In today’s busy life we often need a break, “A holiday Break”…If not frequently then atleast once in a year to relax and to spend some quality time with our family & Friends. So,in order to spend my Relaxing holiday with family last year, I decided to visit Mahabaleshwar ( Maharashtra).
Mahabaleshwar is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a beautiful hill station located in the Western Ghats range. Soaring peaks, breathtaking valleys, Lush flora, Cool crisp mountains are all identities of this amazingly beautiful hill station.
Mahabaleshwar means ‘God of Great Power’ in Sanskrit. Indeed, the place is great and bountiful, rewarding the visitor with a mix of old-world charm, natural beauty and modernity.
A tour of Mahabaleshwar town and the surrounding countryside would take at least a couple of days as there is much to see and experience. So, We started our Journey as soon as we landed on Pune Airport (One of the closest Airport from Mahabaleshwar) .This time we had not planned our Trip through Travel agents..We had our own car Waiting outside the Airport with our Parents inside, Who had come all the way from Gujarat just to join us for the trip.
It took around five hours of drive for us To reach Mahabaleshwar. Due to its high altitude, the town has a cool climate, which you will start experiencing the moment you will enter outskirts of it. Same happened with us also and We were really amazed by the Pleasant climate and the beauty of the place.
Since,we were travelling at a stretch of five hours continuously, We really got tired, Hence decided to first go to our hotel room & get freshen up before exploring places around.Meanwhile We asked our hotel staff to guide us with the Tourist places to visit in Mahabaleshwar, He gave us a map..based on which we shortlisted few places to visit that day itself and few we kept for the next day.
Places to visit in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgini:
1: Elephant’s Head Point
Its a nice point to visit & Click pictures, It has a great height and has a piece of land looking like an elephant with the observation point on its head. (hence the name Elephants head).
Note that the point is almost 2-3 KMs of uphill walk. For older people and kids there are horses available.
2: Venna Lake
It is one of the major tourist attractions of Mahabaleshwar. The lake is surrounded by trees on all sides. Tourists can enjoy a boat ride over the lake or a horse ride next to the lake. A number of small eateries line the banks of the lake. The Mahabaleshwar city market and the S.T. bus stand is about 2KM from the lake and makes for a nice walk during the day. Most tour operators include the Venna lake in their tours. Most buses, private vehicles will stop at the Venna lake on their way to Mahabaleshwar.
3: Mapro Garden
It is a garden park in Panchgini, situated close to Mahabaleshwar, known for their strawberry produce, and a popular tourist destination. It is host to the annual Strawberry Festival. Mahabaleshwar contributes to 85% of the total Strawberry produce in India and about 80% is consumed fresh. The Strawberry Festival encourages the strawberry cultivation in the belt. The highlights of this festival are fresh farm picked strawberry lined up on tables for visitors to eat to their fullest as well as traditional folk performances such as Shivkalin Dhol and Lezim, a high energy dance for which dancers are invited from Pratapgarh.
4: Parsi Point
Parsi Point is a renowned picnic spot lies on the Mahabaleshwar road in Panchgani. It offers panoramic views of picturesque Dhom Dam backwaters and the lush green Krishna valley.” This is a spot in Panchgani which is blessed spectacular view. You can spend hours in the cool calm ambiance enjoying the fragrant breeze coming out of hilly ranges.
5: Lingmala Falls
The Lingmala Waterfall is a fantastic sight to watch. It presents an enrapturing view of cascading water. It disperses from the top of a steep cliff. The water falling down looks like thin silver streaks. It encircles with rainbow colors. The tourists and the visitors admire the Lingamala waterfall’s beauty. The Lingmala Waterfall is a glittering waterfall. The water drops into the Venna valley of Mahabaleshwar. The best season for visiting the falls is the rainy season. The water level during the monsoon rises and cascades down. The water which launches from a height of 600 feet from the drop-off extends the most effervescent visions.
6: Babington Point
It is situated on a very high altitude, attracts tourists for its mesmerizing view and Picture Perfect look.
So,these are few tourists spot you can visit in Mahabaleshawar and enjoy your holiday. We Covered all these places in two days during our stay. Along with this Spots you can also enjoy Maharashtrian food from the local shops, Horse ride in the market, Shopping from the local shops etc ,If you are into luxury trips then also Mahabaleshwar is a perfect place for you,as You can choose Five star hotels to stay from a wide range of Options available there.
Best time to visit these places are after Monsoon.. You can then enjoy a lot of greenery all around, or during Mapro Strawberry Festivals. We visited just after the monsoon,And the beauty of the place was simply breathtaking. The whole trip for us was relaxing as well as exciting, We had a real quality time with our parents.. Memories of which is still as fresh as the Pleasant climate of Mahabaleshwar.
Hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it informative.
Here are few clicks from My Camera which describes How beautiful Mahabaleshwar is & Why you should once in a lifetime definitely Visit this place.
LifeMyntras by Indian Vlogger Shona 