Eco Tourism - Rural Tourism -

Kohane
Akole Taluka of Ahmednagar District

A Watershed project implemented by WOTR, where we've recently initiated a tourism venture.

The heart of Maharashtra is where the tribes reside. We’d take you to a small, tribal village called Kohane, with its original, colorful, mysterious tribal people and lush jungles.

This adventure is about getting to the heart and soul of the country and getting in touch with your cultural roots, with guides who are born and bred in this part of the region. It’s immersed in local customs and shall uncover experiences you may never find on your own.

Click here for a bigger view of  the Kohane Village

Where Do We Stay?

We believe in promoting small, great-value, family-run places, while providing a pastoral experience of living in a warm mud-house (with solar lights) or camping out in a tent, with clean bathrooms and toilets (close to the camp site and next to your mud-house).

Apart from being the best place to stay, the money you pay would stay with the locals instead of a big hotel chain.

The village house gives you the desired opportunity to interact with the villagers and understand their culture and way of life.

What Do We eat?

After exploring the life of a farmer and toiling hard all day, soaking up the place, the people, all you’d need is a hot shower and a sumptuous meal. A classic meal would include creamy vegetables, soft breads, spicy and tangy curries and a blend of jaggery and fresh dairy to calm your taste buds in the end. This is not all, our villagers and your host family would create an ambience to go with it, place you on a dung floor with small lamps around and a plate full of savories.

Are There Any Places of Interest Around the Village for the More Adventurous?

   Harishchandragadh, a famous trek spot, is 8 kms by a private vehicle with 2-3 hrs of trek from Kohane.

    Konkan cliff is a 30-minute hike from Harishchandragadh. Bhandardara (Wilson) Dam, noted for its vantage points for nature watching, lies across the Arthur Lake, which is 1 ½ hrs away from Kohane.

    Umbrella Falls is a picturesque spot below the Bhandardara Dam wall (1 km from the Bhandardara Dam).

    You could also visit Ratangarh, The Nageshwar temple, The Amriteshwar temple, Mt. Kalsubai, Pemgiri (a fig tree with a canopy that is 1.5 acres in area), Agasti Rishi Ashram and many more.

What Do I Do If I wish to Stay Put in the Village?

It’ll be a dream come true for us and you’d find us grinning the whole way. There are a thousand delightful things you could lay your hands on.

  Join a local woman in her daily routine; cooking (take a cooking lesson), preparing offerings for ceremonies, taking care of the garden and children and collecting water .

    Grind rice/wheat with a village woman the traditional way .

    Enjoy a performance by local artists (along with the entire village).

    Visit the village school and talk to the kids.

   Spend a day with a farmer and learn what he does the entire day. Dress up in their traditional outfit/ Plough the fields/ tend to their cattle/pick fruits/veggies and flowers.

   Trek the forest-garden and let your guide tell you about the plants and their medicinal and ceremonial uses.

We do not wish to sanitize the experience and want to keep it as raw and beautiful as possible, with a travel experience that offers depth and insight about the place, history, culture and the life of those who walk that region!

How To Get There

Road Map

  From Mumbai, travel time is about 6-7 hours (250 kms) by road. You could either come by a local/ST bus from Parel, get off at Kotul and hop on a local jeep from there (which is 17 kms till Kohane) or by a private vehicle.

  From Pune, travel time is about 5-6 hours by road and you could come via Alephata/Bota or you could travel by bus till Sangamner (4 hrs) and a local jeep from there (another hour and half till the village). We’d be happy to take your load off about travel and plan it for you.

To read up more about the project and the initiative, Please click here

For more details, please contact:
Ms. Komal Singh
Project Coordinator, Rural Tourism
(M): +91-9970233517
e-mail: singhkom@gmail.com