Vasota Jungle Fort: Lakeside camping | Trekking | Wilderness excursion

Dear Friends,

In this beautiful weather let’s go outdoors, let’s make a new discovery.

Hidden as a national treasure, Vasota Jungle fort offers you the most amazing experience of hiking through the thick Koyna Tiger reserve and the blue-green backwaters of the Koyna backwaters. The height of the fort from sea level is 3,842 ft and reaching this height the spectacular view from the top will leave everyone spellbound. You would be walking through dense jungle patches where other animals have already taken a notice of you long before you come across their recent tracks. The base village for this trek is Bamnoli in Satara district at about 100 km from Pune and 35 km from the town of Satara.

History of Vasota: Vasota Fort (also called Vyaghragad) is located in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Vasota always remained with Marathas, Shirkes & Mores in 16th century & then incorporated in Swarajya by Shivaji Maharaj. It was named "Vyaghragad" (Vyaghra – means tiger), owing to its difficult natural defense. After Shivaji Maharaj, the brave Maratha Bajirao Peshwa carried on the Swarajya mission of ousting the Mughal invaders from our country. In 1818 however, British bombarded the fort with heavy artillery thereby destroying many buildings on Vasota, as a result of destruction ruins can be still seen. Today the fort stands in a dilapidated condition in a thick jungle with remnants of Shree Mahadev mandir, the plinth of a huge "sadar" (discussion place), the fallen ramparts & spectacular view of Nageshwar peak & Shivsagar lake (Koyna backwaters). (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Date: 19th Oct - 20th Oct, 2019

Our private bus will do the pickup from Restaurant Blue Nile

1:00 pm Pick up from Blue Nile Restaurant

2:00 pm– Exit Pune city limits via Katraj Ghat.

6:30 pm – Reach Bamnoli village

Tea and snacks – distribution of tents and camping gear.

Set up campsite, start dinner and campfire pre-prep. (Campfire singing, ghost stories and whacky travel experiences on the menu ;))

Get immersed in the rural lifestyle leaving unnecessary comforts aside.

Wake up call at 6:00 am with tea and breakfast.

7:00 am – Pack our camping gear and tents and head towards Fort Vasota. (We will be having mineral water for drinking, provided you carry your own personal water bottle, at least 2 ltr.)

8:00 am – We will hire a boat that will take us on a 1 ½ hr journey through Koyna backwaters and drop us to the starting point at Fort Vasota.

9:30 am – Commence trek (We request everyone to stick together as a team and completely avoid loitering around all by themselves)

1:00 pm – Eat packed lunch (veg).

4:00 pm – Return back to where we started, the boat will take us back to Bamnoli.

5:30 pm – Return Bamnoli and start our journey back to Pune.

Reach Pune by 9:30 pm.

Trip Duration: 2 Days 1 night.

Cost: INR 2940 per person veg meal

INR 3150 per person non veg meal

Trip facilities:

• Travel and toll: Pick up and drop off from our selected pick up point..

• Meals covered on the trip: Dinner on day 1, breakfast and lunch on day 2.

• Camping gear – tents, sleeping bags, air pillows, tent lights. (You can also carry your own bedding, one blanket per person compulsory)

• Mineral water for drinking throughout the trip.

• Tour guides and camp leaders all along the trip.

• Medical assistance if required.

• Boat charges to and fro.

Trip excludes:

• Personal expenses (beverages, snacks, equipment)

• Personal medication

• Breakfast, lunch on day one and anything else besides breakfast and lunch on day 2.

Things to carry:

Please good winter clothing like sweater, jackets, track pants, pullovers.

Good hiking or sports shoes

Caps and Hats

Sunglasses and sunscreen

Hand Towel

Munchies and personal snacks

Personal medication

Camera (optional)

Binoculars (optional)

Shawl (optional)

One liter water bottle

Blanket or thick bed sheet

A bag to put wet clothes

IMPORTANT:

Please take care of all your belongings.

Notify us immediately in case of any medical emergency.

Any one found under the influence of drugs or narcotics will be requested to leave the trip immediately, without any refund.

Adventure camping and outdoor sports/ recreation is purely for nature lovers and not for party groups; we respect nature and do our best to spread the awareness about wilderness preservation.

Be sure that you are responsible for your own personal belongings

We like to keep the wildlife wild, please do not litter the forest/ sanctuary and the campsite.

Please confirm your registration with amount veg- Rs 2940/- or non-veg Rs. 3150/- in cash or make an online transfer to:

Our account details below:

Name: Rivers and Ridges

Bank Name: Punjab National Bank

Bank account Number: 6631002100001031

Branch: Kondhwa

City: Pune

IFSC Code: PUNB0663100

Account type: Current

Or

Google Pay us on 7350064961

Availability is first come first serve basis. Last day of confirming is 2 days prior to the event date, but please book your seats as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment.

For any questions, call Rohan: 7350064961. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Thanks,

Team Rivers and Ridges.