Situated near Pune, Lavasa City was once seen as a dream project that promised a modern hill town lifestyle and India’s first planned private hill station. Years later, the city remains incomplete and mostly empty. Even though it feels abandoned, people still visit Lavasa out of curiosity. Recently, a biker shared his early morning journey to the city, which began calmly but soon turned eerie as thick fog covered the roads near Pashan Lake.
With very low visibility and complete silence, the ride felt risky and unsettling. Once he reached Lavasa, the scene changed. The lake, hills and colourful buildings looked beautiful, yet the place felt lifeless.
An Early Morning Ride Turns Unsettling
In a Reddit post titled, “I visited Lavasa today. A city
that forgot how to breathe,” the individual wrote, “Went on an early morning bike ride to Lavasa today via the Khadakwasla route. Till Khadakwasla dam, the ride was calm, no fog, clear roads. But as I got closer to Pashan Lake, everything changed. Thick fog surrounded me. Visibility dropped to barely 5 meters. It was around 5 AM, pitch quiet, and honestly terrifying for a moment. I slowed down, kept my calm, and just kept riding. When I finally reached Lavasa, I realised the risk was worth it.”
“The place is breathtakingly beautiful: the lake, the hills, the colourful buildings, everything feels perfectly placed. And yet, it’s almost completely empty. No crowds, no noise, no life. Just silence echoing through wide roads and closed windows. Standing there, I felt an unexpected heaviness. How can a place built with so much ambition feel so forgotten? A city that looks ready for life, but has been left behind. Lavasa didn’t feel dead. It felt forgotten,” the biker added.
I visited Lavasa today. A city that forgot how to breathe.
byu/Annual-Frosting9983 inpune
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “It’s like a ghost town, truly eerie. There is nothing to do as such except eat. I liked going to the helipad, though; it was beautiful.”
Another shared, “My school friend bought a villa there way back in 2012. It’s a dead city now, so no point in investing there; their house has been lying around with no resale value. Luckily, there’s a university inside Lavasa city now, so they could put it up for rent for students. But definitely not worth investing for now.”
“Bro, let it be underrated, please,” a comment read.
An individual stated, “Can you just drive/ride down now? I remember having done that in 2010, but we were stopped at the gates, as we didn’t have any booking, nor did we have anyone in the group who had property there. Security was quite good at that time, and we had to turn back without actually entering Lavasa.”
One more added, “That place has a creepy vibe. It does not have positive vibes. While roaming, it feels like you are a game character and roaming in a City.”
Entry Rules For Visitors
The biker later shared more details and explained that visitors are free to drive around most parts of Lavasa city. However, vehicles are not allowed close to the lakes. He also mentioned that there is an entry fee to visit the area. With a car, one can enter the town by paying Rs 500 and bikes are charged Rs 200.
