The carpet is ready at Maharashtra's Valley of Flowers. Here's a guide to planning that long-pending visit to the Kaas plateau, also known as Kaas pathar.
Why go Kaas plateau
Kaas has been awarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for its stunning biodiversity. From pretty orchids to the wild and carnivorous Drosera Indica, there are more than 850 species of plants that bloom only in September, or if you're lucky, till early October. September is the best time to visit Kaas plateau. At other times of the year, the plateau is covered with soil and grassy patches. Just don't visit expecting tall, flushing meadows: the flowers here are mostly carpeted along the ground and rarely rise more than a foot. And yet the sight of a million tiny flowers is something you won't forget in a hurry. Need another reason? The Kaas lake is thankfully unspoilt and makes for a great picnic spot.
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How do you get to Kaas plateau
Driving to Kaas pathar from Mumbai and Pune
Kaas is 280km, i.e. a 6hr drive, away from Mumbai. From Pune, it is about 3hrs away. Take the Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway (NH4) up to Satara and exit for Kaas plateau. (Do note that there are no food stalls or restrooms at the plateau, so tank up or empty out on your way there.)
You may need to register for Kaas plateau
You need a permit to visit Kaas pathar, which can get at the site on most days. However, on weekends and public holidays, the permit will be available only online. You can get it here. This little protocol is to prevent people from stomping all over. For Rs100, you can spend three hours on the plateau. Time slots: 7am-10am; 10am-1pm; 1pm-4pm; 4pm-7pm. Only 3,000 visitors are allowed per day, so make sure you book before you go.
Bear in mind that you cannot drive all the way to the plateau anymore. The parking lot is some distance away, but ST buses will ferry you back and forth for a small fee.
What else can you do?
There aren't many accommodation options nearby, so it's better to keep it as a day trip. Should you still want to stay, choose from three options: the Kaas Pathar Village Resort, an MTDC-approved place 10min away, Stayatali, which is 2km away, or Nivant Hill Resort Satara, located at the Kaas gateway.
The other option is to club it with a weekend in Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani or Wai, an hour away. You could also plan a trek to Ajinkyatara, a historic 16th-century Maratha fort that stands on one of the seven mountains surrounding Satara. A third, slightly longer option is to cross the Western Ghats and make the 4hr drive to Dapoli on the Konkan coast.
This is an updated version of the story posted on 2 September 2015.