MAHABALESHWAR

Hi all!

This is an experience from a traveller who visited Mabaleshwar, a beautiful hill station in Maharashtra! I went with my family for a 2 day 2 night trip. Mahabaleswar is a historic and really cool place situated about 4500 feet above sea level in the magnificent Sahyadri mountain range.

Travel: 

We took a train (Deccan Express) from Thane to Pune in AC Chair Car (3.5 hours); we reached by 11 AM. Train booking from Pune to Satara could not be confirmed. So, we travelled by car from Pune to Mahabaleshwar (3 hours) on a ghat road which felt like a roller coaster ride! We reached by 3 PM. On the return trip ST bus journey from Mahabaleswar to Satara was of 90 minutes only. And from Satara to Thane, we made a cool reserved train journey by Koyna Express. 

The scenery along the way was very picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful. This is a click from the train.

Stay:

We checked into Rooma Residency - a home stay cottage. We stayed for 2 nights in a comfortable cottage, and the hospitality was also good. On the flipside, the TV wasn't working, the mobile network was poor and WiFi was working in half of the room only...so we could all actually disconnect from devices ; ) On the first day, we just soaked in the beauty of the place and chilled in the cottage. 

 

Climate:

Our trip was in the beginning of November. Day temperatures ranged around 18°C to 19°C, nights were chilly at 15°C with dew. It gets dark quite early. When I was in my hotel room, the water in there was extremely cold. I definitely enjoyed the cool vibes! If you are planning a trip, make sure to carry cozy winterwear :)

Local Tour:

We went on Mahabaleswar Darshan, in a local bus from the ST Bus Stand. The guide showed us many interesting places from 2:30 PM to 7:00 PM such as Arthur Seat Point, ancient Krishnabai Temble (dedicated to the origins of River Krishna), Panchaganga Temple (confluence of 5 rivers), and Sunset Point. Venna Lake's serene beauty, echo points from the mountains are some more highlights. We missed the Pratapgarh ST bus tour at 9.30 AM.

  

There are adventure sports like paragliding and river rafting available, and my sister had a go at go-karting...she went for like 6 laps and decided it was too unsafe for me. 

We did a bit of shopping and my sister bought some fridge magnet keepsakes for her friends.

We took a magical and refreshing morning walk to Lingmala Waterfalls, which was a 20 minute walk from our cottage. The music of birds chirping, the rustle of leaves, the sound of waterfalls, the earthy aroma of the dew soaked forest, the cool breeze, and the sight of rich greenery around truly awakened our senses.

 

  

Food:

The most famous dessert of Mahabaleshwar is Strawberry and Cream which is made of 5 ingredients: fresh strawberry, fresh cream, strawberry ice cream, topped with strawberry syrup and strawberry jam. It tastes truly heavenly! Plenty of fast food options and meals are available. We enjoyed hot corn chaat, vada pav, paani puri, chips, sandwiches and noodles along with regular meals.

Oh yes, and we all had an uncountable number of jellies!

Flora & Fauna:

Mahabaleshwar is famous for its delicious fresh strawberries. We visited a strawberry farm where we came to know that Mahabaleshwar accounts for around 85% of strawberries sold in India! A farmer told us that one strawberry plant can produce more than 300 strawberries in a season! The cool climate of Mahabaleswar is especially suitable for strawberry farming.

There are magnificent old trees. We saw a huge bamboo cluster. Super fresh strawberries, bright orange baby carrots, turnips and beetroots are sold on the roadside.  

Speaking of fauna, there are plenty of horses if one is keen on horseback riding. From our cottage balcony, I saw a monkey (langur) eating guava from a tree! I was surprised as at the place I live in, there aren't any monkeys around. 

Adieu:

I immensely enjoyed my short vacation at Mahabaleswar and hope to visit soon again!