Image gallery: Off-roading in the Western Ghats

We went exploring the Western Ghats and driving on dirt roads in the new Toyota Fortuner along with Ruturaj Ingle and his family. We also discovered many hidden gems thanks to Ruturaj who loves nature and spending time in the woods. Here is the exciting off-roading story told through images.

Our first stop after leaving Mumbai was at the Ingle's lovely family home in Kolhapur

The Ingle's took us for lunch to their Padma Restaurant that serves a wholesome veg thali

Padma Restaurant owned by the Ingle's is also renowned for its mutton thali

Sawai Mansing Resort where we stayed at in Amba Ghat

The Amba Ghat region is lined with many wildlife signboards

Sign says it all

Ruturaj Ingle introduced us to some fantastic dirt tracks and took us to many beautiful places

The new Toyota Fortuner proved to be a good partner for this expedition

Cricket being played in a village complete with spectators sitting in trees

Driving on the dirt trails was enjoyable and the Fortuner coped well with the rugged conditions

Ekant Solitude - the Ingle's charming little resort in Radhanagari

Dinner at Ekant is served outdoors under the forest canopy

The Fortuner packed in a lot of stuff including food baskets and Rammy's precious guitar!

Wonder when people will realise this

The Sahyadris offer lots of opportunities for serious off-roading

Gaur or Indian bison in Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

The Western Ghats are full of scenic sights

A small village with thatched roof huts inside the sanctuary

Occasionally, we came across patches of open forest

It was jackfruit season and we saw them on sale everywhere

The Patgao region had received some rain and was greener

The Ingle's farmhouse is attractively situated amidst verdant hills

Gauri and Ruturaj Ingle

Aerial view of the Ingle's farmhouse and its spectacular surroundings

View from the verandah of the Ingle's farmhouse

Entering the dense forest near Patgao

We saw many spider dens on this journey

And also came across wild mangoes growing in many places

These jungles are so thick that even in the day you need to drive with the lights switched on

Deep in the forest, headlights shining bright...

The street tyres would soon get covered with mud, leaves and what have you

The tarmac country roads we drove on were very picturesque and largely traffic free

The entire hilly region is full of amazing vistas

There are also many wind farms in this region

And we drove right past many windmills

The Western Ghats also have many dams and water bodies

Our wheels parked outside our beautiful bungalow at Forest Escapes Resort

We encountered thick fog in some places

And also saw some magnificent hill forts

Bob with Aaryamaan, Gauri and Ruturaj Ingle

Photography: Aaryamaan Ingle, Rammy Nagpal & Bob Rupani