Travel with Flexcia: Mumbai - Pune Roadtrip via Khandala

'Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.' - Matsuo Basho

Hey guys!

How are you all? If you have have been following my Instagram updates you know I recently went on a solo trip. It wasn't really a solo trip as such, since I wasn't traveling for the sake of travel. I was traveling for work, and I was traveling alone, so well, solo journey? Okay whatever! Let me tell you about it.

So I was going to Pune for a blog collaboration. It was just a one day trip. I had to catch an early morning flight from Goa to Mumbai, and take a cab from Mumbai to Pune. I love Pune. Well I love Mumbai a little more. It's not just the city, but the people and the vibe the place has. So I was happy going to Pune for the fourth time in the last four years.

'Certain travelers give the impression that they keep moving because only then do they feel fully alive.' - Ella Maillart

I boarded my flight and reached Mumbai. I was so happy to step foot in Mumbai after seven long months. Mumbai greeted me with cool weather and heavy rains. As I hopped into the cab and we began our road trip, the rain was lashing against my windowpane. To top it, we were stuck in the traffic at BKC for around an hour. I had woken up at 3 a.m. that morning since I had a 7 a.m. flight and I stay around 50 kms away from the airport. So naturally, I was sleepy, and I dozed off when the car was stuck in traffic.

I woke up an hour and half later at Khapoli. It took me a while to understand where I was. The rain had subsided. I opened the windows and let the cool breeze wash against my face. OMG! That was heavenly. The surroundings were breathtaking. The weather so perfect.

As we crossed Kandala Ghat and Lonavala, the view started getting better. We drove through the winding ghat roads and crossed one hair pin bend after another. All thanks to the awesome Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the drive wasn't one bit uncomfortable. Wide smooth tarred roads, appropriate signages, neat tunnels, proper barricades everywhere and magnificent hills and waterfalls. Everything was so perfect, I'd live on the road forever!

This was my first time driving through the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. My friends had mentioned about it, but I never really though the drive would be this amazing. The road.... The hills.... The cloudy skies... I wish I can get to experience all of this soon, again! Now I know what Buddha meant when he stated, 'It is better to travel well than to arrive.'