If you are keen to ride away from the multi-tasking world for a couple of days ad do nothing but your own thing, then Saputara will make a memorable getaway. Not terribly exciting or touristy, but rejuvenating sure it is.

The thrill of riding out on a bike is like none other…the freedom, meeting new people and seeing new things…all add up to a memorable holiday says AutoCar (Feb. ’09). Setting out early would be wise for a couple of reasons; you don’t ride under a scorching sun and you can tackle the curvy Kasara Ghat without having a convoy of trucks for company. The roads, apart from the sections being re-tarred, are great and ideal for unbridled mile-eating. Even as you ride into Igatpuri, the road continues to be smooth and very well marked. Nashik though is a different story. The city is full of potholes and motorists follow no rules. After Nashik, traffic starts to whittle away as this smooth stretch of tarmac winds its way past the Sula vineyards in Dindori and past the Vani Lake – both of which are beautiful places to stop and take a look around - and also to give your steed a break.

Saputara, which literally means ‘the abode of serpents’, is the sole hill-station in Gujarat and located on the State border with Maharashtra. Nestling at 875mts above sea level, it enjoys a salubrious climate and panoramic views of the verdant Dang forest. The main attraction of this planned hill-station is its man-made lake which adds to its idyllic ambience.

Waking up to a dew-filled morning and stepping outside to the splendid sight of a mist-covered lake is something you will savour and always return to. Go paddle-boating in the placid waters or just stroll around the beautiful and picturesque place which abounds with greenery. If you’re the adventurous sort, you can even ride or trek down to the nearby Hatgadh Fort and Pandava Caves. Ensure you are clad in at least a warm pullover as Saputara enjoys a cool clime throughout the year.

Not yet in a big way on the tourist map, Saputara with its spellbinding views attracts a decent number of nature lovers keen to get away from the humdrum of daily life in cemented cities. When you are there, you would do well to check out the sunrise point which offers the best panoramic view of Saputara and adjoining Malegaon. Or you could ride down to the Vansda National Park spread over 25 square kilometers and home to antelopes, tigers, leopards, pangolins ad giant squirrels, among a wide variety of flora and fauna.

However you do need to take prior permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden of Gandhinagar or DFO, Ahwa, before you visit the park. There’s also the Purna Sanctuary at Mahal, 60km, north of Dangs. This sanctuary is traversed by the Purna and Gira rivers and trekkers have to use bamboo-lined pathways. Like Vansda, prior permission is required before you go a visiting. 

So, it’s the ideal place to unwind particularly if you are a harassed soul from the city or if you have kept putting off reading that book you’ve wanted to for so long – Saputara is where you will be able to exercise your new year’s resolution. So, the next time you have a lay weekend coming up and don’t want to while it away on the idiot box or at the nearest watering hole, head to Saputara, signs off AutoCar (Feb. ’09), you’ll return happy you did.