Villas in Khandala (14)

Khandala is the first of the twin hill stations on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, the town you reach a few minutes before Lonavala as the road climbs the Bhor Ghat. It is about 80 km from Mumbai and 70 km from Pune, roughly two hours from either city, and it has its own railway station on the Mumbai–Pune line one stop before Lonavala. The two towns run into each other along the old highway: Khandala's viewpoints, Lonavala's market and the villas in the hills between them are all within a ten to fifteen minute drive of one another, which is why people booking a villa in Khandala and people booking one in Lonavala usually end up in the same neighbourhoods.

Stayscape villas in Khandala and Lonavala

Our villas sit in the hills between Khandala and Lonavala, most of them within five to ten minutes of the Khandala exit on the Expressway. Every one is a standalone home with a private pool, from the 3-bedroom Honeycomb and the three Aquavista houses to the 11-bedroom Evergreen Escape and Bricstone House, with 4, 5 and 6 BHK homes in between. Casa Santorini, Honeycomb and Woodhouse are in the Tungarli side closest to Khandala; Sage House, Gulmohar and Bricstone House are a little further along towards the Lonavala lake; Maison Bellevue and Stone Water are on the Pune side of town. Whichever you pick, the Khandala viewpoints are a short drive and the Expressway exit is close enough that you can leave Mumbai after breakfast and be in the pool before lunch.

Khandala or Lonavala?

For a villa stay the distinction is mostly on paper. Khandala is the smaller and quieter of the two, with the better valley views: Rajmachi Point, Duke's Nose and the Amrutanjan Point lookout over the ghat are all on its side. Lonavala has the market, the restaurants, the chikki shops and the lake. Our villas are between the two, so you get Khandala's quiet in the evening and Lonavala's conveniences a few minutes away when you need them. If you want to walk to a viewpoint at sunrise, choose a villa on the Tungarli side; if you want to be close to the market and the station, the Lonavala side suits better.

When to visit Khandala

October to February is the best season: cool mornings, clear views across the ghat and pool weather by midday. The monsoon, June to September, is when Khandala is at its most dramatic, with the ghat in cloud, waterfalls on every cliff and Bhushi Dam in full flow; weekends are busy, weekdays are not. March to May is hot in the afternoon but the evenings are pleasant and the villas are at their quietest and cheapest.

Things to do near the villas

Rajmachi Point and Duke's Nose for the valley views, Tiger's Leap for the drop into the Kune valley, and Kune Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the state, in the monsoon. Bhushi Dam and Lonavala Lake are ten minutes away, the Karla and Bhaja Buddhist caves twenty, and the Rajmachi fort trek starts from Tungarli and takes most of a day. The Lonavala market is the place for chikki and fudge to take home. Most groups, though, come for the pool, the lawn and a long weekend with nothing planned.

Good to know

Every Stayscape villa comes with a private pool, a caretaker on site and home-cooked meals on request at a per-person charge. Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out at 11 am. Weekday rates are lower than weekend rates, and the 1+1 night offer applies on selected dates outside peak periods. All of the villas on this page are also listed on the Villas in Lonavala page; the two pages show the same homes.