Where The Light Is (Chasing Fireflies at Bhandardara)
Bhandardara, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra)
- Verified Host
- Logout's Trusted
- Traveler's Choice
- Camping
- Community
- Couple Friendly
- Jungle Camping
- Lakeside Camping
- Leisure And Travel
- Music
- Photography
- Weekend Getaways
All About It
- 2 Days 1 Nights
We’re headed to Bhandardara, a picturesque village nestled in the heart of the Kalsubai-Harishchandragadh Wildlife Reserve. Every year, just before the downpour of the monsoon arrives, these forests come alive in a truly magical phenomenon—millions and millions of fireflies come out of the trees looking for their mates. Imagine the whole forest filled with countless tiny fairy lights; it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Our campsite is situated on the bank of the lake overlooking the magnificent Lake Arthur.
Come join us, and let us take you to ‘Where The Light Is’!
Batches: 25th-26th May, 1st-2nd Jun, 8th-9th Jun (Sat-Sun)
Highlights
- Isolated campsite. It’s so isolated, that you can only get here by boat!
- No disturbances from other noisy campsites
- Beautiful expansive view of Lake Arthur
- AC transport to and fro (Ex-Bombay)
- Sunset swim in the lake
- Boat rides on Lake Arthur
- Group games
- Midnight fireflies trail walk
DAY 1:
Once you meet the Vagabond EMs (Experience Managers) at the pickup point of your choice, we take our privately booked AC bus to Bhandardara in rural Maharashtra. On reaching Arthur Lake, we take the boat across and reach our campsite. We check into our tents and settle in. After some high tea and icebreakers, we can head down to the lake for a quick sunset swim.
An early dinner of the local cuisine will be served, after which we spend some time around the campfire. A few songs and games later, we head out to the deep dark forest with a guide to experience nature's wondrous phenomenon- FIREFLIES! Don't forget your DSLR cameras if you're a photography enthusiast. But be warned, no photo or video will ever do justice to how beautiful this sight is with your own eyes! After spending some time staring at this sight in awe, we return to our campsite. We will, of course, get back to the campfire, accompanied by guitars, singing & campfire games if the weather permits.
Feel free to stay up the night and gaze into the galaxy, if you wish.
DAY 2:
Wake up for breakfast by 8:00 am. Go for a dip in the lake and click those last few photographs.
We head back to Bombay on our bus and return home with yet another experience ticked off our bucket list!
Hosted by
Vagabond Experiences
- Verified Host
- Logout's Trusted
- Traveler's Choice
Vagabond started out as a project by four friends with a disdain for the ordinary. The idea was simple; take people out of their comfort zones. Not like Roadies, but just enough to bond them together through beautiful and authentic experiences. Happiness, as they say, is only real when shared. And share we did. The company was founded in 2014. As fresh Bachelor of Arts degree holders, companies were lining up to hire us fine gentlemen; we’re kidding. Fueled by entrepreneurial zeal, we started with small events in the city like heritage walks through Bombay’s old quarters. As musicians and travellers ourselves, we decided to marry these two loves of our lives. That is how the idea for the first Fields of Sound™ came about. Since then, it has only been onward and upwards for us. Since 2014, we’ve made friends like family through our journey. Our little ‘Vaga’-Fam. It’s safe to say, it’s been quite an adventure. One we would like you to join :)
Inclusions
-Transport in an AC seater bus (Ex-Bombay)
-High tea, dinner, and breakfast
-Boat rides across Lake Arthur to our campsite and back
-Camping arrangements (Tent with foam mat, pillow, and blanket)
-Mineral water at the campsite
-Campfire
-Group activities
-Midnight fireflies trail walk
-Access to life jackets for swimming in the lake
-Extension boards for charging
-Clean and separate western washrooms for men and women
-Basic medical and first-aid kit assistance
-All permits, tolls, and parking charges
-Experienced local guide
-Assistance by Vagabond EMs
Exclusions
-Lunch during the bus journey (to and fro)
-Any personal expense
-Travel insurance
THINGS TO CARRY
-Extra pair of clothes
-Toiletries
-Towel
-Insect repellent
-Water for the bus journey
-Power bank
-Warm clothes (it gets chilly and windy after sundown)
-Torch/headlamp
-Slippers
-Closed footwear & long pants (for the midnight fireflies trail walk)
-Rainwear (poncho/raincoat)
-Personal medication
-Optional: Camera, musical instruments, playing cards, etc
PICKUP LOCATIONS
Craftbar 2.0 (Chakala Metro)
Go to Google Maps
Hiranandani Bus Stop (Powai)
Cadbury Junction (Thane)
HOW TO REACH
- If you're joining us on our bus from Bombay, your pickup points are Chakala Metro Station (09:30 am), Hiranandani Powai bus stop (10:00 am) and Thane Cadbury Junction (10:30 am)
- If you’re opting for PUBLIC TRANSPORT, you can board a central line train from Bombay and get off at Kasara station. From there you will have to take a taxi (that can take up to 8 passengers) to Bhandardara. It is a minimum 2-hour journey from Kasara station to Bhandardara. The taxis will stay overnight and drop you back to Kasara the next day. This would cost approximately Rs. 4,000/- per taxi
- Tell them to drop you at the Bhandardara toll booth: https://goo.gl/maps/7GEQoroFiFUkoPG98 You need to be here between 3:00pm to 5pm
- If you’re opting for PRIVATE TRANSPORT, map your way to this location https://goo.gl/maps/7GEQoroFiFUkoPG98 between 3:00pm to 5pm and contact a Vagabond EM (we’ll send you details closer to the date)
- There will be traffic as you enter Bhandardara post 4pm.
- However, our campsite is isolated and can be accessed only by a boat ride across Arthur Lake.
- Since the campsite is only accessible by boat and the boat service is discontinued post sundown, it is possible that you may not be able to reach the campsite after 6 pm or when it gets dark.
- We request all self-drive participants to be in touch with us and plan their travel accordingly.
Policy and Terms
-Cancellations made 7 days or more prior to the date of departure, Rs.1,500 will be deducted.
-Cancellations made 6-4 days prior to the date of departure, Rs.2,000 will be deducted.
-Cancellations made 48 hrs to the date of departure will receive no refund.
-3.8% of all booking amounts are payment gateway charges. This amount is not refundable
For further inquiries, feel free to Whatsapp/call: 7400054929 or 9321804770
Terms and Conditions
-All timings and activities are subject to weather, group size, capabilities of participants, etc.
-Vagabond holds the right to cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances (for eg. unfavorable weather)
-By registering for this trip, you agree to have read through and abide by the Vagabond Terms & Conditions mentioned in the footer.
Frequest Questions
Q: Where are we staying?
A: We're living in tents by Lake Arthur at a private campsite. Camping will be on a double-sharing basis. A foam mat, pillow, and bedsheets will be provided.
Q: How are we travelling to this campsite?
A: We will be traveling from Bombay to Bhandardhara and back in a privately booked AC-seater bus. During both journeys, the bus will make lunch stops en route. We will make a Whatsapp group to coordinate pickups points and timings.
Q: What will be the food provided at the campsite?
A: Evening high tea will include the likes of pakoda, tea, and coffee. Dinner is usually rice, dal, bhaji, chicken gravy, chapati, papad, and pickle. Breakfast would have tea, coffee, poha/upma/boiled eggs
Q: How likely are we to see fireflies?
A: Due to this being a natural phenomenon, we can't guarantee how good the sightings will be. However, this is the best time for fireflies sighting and this is one of the best areas to witness this phenomenon. To make this experience better, our campsite is cut off from the mainland crowd. This means less light pollution and less crowd/noise.
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