In 2016, we started our first few tents near the Pawna Lake shore with a simple idea. People from Pune and Mumbai wanted to spend a night by the water, a bonfire and a good dinner, and we were sure we could give them that better than anyone else. This winter is our 11th season, and more than 30,000 campers have already stayed with us along the way.

That’s a lot of bonfires, a lot of chicken curry and a lot of phone calls at 11 PM from someone who has missed the turn near Pawnanagar. It’s also a lot of lessons. Some we learned from guests who loved their stay, and more from guests who told us honestly what we could do better.

This post shares what eleven seasons have taught us. It also does something more practical. At the end, you’ll find all our official details in one place: our website, phone numbers, address and payment process. Whether you book with us or anyone else, you’ll know how to make sure your booking is genuine.

How Pawna Lake Camps Started

Pawna Lake Camps (pawnalakecamps.in) was started in 2016 by Akshay and Ajitl, two real brothers with roots in the Maval area who had spent years around the lake. Back then, camping at Pawna was still mostly a word-of-mouth thing. There were a handful of tents, basic washrooms and dinners cooked over a wood fire.

Our first season was small. We handled bookings over phone calls, cooked with a tiny team and learned something new almost every weekend: how many blankets a cold January night really needs, how much BBQ a group of ten college friends can finish, and how quickly a sunny afternoon in July can turn into a downpour.

Today we run several campsites and cottage stays near the lake, with tents, wooden cottages, the Triangle House Cottage and the Pawna Mountain Resort with a swimming pool. The basics haven’t changed: a safe place to stay, good food and a team that’s awake when you need them.

If you’d like to know how the lake itself came to be, we’ve written about the history of Pawna Lake and Pawna Dam in our blog section. 

8 Things 30,000+ Campers Have Taught Us

1. Safety is the first question, every time

After thousands of booking calls, we can predict the pattern. Someone asks about tent prices and food, then pauses and asks, “Is it safe?” Families ask it, couples ask it, and parents of college students ask it more than anyone.

That question has shaped how we run our camps. We keep staff on site 24 hours a day. Our Deluxe campsites have CCTV and separate washrooms for men and women. We appoint extra security for big nights like New Year’s Eve. Lake access is supervised, and going into the water at night isn’t allowed. We wrote about all of this honestly in our Pawna Lake camping safety guide.

2. Couples and families want their own space

In our early seasons, everyone shared one campsite. A family with young kids would end up next to a group of friends playing loud music at midnight, and nobody had a great night.

So we separated them. Today, Deluxe A is only for couples and families, with live singing on weekends. Groups of friends have their own campsites with more space and more energy. It’s one of the simplest changes we’ve made, and our reviews improved more after it than after almost anything else. You can read more about our family camping and couple camping options.

3. Food matters more than the tent

We used to think people came for the tents and the lake view. They do, but what they talk about on the way home is the food.

That’s why every package with us includes evening tea and pakoda, a BBQ of around 250 grams per person (veg or non-veg), an unlimited dinner and breakfast the next morning. The dinner menu has grown over the years based on what guests kept asking for: paneer masala, dal, chicken curry, anda curry, chapati, rice and a sweet dish. Unlimited mineral water is included too. No one should have to drive out at 10 PM looking for food.

4. Not everyone wants a tent, and that’s fine

A tent by the lake is the classic Pawna experience, and it’s still what most of our guests choose. But over the years, more people asked for something in between camping and a hotel: grandparents, families with toddlers, and couples who wanted an attached washroom.

That’s why we added the Wooden Cottages, the Triangle House Cottage with AC and an attached washroom, and our Pawna Lake resort stays with a swimming pool. Choice brought in people who would never have tried camping otherwise, and many of them came back for a tent the next time.

5. The season changes everything

After eleven seasons, we can tell you that the same campsite feels like three different places through the year. Winter brings cold nights, bonfires and clear stars. The monsoon turns the hills green and the lake full, but it can also cancel a bonfire. Summer is quiet, warm and good value.

We’ve learned to tell guests honestly what to expect before they book, rather than letting them find out on arrival. Our best time to visit guide, winter camping guide and monsoon camping guide all came from the questions guests asked us most.

6. Saturdays and New Year sell out first

This one never changes. Saturday nights fill up first in every season, and New Year’s Eve camping is our busiest night of the year by far. The guests who get the tent or cottage they want are the ones who book early. The guests who get the most peaceful stay are the ones who come on a weekday.

7. Groups are the heart of Pawna camping

College gangs, office teams, cousins, and birthday trips for 25 people. Groups make up a big part of who stays with us, and they’re often the most fun to host. That’s why we offer up to 20% off for groups of 10 or more, and why our team will plan games, music and seating for a large group if you tell us in advance.

8. Trust is built before you arrive

The biggest lesson of all has nothing to do with tents or food. As Pawna Lake has become more popular, more and more booking pages, listings and phone numbers have appeared online. Many are genuine local camps. But every season, we also hear from people who paid an advance to a number they found online and couldn’t reach anyone when they arrived.

We don’t want that to happen to anyone, whether they book with us or not. So below are all our official details in one place, and a simple checklist you can use for any camp at Pawna.

Our Official Website, Numbers and Payment Details

These are the only official channels for Pawna Lake Camps (pawnalakecamps.in). If you’re booking with us, please book and pay only through these.

How booking and payment work with us

1. Choose your stay on pawnalakecamps.in. Options include Regular and Deluxe camping, Triangle Tents, Swiss Tents, Wooden Cottages, the Triangle House Cottage and the Pawna Mountain Resort. Packages start from ₹999 per person. For a custom group plan, use our Get a Quotation form.
2. Pay a 33% advance to confirm your booking, or pay in full if you prefer. You can pay through the checkout on our website or by scanning the payment QR code shown on our website. Payments go to [Akshada Pathare].
3. Get your confirmation. Once payment is received, we share your booking details along with the campsite location and directions. You can also see your booking under My Account → Bookings on our website.
4. Arrive and check in. Check-in for camping is from 4 PM, and check-out is at 11 AM the next day. Cottage and resort timings are mentioned on each package page. Parking is free.

Cancellation and rescheduling

• Please inform us at least 24 hours before your check-in time if you need to cancel.
• The 33% advance is non-refundable, but you can reschedule your trip to another date.
• If you paid 100%, we deduct 33% and refund the remaining 67% within 7–8 working days.

The full terms are on our Terms & Conditions page and our FAQ page.

How to Check That Any Pawna Lake Camping Booking Is Genuine

This checklist works for any camp at Pawna, not just ours.

• Match the phone number with the Google Business Profile. A genuine camp’s number on its website should match the number on its Google Maps listing.
• Check the payee name before you pay. When you scan a QR code or enter a UPI ID, your payment app shows the account name. If it doesn’t match the business you’re booking with, stop and call them first.
• Look for a real, consistent address. Genuine camps can tell you exactly where they are and send you a map pin.
• Read recent Google reviews, not just the star rating. Look for reviews with photos from the last few months.
• Don’t pay the full amount to an unknown number found in a comment, message or random ad. Call the number listed on the camp’s own website and Google Maps profile.
• Ask for written confirmation with your date, package, number of people and amount paid.

If you’re ever unsure whether a booking is with us, just call or WhatsApp us on +91 83907 54855. We’ll confirm it in a minute.

What Hasn’t Changed in 11 Seasons

A lot has changed since our first season: more campsites, cottages, a pool, online booking and a bigger team. But some things are exactly as they were in 2016. We still cook every dinner fresh at the campsite. We still light the bonfire after dinner. Our team is still on site through the night. And we still get just as excited when the first winter fog sits on the lake in November.

Thank you to every one of the 30,000+ campers who have stayed with us, and especially to those who told us what to fix. This place is better because of you.

Planning your next trip? Explore our Pawna Lake camping packages or call or WhatsApp us on +91 83907 54855. If you’re new to Pawna, start with our complete Pawna Lake guide or our dos and don’ts for first-time campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the official website of Pawna Lake Camps?

 The official website is pawnalakecamps.in. We have been operating camps at Pawna Lake since 2016.

What is the contact number for pawnalakecamps.in? 

You can call or WhatsApp us on +91 83907 54855. Our alternate number is +91 83907 44855, and our email is pawnalakecampsofficial@gmail.com.

Who started pawnalakecamps.in?

Pawna Lake Camps was started in 2016 by Akshay, Ajit and Swapnil, who have hosted more than 30,000 campers at Pawna Lake since then.

Where are your campsites located?

Our campsites are near Pawna Lake, on Thakursai Aajiwali Road, Pawnanagar, in Maval taluka of Pune district. That’s around 52 km from Pune and about 115 km from Mumbai. Our How to Reach page has full directions.

How much advance do I need to pay to book?

You pay a 33% advance to confirm your booking, or you can pay the full amount. You can pay through our website checkout or the payment QR code shown on our website.

How do I know my booking is genuine?

Book only through pawnalakecamps.in or our official numbers listed above, check that the payee name in your payment app matches, and keep your written confirmation. If in doubt, call +91 83907 54855 and we’ll verify your booking.

Do you offer group discounts?

Yes. Groups of 10 or more get up to 20% off. Contact us on WhatsApp for a group quote.