Lavasa City - Near Pune India - Review

Lavasa is a privately planned city located near Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the picturesque Sahyadri Mountains, around 65 kilometers from Pune. Lavasa is often referred to as India's first planned hill city and is known for its scenic beauty and well-designed infrastructure. The architectural style of Lavasa is inspired by the Italian town of Portofino, with colorful buildings, waterfront promenades, and charming cobblestone streets. One of the major attractions of Lavasa is the serene and picturesque environment. The city is surrounded by lush green hills, and the pristine Warasgaon Lake adds to its scenic beauty. Visitors can indulge in activities like boating, jet skiing, and kayaking on the lake. There are also several viewpoints that offer panoramic vistas of the surrounding landscape. Lavasa has a range of recreational and entertainment options, including hotels, restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers. The city hosts various cultural events, music festivals, and sporting activities throughout the year. When we visited Lavasa in 2016 there was still some parts of the city were still under development.

Lavasa City Review

Driving to Lavase from Pune can take between two to three hours depending on traffic. The approach to Lavasa city road involves driving through winding mountain roads. The road is not well lit. In fact during our visit in November 2016 there was no light on the road for several miles and driving at night in this area can be dangerous. There are no shops etc. for miles on this road and in case of a car breakdown people would have to walk for miles to get help. Telephone signals also are not very good in some places while driving to Lavasa due to hills around the roads. Phone signal once in Lavasa was however fine. Lavasa being a private enterprise and development of the area has been slow due to regulations involving government clearances. There are several flats around the lake and the buildings seem to be deteriorating perhaps due to the dampness in the area or lack of maintenance. Some of these flats appear to have been sold although during our visit it appeared that only a few were occupied. Lavasa has natural beauty as it is surrounded by picturesque hills and the lake in addition to the water sport activities provides a great view at night due to the lights reflecting in the lake waters. About 10 kilometers before entering Lavasa city we were stopped and charged for parking. The parking fee was Rupees 500/- which is pretty steep. If you plan on driving down from Pune then it would be wise to either leave very early in the morning and come back the same day before dark. The alternative is spend the night there.