Sunday 23 November 2008

Karjat Hotels and Resorts

Below you will find a list of Karjat Resorts suited for every budget. Most of these hotels in Karjat offer buffet meals. On this page you will find detailed information like the cost of rooms in Karjat, resort packages, and facilities that the accommodations' offer here. Here's a list of places to stay in Karjat -

RiverTouch ResortsRiverTouch Resorts
Category: Budget Hotel
Price Range: Rs 750 to Rs 2500


Nature lovers now have an affordable option to stay in Karjat. RiverTouch Resorts, built on the banks of River Pej amidst lush surroundings, offers a good break from the maddening crowd of the city at a decent cost. Located around 10 kms from Karjat railway station in Mandvane village, RiverTouch is partially air-conditioned, with a total of 10 rooms, bungalows, cottages and dormitory.


Pinewood ResortPinewood Resort
Category: Budget Hotel
Price Range: Rs 350 onwards


Karjat is an interesting weekend proposition for anyone who wants to have a break from the hectic city life. But affordable accommodation seems to be a problem, but thanks to Pinewood Resort you can enjoy your stay in Karjat without burning a hole in your pocket! Pinewood is situated in Varai village that is 5 kms away from Karjat Station and 65 kms away from Mumbai.


Prakruti FarmsPrakruti Farms
Category: Luxury Resort
Price Range: Rs 4500 to Rs 6000


Prakruti Farms, located 11 km from Karjat station, has facilities for all occasions, groups, individuals and families who wish to spend time in the heart of nature. Surrounded by the Sahyadri range, the farm is spread across 12 acres consisting of fruit orchards, vegetable farm and flower beds.


Dr. Modi's ResortDr. Modi's Resort
Category: Three-star health resort
Price Range: Rs 1800 to Rs 3000


According to Dr. Modi, his resort is ideal for weekend getaways, conferences, seminars, training programmes and rejuvenation packages. Dr. Modi’s Resort is spread across 50 acres, has 40 air-conditioned rooms set up in cottage style with its own private patio and garden.


Rivergate ResortRivergate Resort
Category: Five-star resort
Price Range: Rs 4400 to Rs 5300


Spread over 26 acres of green landscapes between the mountains of Matheran, Murbad and Lonavala, resort is 12 kms away from Karjat station, 92 Kms from Mumbai and 116 kms from Pune. Rivergate lies on the borders of river Pej, and offers 27 tents and 14cottages, with an air-conditioner, television, and spacious bathrooms.


Piccadilly Country Club & ResortPiccadilly Country Club & Resort
Category: Four-star resort
Price Range: Rs 3600 to Rs 7600


Piccadilly Country Club & Resort is located in Mircholi village in Karjat, is a three-star category resort located 85 kms from Mumbai. Piccadilly has well-furnished AC cottages equipped with TV sets, bathtubs and a view of River Pej. It can accommodate 4 adults.



Satya ResortSatya Resort
Category: Four-star resort
Price Range: Rs 4555 to Rs 6999


Satya Resort spans 52 acres of greenery and is located after Kadav village. Satya offers 34 spacious rooms with high wooden ceilings and attached bathrooms; some with air conditioners, all the rooms have an individual sit-out and garden.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

An Innovative Bamboo House for Magic Bus

Magic bus bamboo construction in Karjat An innovative bamboo construction is coming up in the valley behind Karjat dam. The 3-storey building, which will be a dormitory for the staff of Magic Bus NGO, has a modern and sustainable structure.

Located on the tip of a small plateau overlooking paddy fields and villages, the building has a very rustic feel to it due to its bamboo exterior. Bamboo, a renewable resource, is used as the main supporting material, so it blends with its surrounding landscape.

As you can see in the picture below, bamboo columns form a cage around the building. Two bamboos are joined together by steel strips. Magic Bus b Bamboo is not only used to support the building, but even the floors are made of half cut bamboo, concrete, finished with a layer of natural stone. Walls are made of split bamboo covered with plaster on the inside.

The construction carried out by Architecture Brio combines natural and local materials - bamboo, wood, steel and concrete - in such a way that it reduces the load on the building.

With the amount of new developments taking place in Karjat, such eco-friendly buildings gives some hope and it is a fine example to spur the change.

Monday 10 November 2008

Activities

Horsing Around in karjatGo Horse-Riding at Dada's Grill

City Dwellers looking for a weekend break have another reason to be in Karjat, horse-riding. Tudo Cavalo, India's first and only Equine Services Company that provides holistic, skill based and natural entertainment, has opened a fully equipped and professionally run horse riding school - Horsing Around.


Karjat's Saturday MarketKarjat's Saturday Market

Every Saturday, Karjat hosts a vegetable market that attracts thousands of people due to the price and quality. The chance of getting fresh tasty vegetables attracts people who have come just for a weekend visit as well to take home supplies for the days to come. Lets take a look at Karjat's Saturday Bazaar.


Star Gazing Near KarjatStar Gazing Near Karjat

We all know the skies around Karjat are clear, the clean air makes Karjat a fabulous place for star gazers. But wouldn't it be even better to watch the stars and learn about the constellations and their movements. Thanks to a group known as the Khagol Mandal, a group of sky observers that have been conducting observation programs for over 20 years at Vangani.


Van Vadi, An Eco-friendly Forest FarmVan Vadi: An Eco-friendly Forest Farm

A group of people are trying to protect the local eco-system and encourage sustainable living. Van Vadi, a 64-acre forest farm (as the owners like to call it), on the foothills of Sahyadri, offers a complete rustic experience. That's why it attracts lot of urban dwellers who come to be one with nature, away from their daily chaotic life. They organise Forest Festival where families can participate in nature activites and celebrate the harmony with nature.


Corporate Training with Adventure SportsCorporate Training with Adventure Sports

You can treat your employees to a day full of adventure and learning in Karjat. The training course is organized by Magic Bus, a NGO that looks after the welfare of under privileged children. The Magic Bus center has a fully equipped ropes course, Jacob's ladder and climbing tower with a zip wire. These courses enable participants to grow at the team and individual levels, explore risk, leadership, communication, problem-solving, and coaching.

News

hail strikes karjatClosed Canal Leads to Water Woes in Karjat

A few days ago we had a welcome break from the soaring temperatures in Karjat, with the summer temperature outdoors doing more than 40 degrees celcius, the passing shower was a short respite from the heat.


hail strikes karjatHailstorm Strikes Karjat

Bringing a brief respite from the scorching heat, the rain gods put up a surprising show few days ago on April 30th in Karjat. A short spell of heavy rainfall was accompanied by an unexpected hail storm, which lasted for around 5 minutes.


Karjat's Waste Management WoesKarjat's Waste Management Woes

If you have visited Karjat in recent times, you would have noticed that just beyond the city on the other side of the bridge leading to the villages, there is an over-sized dump yard that runs around 100 meters along the side of the road.


Low cost housing project Tanaji Malusare City to have a SkywalkTanaji Malusare City to have a Skywalk

Tanaji Malusare city, the mammoth low-cost housing project coming up in Karjat, will have a motorised skywalk connecting all the facilities in the township and to Karjat station. The planned skywalk would be the first coming up in this fast-developing rural area.


MMRDA to give Karjat roads a faceliftMMRDA to Improve Karjat Roads

The uneven roads are a common sight in Karjat especially during the monsoons. MMRDA has finally decided to improve the roads in four council areas including Karjat, Raigad, Kulgaon-Badlapur and Ambarnath.



Low Cost Housing Coming Up in KarjatLow Cost Housing Coming Up in Karjat

As Mumbai can't hold more people, the lack of space and development has forced builders to look for greener pastures. Karjat seems to be the choicest location for builders, with the MMRDA's big plans for the city.



Land for sale in KarjatCrowded Hoardings Sell Land and Holidays

Karjat too has become a victim of rapid urbanisation. More and more land is being used to develop townships, hotels and bungalows. So paddy fields have given way to new development, and villages also have been acquired for the SEZ plan in Raigad district. This is evident with the change in landscape when you enter Karjat.


An Innovative Bamboo House for Magic BusAn Innovative Bamboo House for Magic Bus

An innovative bamboo construction is coming up in the valley behind Karjat dam. The 3-storey building, which will be a dormitory for the staff of Magic Bus NGO, has a modern and sustainable structure. Bamboo is used as the main supporting material, so it blends with its surrounding landscape.


Tata Ace Magic in KarjatTata Promotes Ace Magic in Karjat

The ten-seater tuktuks or rickshaws, which is the common mode of transport for villagers and tourists in Karjat, are facing some competition. Tata Motors is promoting its passenger version of its Ace mini-truck, Tata Magic, in Karjat, ensuring comfortable and safe transportation mode.


Vada Pav stall in KarjatNo More Cooking Vada Pavs at Karjat Station

The sight of vadas being fried at platform stalls as the train reaches Karjat station is too tempting to miss. But that will soon change, as Indian Railways plan to ban cooking at food stalls on platforms. Due to fire hazards and accidents at crowded station, Central and Western railways will open a centralised kitchen for the stall owners to cook vadas, samosas etc., or even make tea.


OLPCs Pilot Project Near KarjatOLPC's Pilot Project Near Karjat

Reliance ADAG joined hands with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation to help kick start the OLPC India project in order to educate kids in rural areas. The first of the XO laptop series was distributed in a school in Khairat village among 25 students.


Villagers Resettled by Morbe Dam UnhappyVillagers Resettled by Morbe Dam Unhappy

Whenever the government takes land away from the locals it seems like they never live up to their promises. The Morbe dam project in Karjat has affected 11 villages and 776 families. Some of the affected people have been claiming that they have not been given permanent jobs as promised while none of the families who have been resettled get water from the dam.


Panvel Court to redress local issues of KarjatMaharashtra Govt Pressured to Set up Panvel Court

The Maharashtra Government has been asked by the Bombay high court to provide the necessary infrastructure to open a court of additional sessions at Panvel. This would make it convenient for litigants from Karjat, Panvel, Uran and Khalapur, who currently travel to Alibaug session court for redressal of legal issues.


Future Developments and projects in KarjatFuture Developments In & Around Karjat

Karjat has been warming up as a destination for the city dwellers around it, but is Karjat ready to become the entertainment hub of Maharashtra? At the moment there has been a lot of development with regards to hotels and guest houses. Lets take a look at some of the future projects coming up in Karjat.


Bridge collapses due to singer Mahadevans farm houseVillagers Stranded Due to Concrete Walls

The villagers of Karalewadi, Mandawane, Bhiwapuri, Hedavali, Ambewadi and Phanaswadi were stranded due to the bridge that joined their villages to the Karjat city collapsed. The reason behind the bridge collapse is blamed on singer Shankar Mahadevan. They alleged that the construction work on an illegal compound wall at Mahadevan's farmhouse located close to the bridge led to the incident.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Tata Promotes Ace Magic in Karjat

The ten-seater tuktuks or rickshaws, which is the common mode of transport for villagers and tourists in Karjat, are facing some competition.

Tata Motors is promoting its passenger version of its Ace mini-truck, Tata Magic, in Karjat, ensuring comfortable and safe transportation mode. On our recent visit to Karjat, we noticed a Tata Magic parked outside the rickshaw stand, so Tata is trying to sell these four-wheelers in rural areas.
Tata Ace Magic van in Karjat
Tata Magic Karjat
What makes it different than a tuktuk? Well from the look of it, Magic looks more spacious good enough to fit four to seven passengers, with ample legroom and comfortable seats. We aren't sure of how much it costs to travel in a Magic and what route does it ply on.

Tuktuks are ideally fit for seven to eight people but the driver tries to fit in as many as he can, sometimes we've also seen more than 10 people getting squashed. Tata Magic does seem to be a more comfortable option, next time I am in Karjat, I will surely sit in one.