We had a wonderful 12 hour day to the countryside from Mumbai, starting at dawn. The caves and carvings were amazing and it felt serene and spiritual. It was a fairly strenuous walk up many stone steps to each of the caves in the humid heat, but well worth it, and plenty of places to stop and rest. The caves felt like a cool, refreshing reprieve at the top. The Karla caves have many stalls along the way selling a range of souvenirs for travellers and offerings for worshippers.
We had a wonderful guide, who was patient and knowledgeable, and it felt good to know about his charity work and university studies. The driver was careful and safe, despite the hair raising traffic getting out of Mumbai. I liked that this tour company is an NGO that supports female workers and children in the poor areas of Mumbai.