Welcome to the perennially cool, endlessly green, bustling little town of Panchgani & Mahabaleshwar. From mesmerizing sunsets at the volcanic plateau of Table Land to an expanse of strawberries farms, this place is a delight of all sorts. Here’s how you can make the most of it from dawn throughout dusk.
You are in the Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani Ecologically Sensitive Zone – ESZ
Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) protects its environment and conserves nature for posterity. The visitors are encouraged to enjoy the natural beauty and ambience of the Eco-Sensitive Zone while helping locals to maintain its environment and ecological sensitivity by following the Do’s and Don’ts:
Do’s
Don’ts
How to Reach Mahabaleshwar
Places I recommend in Mahabaleshwar
Panchganga Temple
The temple was constructed in the 13th century by the Seuna king Simhana. Renovation of the Panchganga Temple took place during the 16th and 17th centuries under “Chandrarao More” and “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.” Panchganga temple in Old Mahabaleshwar is said to be 4,500 years old.
Krishnabai Temple
This is the oldest temple built in 13th century. You can see attractive lowing stones on columns and ceilings and also a panoramic view of Krishna Valley.
Lodwick Point
Lodwick Point area has 2 points; Lodwick Point and Elephant’s Head Point. The Lodwick point was rechristened in the honor of General Lodwick, who was the first British officer to climb the hill in April 1824. To honor General Lodwick’s achievement, his son erected a memorial pole of about 25 ft. At the base of this monument, the head of the General is sculptured in marble. This point offers unmatched views of the Pratapgad Fort and Elphinstone Point at a distance.
Helen’s Point
This point has three approaches. One approach is from Babington point road, this is horse ride. The other two are two ends of Blue Valley ride. There are no road sign block to guide you now, be very careful in finding this beautiful point.
Lingmala Forest Walk
This splendid waterfall is located just 6 Kms. from Mahabaleshwar. You can experience a quite day just with the soothing sound of water, beautiful forest and view of the valley.
Connaught Peak
This is the second highest point in Mahabaleshwar. It was formerly known as Mount Olympia. The point is at a height of 4544 ft. It is 4 kms. from Mahabaleshwar’s market. You can see the sunset point, a beautiful view of the forest enveloped around.
Pratapgad
The famous minister More Trimal Pingle on the command of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built Pratapgad fort in 1656 to control the religious satraps of the surrounding Javli basin.
Tapola Boat Ride
It is a perfect destination for the nature lovers and is correctly called the Mini Kashmir of Maharashtra. The place has many forts in the dense forest region which cannot be easily reached. But the view of these forts in themselves is quite picturesque.
Places I recommend in Panchgani
Devrai Art Village
Molten Metal Mural Workshop
Learn to make murals out of molten metal from the expert craftsmen.
Duration – 2 hrs
Time – 3 PM to 5 PM
Table Land
Go for a horse-riding adventure or simply walk through the golden dusty paths of the table land at sunset. It may as well show you some of the prettiest skies you’ve seen lately.
Sydney Point
Take in an expanse of the lush Krishna Valley with its many little ponds and misty hills.
Parsi Point
With a play area and food vendors, this point is nothing short of an open arcade for you to reminisce of your childhood, accompanied with a view of the Dhom Dam and the lush green hills.
Nagewadi Dam
A very scenic and picturesque place in Panchgani, the place where many Hindi and Marathi movies got shot recent one being Dabangg 3.
Kaas Pathar – Valley of Flowers
A UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the Kaas plateau is Maharashtra’s own valley of flowers. Spot 150 gorgeous species of flora, including Orchids, Kaas flowers, and even carnivorous plants. The best time to visit is between August & early October.
For booking click here.
Places I recommend in Wai
Dholya Ganapati
Dholya Ganapati temple is one of the prime temples in Maharashtra. The idol of Lord Ganesh is huge (as it’s name suggests) and is situated on the beautiful ghats of river Krishna.
Nana Phadnavis Wada
This is the place where Nana Phadnavis, a well known career diplomat and thinker in Maratha Darbar during Peshwa rule (from 1756 – 1800), built a Wada for himself on the bank of the river Krishna. He built two temples, one dedicated to Lord Vishnu and another to Lord Shiva.
Dhom Lake – Day Trip
Take this uncharted route via historic Wai-Menawali-Dhom to explore serene landscapes, unmatched lake views with mountains surrounding it and waterfalls hard to even count post monsoon, conclude the trip at Sahyadri boating club at the sunset time and click some Postcard worthy skies.
Restaurants/ Cafe’s recommended
Where to Stay
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Amazing content bro.. keep it up.. great information for first time travellers