Kaas Plateau

Kaas is a plateau of exposed laterite in the Western Ghats where the soil is only a few centimetres deep over rock, which supports a specialised flora of ephemerals and insectivorous plants that complete their whole cycle in the weeks after the monsoon. From late August into September the surface turns colour in successive waves as different species bloom and fade, with over eight hundred and fifty flowering species recorded and many endemic to the northern Western Ghats. It is part of the UNESCO Western Ghats world heritage listing, and visitor numbers are capped daily to limit trampling.

What you actually see

• The mass bloom - waves of colour changing species by species through September.
• The insectivorous plants - sundews and bladderworts in the shallow soil.
• The endemic flora - species restricted to the northern Western Ghats.
• The laterite surface - rock with only centimetres of soil above it.

When to go

Late August to early October; the peak lasts two to three weeks and shifts with the monsoon. Visitor numbers are capped daily and online booking is effectively compulsory in season.

Honest expectations

The window is short and easily missed. Walking is restricted to fenced paths to prevent trampling, and stepping off is prohibited. Weekend slots sell out. Outside the bloom the plateau is bare rock.

Nearby

Satara lies east; Mahabaleshwar is north.