There are plenty of great treks you can do in the Western Ghats and the Sahyadris in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Why don’t you try the 3-4 day hike from Kamshet to Karla in Maharashtra? Kamshet is about 30min by road from Lonavala, from where you walk to the spectacular Bedsa caves past the Pawna dam with great views of the Tung fort. Stay the night at Bedsa and then climb the hill past the caves to cross a small pass before descending to Malewadi village (sweeping views from here of the Tikona fort, Karla ridge, Valvan lake and Lonavala). From here, follow the forest trail to the Visapur fort and camp near it. The next day, hike to Lohagad for its ancient Buddhist cave, medieval dargah and beautiful views. The day after, take the trail over a saddle beside the fort into a jungle and climb down a spur to Bhaja village. From here, it’s a lovely climb up to the stunning 2nd century BCE Buddhist caves with their many viharas and a carved chaitya hall. Then walk down the metalled road from Bhaja village to the Malavli station. From here, follow a tarred road to the NH4, cross it and continue up to the spectacular Karla caves, the highlight of this trek.

Another longish option is a Coorg plantation hike through coffee plantations and shola forests, roughly stretching from the Mojo rainforest to the Honey Valley estate, covering a green trek from Subramanya to the Brahmagiri hills. Stay at the Golden Mist, Mojo and Honey Valley plantations, trek up to Thadiyandamol (at 1,747m Karnataka’s second highest peak), and see barking deer, pangolins and flying squirrels (contact Coorg Wildlife Society atcws.in, and the plantation-stays).

OT Getaways Guides’Trekking Holidays in Indiaand Harish Kapadia’sTrek the Sahyadrisare excellent resources. Look up your local chapter of the Youth Hostel Association of India (yhaindia.org)—membership is inexpensive and trips are very affordable. You can also consider joining trips organised by non-profits likebangaloretrekkingclub.comandchennaitrekkers.org—keep track by signing up for their newsletters and liking their Facebook pages. McLeodganj-based Manu Adventures (9736871426,manuadventures.in) is a very good private operator for treks in the Kangra, Chamba and Kullu valleys. Every trek requires preparations unique to its terrain. On the whole, be fit, walk at a comfortable pace, learn to be self-sufficient with camping, and invest in good quality boots and rucksack.

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