refunds.

Q. What is the basis of cancellation/reschedule policy in case of medical or personal emergency of participant or organizing team?

Ans: The cancellation policy is based on fairness towards the participant and the organizing team. In case of medical/personal emergency, the loss arising out of cancellation/reschedule will be borne by the respective person. i.e. if the organizing team faces an emergency situation and the event gets canceled, the participant will not have to suffer financial loss. Similarly, if the participant faces an emergency situation, the organizing team will not have to suffer financial loss. The cancellation policy is designed with a completely unbiased approach towards the participant and organizing team and is aimed at fairness towards both.

Q. How do we get in touch after reaching the meeting point for Bhandardara Fireflies Festival? 

Ans. We will be creating a WhatsApp group for coordination where you will be provided all the necessary information regarding the contact person, exact point to meet, GPS coordinates etc.. The common meeting point is Kasara.

Q. How many people will share the tent OR can we have a separate tent for ourselves? 

Ans. We have tents of 3 different sizes. 2/3/4 person capacity tents, you can choose from any of these as per the number of persons coming along with you (depending on availability). Tent size is as per standard international norms for tents. The 3-person tent has dimensions of 200 x 200 x 130 cm. The 4 person tent has dimensions 220 x 250 x 150cm. Bhandardara Fireflies Camping is not a luxury/recreational camping event. A basic tent setup will be provided for shelter. After booking the event you need to email/message us your preference of tent size atleast 3 days prior to the event date. Allotment of tent size depends on availability of tents. (this is a group event, which means the tents are shared and not personal tents for each group or couple)

Q. Are Kids allowed to participate in Bhandardara Fireflies Festival? 

Ans. Yes Kids are allowed. Age does not matter, It purely depends on how fit the kids are and how they have been raised in terms of adaptability to nature. One of my 3-year-old nieces can do all the Fireflies events at all the locations easily, but on the other hand one of my 16-year-old cousin can't even dare to think of going to any of the events listed on our website. His parents have raised him in such a way that now he is incapable of being in nature. This may sound harsh, but its ground reality.

Q. What is provided in meals/food at Bhandardara Fireflies Festival?  

Ans. The meal will consist of veg and Jain food options. Rice, Chapati, Daal, seasonal veg, salad. This basic food is prepared by local villagers. Restaurant and Hotel food is not available at Bhandardara Fireflies Festival. 

Q. What all things are provided in the tent at Bhandardara Fireflies Festival?

Ans. The tent contains a Styrofoam mat which is similar to a yoga mat. We suggest you to bring (optional) a bedsheet or blanket to add on to the comfort levels.

Q. How many people will be coming for Bhandardara Fireflies Festival - Camping? 

Ans. Final count depends on the number of people booking/canceling the event. Generally, the batch size is approximately 40-80 participants. Bhandardara has multiple organisers and we have no access to data on other organizers' bookings hence we cannot comment on the exact number of people planning to visit this place on a given date. 

Q. Does the Bhandardara campsite have a washroom facility?

Ans. We have washroom available at 3 min walking distance. This is a basic workable washroom in a forest area of the village, it's clean and usable until people reach, beyond that, it purely depends on the participants on how they use it. It won't be like the ones you find in hotels or restaurants. This is a village and the village washroom is in line with the village people. 

Q. Is Bhandardara Fireflies Festival safe for solo participants?

Ans. Yes, mostly 30% of participants come up solo and blend in. Mischief Treks has a reputation of providing a memorable experience for each and every participant.

Q. We are coming by our own vehicle for a camping event where should we reach?

Ans. You need to reach ‘Baba Da Dhaba’ at the scheduled meeting time, the ‘Dhaba’ is at 10 min driving distance from Kasara station. After this point cell-phone network coverage is bad and maybe our team wont be contactable on phone. You will be given exact map coordinates after you finish booking formalities. Open parking space is available near the campsite at your own risk.

Q. Is Parking available at Bhandardara Fireflies campsite location?

Ans. No, Official parking lot is not available at the Bhandardara Fireflies camping location. There is a open space where people park their vehicles. You may choose to park your vehicle at the given location at your own risk. Till date we have not encountered any issues related to parking. 

Q. How far is the campsite from Kasara station OR Mumbai?

Ans. From Kasara station is 65km - 1hour 50 min, and from Mumbai it is 165km - 4 hours 30 min by road.

Q. Which locations are available for booking Fireflies Festival 2024?

Ans. Out of the several locations for fireflies festival we have handpicked few best ones as mentioned below.

Best Fireflies Festival Camping Locations in Maharashtra

• Bhandardara Fireflies Festival
• Igatpuri Fireflies Festival
• Rajmachi Fireflies Festival
• Kothaligad Fireflies Festival
• Secret Location Fireflies Festival
• Karjat Fireflies Festival
• Prabalmachi Fireflies Festival