Reaching Karnala: This was the most recent treks that I did. To get to Karnala, you must first get to Panvel. If you are in Mumbai, you can get to Panvel by the following routes- a) On Central Railway line: get to Kurla and board the train to Panvel on the Harbour Line (I think it is platform 6 or 7). b) Western Railway: Get to Dadar. At Dadar, change to Central Railway local and get down at Kurla. At Kurla change over to Harbour line and catch the train to Panvel. Another option for people coming from Andheri side, is to board the Harbour Line train to CST, get down at Wadala and at Wadala board the train to Panvel. Check here for the local train timings.
Once you arrive at the Panvel station, ask for the Panvel ST stand. The Panvel ST stand is a 10 min walk from the railway station. Have something to eat at the ST stand. Since you are likely to reach the ST stand in the early times of the morning, you will have to contend with the road-side vendors. But be assured, they serve good vada-pav and kanda-bhaji (onion-bhaji). Being early business hours, you can expect hot bhaji and tea at the vendors.
Alternately, people from Mumbai, Thane, etc. can take the ST buses from Mumbai Central, Parel, Thane and Kalyan depots to reach Panvel. Even for people coming from other parts, viz. Pune, Nashik, etc. (except the Konkan region), it is better to reach Panvel. These cities are connected by the state transport service to Panvel.
At Panvel ST stand, look for the platform from where जनता गाड़ी leaves. You can ask the paper vendor for the platform from where buses to Karnala leave. Generally these buses connect to smaller villages in the vicinity of Panvel. So, better ask the conductor or co-passengers whether the bus goes to Karnala or not. The stop at Karnala fort is not well marked, so request the conductor to remind you when the stop arrives.
Facilities at Karnala: At the base, there is a rest house. You can request the care-takers of the rest house to prepare some lunch for your group. However, make this request before you set out for your trek. These people will not prepare anything for you if you ask them after finishing your trek. At the top, there is no source for drinking water. I would not trust the small ponds of water at the top. Most of them are in a state of disuse and hence unreliable. Therefore, carry adequate amount of water with you. Also, carry a few snacks with you.
If you do not wish to dine at the rest-house care-taker's residence, there is a restaurant named "Hotel Fort View" that is 20 min walk down the ghat. Ask the guard at the check post for directions. The hotel is decent and is reasonably priced.
Stuff to carry: Adequate amount of water, reasonable amounts of snacks. Water is almost not available at the peak, hence be sure that you have enough.
Once you arrive at the Panvel station, ask for the Panvel ST stand. The Panvel ST stand is a 10 min walk from the railway station. Have something to eat at the ST stand. Since you are likely to reach the ST stand in the early times of the morning, you will have to contend with the road-side vendors. But be assured, they serve good vada-pav and kanda-bhaji (onion-bhaji). Being early business hours, you can expect hot bhaji and tea at the vendors.
Alternately, people from Mumbai, Thane, etc. can take the ST buses from Mumbai Central, Parel, Thane and Kalyan depots to reach Panvel. Even for people coming from other parts, viz. Pune, Nashik, etc. (except the Konkan region), it is better to reach Panvel. These cities are connected by the state transport service to Panvel.
At Panvel ST stand, look for the platform from where जनता गाड़ी leaves. You can ask the paper vendor for the platform from where buses to Karnala leave. Generally these buses connect to smaller villages in the vicinity of Panvel. So, better ask the conductor or co-passengers whether the bus goes to Karnala or not. The stop at Karnala fort is not well marked, so request the conductor to remind you when the stop arrives.
Facilities at Karnala: At the base, there is a rest house. You can request the care-takers of the rest house to prepare some lunch for your group. However, make this request before you set out for your trek. These people will not prepare anything for you if you ask them after finishing your trek. At the top, there is no source for drinking water. I would not trust the small ponds of water at the top. Most of them are in a state of disuse and hence unreliable. Therefore, carry adequate amount of water with you. Also, carry a few snacks with you.
If you do not wish to dine at the rest-house care-taker's residence, there is a restaurant named "Hotel Fort View" that is 20 min walk down the ghat. Ask the guard at the check post for directions. The hotel is decent and is reasonably priced.
Stuff to carry: Adequate amount of water, reasonable amounts of snacks. Water is almost not available at the peak, hence be sure that you have enough.
