Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani – Two Beautiful Hill Stations of Maharastra
At a distance of 123km from Pune, there lies the beautiful hill station Mahabaleshwar. Currently, this town is a popular tourist attraction in India and is the most famous weekend gate-away from Mumbai.
With one of the few evergreen forests of India, the place is also popular for its numerous rivers, stunning waterfalls, and majestic peaks.
Located in the Sahyadri mountain ranges the town was once the summer capital of Bombay province during British Raj.
Let’s take a look at this beautiful hilly town of Maharastra.
How to Reach
Mahabaleshwar can be reached both from Pune or Mumbai. From Pune, the distance of Mahabaleshwar is 117 Km and it will take around 3 hours to reach Mahabaleshwar from Pune. You can either hire a reserved cab for this trip or can avail buses to go to Mahabaleshwar from Pune.
You may book your online bus tickets here.
From Mumbai, the distance of Mahabaleshwar is around 261Km and it will take around 5 hours to reach the destination.
Upon reaching Mahabaleshwar check in to your hotel.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of hotels available in both Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. A good quality Mid-range Hotel will charge around Rs 3000 to 3500 per day. Food will cost around Rs 500 per day per person.
Most importantly, you can book your hotel online from here.
What to Eat
After check-in, you can surely go out and taste the delicious Maharashtrian Thali here which is a popular lunch dish in Mahabaleshwar.
Other than the Thali, you should taste the famous strawberries of Mahabaleshwar. The place produces the best strawberries in India.
Some more food options which you must taste here are Puran Poli- The stuffed chapatis or Puran and chikkis. Both these are sweet dishes.
Top Places to Visit in Mahabaleshwar
Elephant’s Head Point
This is a famous point in Mahabaleshwar popular for its scenic beauty and peace. The rock formation of this place is a look-alike of an elephant’s trunk. That is the reason the place is known as the elephant’s head point.
Dhobi Waterfalls
This is one of the best waterfalls of Mahabaleshwar and is a surreal place where you can enjoy nature.
Mahabaleshwar Temple
This is an ancient Hindu Shrine and is an example of Maratha Heritage. The main deity here is Lord Shiva.
Wilson Point
This is a wide Plateau and is one of the best tourist places in the town. Most importantly, it is the place where you can get a clear view of the entire surroundings.
Arthur Seat
Arthur’s seat or Suicide point is known as the Queen of all points. It offers the most enthralling view of the dense valleys of Brahma-Arayana and the Savitri River.
Venna Lake
Venna Lake is a beautiful and scenic lake in Mahabaleshwar and is one of the most visited tourist places in the town. You can enjoy boating in the lake and horse riding along the banks of this lake.
Ligamala Waterfalls
The Lingmala Waterfall is absolutely a breadth-taking waterfall that is situated on the Mahabaleshwar-Pune Road. From here you can get a beautiful view of the Dhobi Waterfall and Chinaman’s Waterfall.
Pratapgarh Fort
Pratapgad is a hill fort close to Mahabaleshwar. The fort is situated at an elevation of about 3500 feet from the ground. Most of the fortifications are still intact, and it is a popular tourist destination nowadays. There are four lakes within the fort and a Bhawani temple at the top of the fort.
Panchgani is a popular hill station near Mahabaleshwar. The place is famous for its scenic beauty. Panchgani is formed by five hills of the Sahyadri mountain ranges because of this the place is named Panchgani. You may visit this hill station if you are visiting Mahabaleshwar.
Top Places to Visit in Panchgani
Kaas Plateau
Kaas was declared as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site of India in the year 2012. It is a magical place with stunning lakes, beautiful flowers and butterflies all around.
Table Land
Table Land is a plateau and the highest point of Panchgani with a height of 4500 feet above sea level. Spanning over an area of 95 acres, Table Land is the second largest plateau in Asia. Starting from horse riding to trekking, from merry go rounds to arcade games, and from mini trains to mini food kiosks, the place has everything to entertain you.
Some Final Words
If you are a nature lover and fond of tranquillity then this is the best place for your vacation away from the hustle and bustle of a busy town.
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