I went to Shillim in 2005, traveling down the new Pune highway and stopping at a MacDonald’s just before the start of the freeway after navigating through Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbai is the new satellite city coming up on the southern side of Mumbai where the overflow is going. Actually, it is going to be a very modern city, well laid out with all the amenities available in an orderly and efficient manner. The new international airport is being placed there as well as the new Park Hotel, which is opening January 2007. To facilitate movement between the new and the old, there is an extremely long sea bridge being built at present that, while it is not the environmentalist’s friend, will cut traveling time to the new airport considerably. We trave4led through this area, marveling at the new buildings and the well laid out infrastructure on our way to the Pune highway and the Western Ghats. I was traveling to look at a proposal to take up if I was leaving the Park in early 2006 on my contract completion, and we were heading into the wild wonders of the national park areas of the Ghats. Apparently the road was a gravel and dirt track for a good part of it, and this turned out to be the case which was lucky for us in that it was the dry season! Once turning off the highway, we proceeded to Lonavala, past its lake and the very picturesque dam situated nearby. Lonavala is located in the western part of the state of Maharashtra and is set amongst the slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range. Also known as the “Jewel of The Sahyadri”, Lonavala is a place of this region where nature is present in its entire splendor. It is justly famous because of its beautiful valleys, hills, milky waterfalls, lush greenery, and pleasant cool winds. It is also the closest stop on the railway line to Shillim. The rest of the journey will be by bone rattling four-wheel drive! Shillim itself is located within the tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats with the Shillim valley a rural setting of rice fields and villages surrounded by forested ridges and open grasslands. A good couple of nights were spent in the cool climes of Shillim, in basic amenities as the project had not started by then, looking around the slopes and the surrounding forests in such a peaceful setting, it was hard to imagine the world going by. There is a lake nearby called the Bhushi Lake I think, not too big, but blue and refreshing in the heat of the Maharashtra day. If you ever have the time to take a few days in the peace and calm of the Western Ghats, look up the new Hilton Resort in Shillim and chill out for a few days. Highly recommendable!