The Kass Plateau or the Kaas Pathar is situated about 25 kilometers away from Satara in Maharashtra. The entire plateau takes a blanket of colourful flowers and is thus rightly called Maharashtra's Valley of Flowers. It is one of the most scenic spots in the state that deserves your visit. Looking at the excellent biodiversity in the area it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 2012. And the best time to visit here is now!

There are approximately 850 varieties of flowering plants, shrubs, and several other endemic species of butterflies, insects. The best time to visit this beautiful valley is in the middle of the monsoons, as the flowers take fresh bloom after the rains. So mid-August to September is a good time to visit here. An approximate area of 10 square kilometers of the entire surroundings is covered in spreads of colourful blooms. It is a sight to behold and experience the beauty of nature at its very best.

Take a look at some of the pictures from Kaas Plateau:

The pink flower bed!

The beautiful flower blankets

Hello, sunshine!

A post shared by shutterbug_ig (@shutterbug_ig) on

The photos give a heavenly view, right? It is something most of us would have seen only in pictures and movies. But this spot is very near to us and can be seen over a day's trip. It is a 6-7 hour drive one way. You'd have to register yourself prior on http://www.kaspathar.com as they allow a limited number of visitors. Meanwhile, the forest officials had also said that the bloom may be less this year because of the damage caused due to over-tourism. So it is better you make a quick visit before you disappoint yourself with no flowerbeds! So forget Kashmir for a while, and plan your trip to Kaas instead.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2018 10:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).