Lavasa has made waves for the past few years, maybe for some wrong reasons? It is the dream retirement township nestled in the hills, a short drive from Pune and Mumbai. Whether you are looking to reconnect with nature, or spend time #together with family raising hell boating or taking part in adventure sports, Lavasa is the perfect place.

We had been planning to go to Lavasa for a while. Somehow, it never materialized.

We have been pretty busy with our new business in the last couple of years, and whether we are blogging or writing code, we are stuck in front of a computer. I was certainly overworked and feeling a bit low. It seemed the words just wouldn’t flow! This made me miserable and I was longing for a change.

Finally, we accepted that a break was sorely needed and the drive to Lavasa was planned.

We set out early on Sunday morning. The plan was to have breakfast somewhere on the way, reach Lavasa by lunch, take in the place, and then return by evening. Although the distance to Lavasa is barely 60 KM, Google Maps gave a time of 2 hours to reach the place. I spotted a resort called Centurion Spring Hills Resort and we decided that it would be our pit stop.

I have been weary of the word ‘resort’ since relocating to Pune. It seems almost anyone uses this. The Springhill Resort turned out to be something of a puzzle. The place was deserted. Breakfast was ordered. The options of Pohe and Idli were provided and we naturally chose those. Restrooms were passable and we set off onward to the hill city.

By stopping at Springhill, we unwittingly took a short cut. On the way we encountered some enthusiastic folks flying remote controlled toy planes. There was almost no traffic which was a relief. The road wound upward from this point on and the curves did not stop until we entered the city.

Another scenic stop or spot on the way was the Temghar Dam. It is just a good place to stop for photos. Lack of traffic made the drive very easy, and I had the luxury to drive at a pace I wanted. Some speed lovers whizzed past at 140+ speeds anyway, but hey, to each his own, right?

We expected weather to be somewhat cooler, Lavasa being a ‘hill station’ but we were out of luck! The sun was shining down strongly. The promenade was deserted. The famed food court was nowhere in sight.

And since it was past one PM, our tummies were rumbling with hunger. I had shortlisted two possible restaurants – Vyanjan and the ITC Fortune. Vyanjan promised a nice view but was ruled out due to the heat.

The ITC Fortune, being a 5 star hotel, at least had the promise of providing clean facilities and infrastructure. The hotel had hardly any customers, and was hot due to lack of air conditioning. The response, a bit too common, was that the AC system was out of order. We chose the buffet which turned out to be less than expected.

The mood post lunch generally does not lean toward walks in the sun. Judging by the overall atmosphere, everyone voted going back home.

Overall, Lavasa turned out to be not that big a deal. But we actually went there!! Getting out of the house and spending a day away from routine meant so much. We had loads of fun on the drive, and the slightly isolated setting was nostalgic, reminding me of other road trips.

The most memorable thing about this trip was that we were all together as a family. The green hills of Lavasa refreshed my senses and gave me some impetus to move on. My mind was bursting with new ideas and I was able to finish 2014 on a high note.