KARNALA BIRD SANCTUARY TREK | PANVEL

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Trek | Panvel | Maharashtra

I went to Karnala Bird Sanctuary Trek on 18 December 2020 with my childhood friends Jeetu, Neeraj and Sanjya. Every year we all friends plan one trek. This was year end of 2020 so from last 15 days we all friends were planning to go some where for the trip and trek. Actually we all friends were dont want to go far away from Mumbai. After 15 days discussion we have planned to go to Karnala Bird Sanctuary Trek. Karnala Bird Sanctuary is near to Mumbai. Karanala Bird Sanctuary is located on Mumbai - Goa highway.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Finally the date was decided that we all will go to Karnala Bird Sanctuary on 18 December 2020. The day was friday. On 17 December in the night we all friends planned that tomorrow we all friends will meet early in morning at 5.30 AM in our area. On 18 December 2020 I woke up early in morning at 4.45 AM. I got ready and left my home at 5.30 AM. I reached to meeting point we had decided in our area at 5.30 AM but nobody was there. I waited for 5 minutes then I called Jeetu.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Trek
He told me that he will come within 5 minutes. Jeetu exactly came at 5.40 AM. Once Jeetu came he called on two other friends mobile number Neeraj and Sanjya. Neeraj told that he will come within 10 minutes. Sanjya told that he is getting ready he will come within 15 minutes. Neeraj came to meeting point exactly at 5.50 AM. Now we all three friends were gathered but one friend Sanjya was still missing. We waited for Sanjya for 20 minutes but still he didn't came.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Then we had decided that we will also get late just because of him. Jeetu called Sanjya and told that we are going to take tea at hotel you directly come to that hotel. We left our area exactly at 6.10 AM. We reached to tea hotel at 6.15 AM. Mumbaikar wont start any work without tea. Mumbaikar cant live without Tea and Vada-Pav. We had ordered tea and started waiting for Sanjya. I and Neeraj started taking tea. Jeetu was not interested to take tea. We had finished tea within 10 minutes.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
But Sanjya still didnt came. It was already 6.25 AM. Now we all friends decided that we all friends will leave Sanjya because of him we were getting late. We decided that we will give him one more chance. Niraj called on Sanjya mobile number and told him that directly meet at S.T Bus Stand. In every trip we are having friends like Sanjya due to whom we all friends got late. Better option is that leave friends like him and go ahead for trip. We reached Kalyan S.T bus stand at 6.35 AM.

Karnala Fort View
We had made enquiry counter that when we are having bus for Karnala Bird Sanctuary. He told us that next bus will be at 8.00 AM for Alibaug. But in Bus time table we have seen that there is one more bus for Alibaug at 7.00 AM. In between our lost friend Sanjya also reached Kalyan S.T bus stand at 6.50 AM. We were looking for other options also that how we can reach to Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Finally at 7.00 AM one bus came for Alibaug.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary View from the Top
We had asked to Conductor that whether this bus will halt at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. He told us that this bus wont halt at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We had decided that we will catch bus for Panvel and from Panvel we will take another bus for Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Finally at 7.10 AM we got local bus for Panvel. From Kalyan to Panvel bus fare was 40 Rs / Person. We all friends contributed 500 Rs each. Now 2000 Rs were gathered and given that money to Jeetu.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Trek Team
Now Jeetu was our cashier for the entire trip. We were having no financial tension for the entire trip. Jeetu had taken our ticket from Kalyan to Panvel. This was winter season so there was lot of cold. Our bus was going via MIDC route. After 1.30 hours journey we reached at Panvel bus stand at 8.40 AM. At Panvel but stand Sanjya and me taken tea. Jeetu and Neeraj were not interested to take tea. After taking tea we started making enquiry for Karnala Bird Sanctury.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
How we can reach to Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We had asked at Panvel S.T bus stand for buses to Karnala Bird Sanctuary. There was buses for long route like Alibaug and Murud. We asked to Bus conductors also but they told us that long route buses like Alibaug and Murud wont halt at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We asked to Local Rikshaw Drivers also but told us that they will charge 500 Rs. This was out of our budget. Again we went to Panvel S.T bus stand and asked to some conductors.

Bridge on the River
They told us that catch local buses for Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We were very bothered by making enquiries here and there. Finally one bus came for Pen. We asked to bus conductor that whether this bus will halt to Karnala Bird Sanctuary. He told us that yes this bus will halt at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We all friends boarded in Pen bus for Karnala Bird Sanctuary. We got bus for Karnala Bird Sanctuary at 9.30 AM. Finally we were relaxed that we will reach to Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

Scarlet Minivet
Bus conductor came to us and asked for the ticket. Jeetu was our cashier. Jeetu purchased 4 tickets at 60 Rs. Bus fare from Panvel to Karnala Bird Sanctuary is 15 Rs/Person. We requested to Bus Conductor that please inform us once Karnala Bird Sanctuay came. After 30 minutes journey Bus Conductor told us that be ready now Karnala Bird Sanctuary will come. S.T bus halted in the front of Karnala Bird Sanctuary entrance. We had reached to Karnala Bird Sanctuary at 10.00 AM.

Orange Headed Ground Thrush
We woke up early in morning at 4.45 AM. We were feeling very hungry. Now its time for breakfast. We were thinking that where we should go for breakfast. Few year back in 2005 when I went for Karnala Fort trek there was one hotel just in front of Karnala Bird Sanctuary. I was unable to rembember name of hotel. Now things have been totally changed. Now in front of Karnala Bird Sanctuary you will see big bridge.

Small Blue Kingfisher
But I was sure that one Dhaba must be there in front of Karanla Bird Sanctuary. We crossed the road from under the bridge and went to the other side of the road. Finally we got the Dhaba. The Dhaba name was Konkan Lajjat Food Centre. We were very happy to see the dhaba. We were sure that now we will get the breakfast. Konkan Lajjat Dhaba is under the open sky. We asked the Dhaba owner to bring Menu card. We asked him what snacks are available in breakfast.

Emrald Dove
He told us that Omlet Paav, Misal Paav is available in breakfast. We ordered him 4 Omlet Paav and 1 mineral water bottle. Omlette Paav price was 50 Rs/Plate. After ordering breakfast it takes around 10-15 minutes to arrive. This was open sky dhaba so monkeys were watching us from jungle. We were also watching to monkeys. Sitting for breakfast under the open sky is more fun. We were having free time. So we had taken some photographs also. Our breakfast Omlette Paav arrived after 15 minutes.

Common Kestrel
When we started eating Omlette Paav monkeys started coming towards us. The dhaba owner said that monkeys wont do anything. He had an effigy of a lion. He picked it up and put it on our side table. Seeing the effigy of the lion, the monkeys started running back. The joy of eating Omlette Paav was something else. Sanjya and Jeetu were very hungry so they had ordered 2 extra Paav. After eating Omlette Paav we had ordered 2 Tea. Jeetu and Neeraj did not want to take tea.

List of Birds Spotted at Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Finally hotel bill came in last. Hotel bill was around 260 Rs. Jeetu was our cashier. So now its his responsibility to pay the hotel bill. We did not want to cause too much headache in the trip. So we had deposited all the money with Jeetu. He paid the hotel bill. We also gave 10 Rs tip to the waiter also.