Mumbai & Pune → Pawna Lake Weekend Escape

Pawna Lake is the go-to overnight camping spot for crews from Mumbai and Pune. You can pitch up by a reservoir ringed by Sahyadri forts, light a bonfire, and sleep under the stars, and still be home by Sunday lunch if you want.

Getting there

From Mumbai, take the Mumbai–Pune Expressway and exit at Lonavala. From Pune, take the old Mumbai–Pune highway towards Lonavala. From either side, turn off towards Pawna Nagar and the lakeside villages around Thakursai and Dudhiware, about 20 km from Lonavala. By train, go to Lonavala or Malavli and take a pre-arranged pickup or auto from there.

Day 1: Arrive and camp

• •Optional morning hike up Tikona Fort, a short and rewarding climb with lake views from the top
• •Check in to your campsite by mid-afternoon
• •Kayaking or a lakeside walk as the sun drops behind the hills
• •Barbecue dinner, bonfire, and stargazing

Day 2: Forts and caves

• •Wake up for sunrise over the lake
• •Hike Tung Fort for a steeper climb, or drive to Lohagad and Visapur for an easier one
• •Stop at the Bhaja or Karla caves near Malavli, rock-cut Buddhist caves more than 2,000 years old
• •Lunch in Lonavala before heading home

Where to stay

Most crews book a camping package that includes a tent, barbecue dinner, breakfast, and a bonfire. Options run from basic shared tents to glamping setups with proper beds. Lakeside cottages are an option for anyone in the crew who would rather not sleep in a tent.

What to eat

• •Barbecue dinners at camp, with veg and non-veg options
• •Misal pav and vada pav at the stalls in Lonavala
• •Chikki and fudge from Lonavala's sweet shops for the road

Good to know

• •Do not swim in the lake. It is a deep reservoir, and drownings happen every year.
• •Book a licensed, established campsite and confirm what is included before paying
• •During the monsoon, roughly June to September, the scenery is lush but many camps shut or scale down, and approach roads get muddy
• •Carry a torch and a warm layer. Nights by the water get cold from November to January.

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