Abdullah Alam
15 Dec 2021
Pawna Lake is gorgeous and picturesque. The campsites are insufferable.
Of all the hiking and camping trips I had done, one of the most famous sites roughly 70 km from home had remained - Pawna Lake. Pawna and Bhandardara are both famous camping spots, and we'd avoided visiting these places precisely because they're famous. A week back (as of this writing), we caved in and finally went camping to Pawna Lake.
It was worse than expected.
The site itself is beautiful. One entire hillside is a camping ground right up to the bank of the lake. The lake itself (a reservoir) is massive, stretching out to the left and the right as far as eyes can see. And on the opposite side is another mountain range, with Tung Fort prominently visible behind it. From the east bank of the lake, looking west, sunsets are spectacular.
We arrived at the campsite at sunset, and the beauty brought our hopes up.
However, soon enough, the sun went down and all of the campsites transformed into... nightclubs. Strobe lights flashing all around and loudspeakers blaring awful remixes of awful songs in different campsites from all directions... it was the exact opposite of what one expects from camping in nature. Tables are arranged around the campsites, and people bring their own booze and drink the night away. The only "camping" aspect of the whole scene is the fact that you sleep in uncomfortable tents.
The morning, however, brought some relief. It is, ultimately, a beautiful spot in the lap of nature, and we luckily happened to be there on the very first day when the winter fog was setting in in that area.
Perhaps it was my expectations that made the camping unenjoyable. Perhaps Pawna is famous for the drinking and clubbing atmopshere, and I didn't do my research well enough. In any case, am I glad I went here? Of course, the place is beautiful. Will I visit again? Absolutely not.
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About The Authors
Abdullah Alam
I like to go places, take pictures, and build things. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
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