About Kaas Plateau: The Kaas Plateau, also known as the Kaas Pathar or Kas Sadas, is a plateau situated 25 kilometres west from Satara city in Maharashtra, India. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster of the Western Ghats, and it became a part of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2012. It is a biodiversity hotspot known for various types of seasonal wild flowers bloom and numerous species of endemic butterflies annually in the months of August,September,October.
The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 metres and is approximately 10 square kilometers in area. Kaas has more than 850 different species of flowering plants of which 624 are listed on the IUCN Red List. These include orchids, shrubs such as the Karvy, and carnivorous plants such as Drosera Indica. Kaas plateau is a plateau located near Satara. It is situated high hill plateaus and grasslands turns into a 'valley of flowers' during monsoon season, particularly from August to early October. Kaas Plateau has more than 150 or more types of flowers, shrubs and grasses. The orchids bloom here for a period of 3 - 4 weeks during this season. Kaas plateau is a World Natural Heritage site.
In September, some of the most common flowering plants are Eriocaulon manoharani, Pogostemon deccanensis, Senecio grahamii, Impatiens oppositifolia and Dipcadi montanum. The plateau experiences a natural cycle of extreme conditions, with wet water-logged cool monsoons, very dry barren hot summer (45°C) and dry winter (5°C). The soil is a thin layer on top of Deccan rock, with varying quality of nutrients. The annual cyclic ecosystem here, and nearby similar but smaller lateritic plateaus, has adapted to these conditions. The entire flowering plants and their related plants are typically restricted to that particular locality only. This is because the plateau is largely formed of basalt which is directly exposed to atmosphere. The basalt is covered almost entirely by a thin cover of soil formed due to erosion and has accumulated a layer of not more than a inch or so. This soil is neither black nor lateritic.
At certain places water gets accumulated because of uneven surface. Such places appear like small puddles which harbor a typical marshy flora. Because of this particular situation of soil the plants growing on Kaas plateau are typically of herbaceous nature of like grasses. Botanically the flora is labelled as “herbaceous”. The small shrubs and trees are located at the periphery of the plateau.
Major Attractions: ● Kaas Pathar- Plateau of Flowers ● Rich Bio-diversity of Kaas- Endangered / Rare / Endemic / Common Species ● Plateau changes its colour after every 15- 20 days, as the cycle of flowering plants progresses with the monsoon from August to October. ● Brief on the IUCN Red List at Kaas. ● Pratapgad Fort / Ajinkyatara Fort ● Local cuisines to keep us energetic throughout the event
Please Note: We’ll be boarding non-A/C bus from our nearest pick-up point. Bus timings are shared below for convenience:
10:00 pm Dadar 10:20 pm Chembur 10:40 pm Vashi 11:00 pm Mc D Kolambali
Meeting Point : Dadar Pritam Hotel 10:00 pm
Itinerary: Day 0: 10:00 pm Depart for Kaas Plateau in a non-A/C bus (We will manage pick-ups from pre-decided locations depending upon the participants
Day 1: 05:00 am Arrive at the base village and take some rest 06:00 am Wake-up call, freshen-up and have breakfast, followed by tea 07:00 am Introduction round and brief on rules and regulations to be followed by everyone on the event 07:15 am Gear up for the execution as per the instructions 08:00 am Reach plateau, feel the quest of being on the lovely place with flowers by all the side, guided exploration for the initial phase with introduction on flora, next explore the mighty place as much as you can 11:00 am Start descending returning towards the base, take some rest 12:00 am Freshen up, have tummy tight lunch and rest for a while 01:30 pm Leave for Ajinkyatara Fort 02:30 pm Explore the fort and enjoy the city view from this fort with lots of pics 03:30 pm Leave for Mumbai, fun in the bus, followed by games and lots more 08:30 pm Reach Mumbai and bid adieu with a promise to meet soon
Event Fee: Rs.1,850/- per person. Payment once done is non-refundable, do check for availability before making a payment.
Includes: The cost per head includes the following. ● Local travel from Mumbai to Mumbai ● Refreshments on the tour ● Unlimited breakfast and Lunch on the event ● Local guidance ● First aid and first responder assistance in case required ● MPA administration charges if any ● Do read our terms and conditions before registration
Cost Excludes: ● All kinds of extra meals / soft drinks ordered. ● Insurance, tips, porters, bottled mineral water, aerated drinks etc. ● Any kind of personal expenses. (Like- Carrying personal camera to a restricted area, breaking a rule and being fined by local authority, expenses occurred due to a personal negligence, etc.) ● Any kind of cost which is not mentioned in the cost includes above. ● All expenses incurred due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances like road blocks, bad weather, etc.
Things to carry: ● Some ready to eat food like- plum cakes, fruits, chocolates, biscuits, etc ● 2 Litres of water must ● Good trekking shoes ● Extra pair of clothes, socks optional ● Cap, Camera as Optional ● 1 packet of electrol, enerzal, glucon-D ● Medications if required for individual ● Avoid wearing precious ornaments on an event, if possible ● And a haversack or backpack to put all the above things to be carried, so hands are free to help each other while trekking. Sling bags / jholas / trolley bags etc not allowed on the event. Please pack accordingly.
