Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar is the largest hill station in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra state. It's at an altitude of 1372 m above sea level in Satara district, about 120 km southwest of Pune.

Understand
Due to its high altitude, the town has a cool climate and offers many pleasant walks. There are several lookout points which offer spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. There is an old Shiva temple in the forest, which is the source of five rivers, including the Krishna river which is the second longest river of peninsular India. It is a very good place to visit.

Mahabaleshwar is visited by many thousands of tourists every year. It is well connected by bus with the important towns of the region. There are numerous hotels for every budget. The peak season is March–May; it rains very heavily from June to September.

Mahabaleshwar is extremely famous for strawberries, accounting for 85% of the strawberry production in India.

By bus
Mahabaleshwar is easily accessible from Pune and Mumbai. You can take a tourist bus (Volvo) from Mumbai, departing from Dadar East, Sion or Vashi. The ride will take you 6 hours and will cost around ₹1500. An ordinary AC bus will cost ₹200. The Volvo bus from Pune is operated by private companies (Neeta and Konduskar), and they charge approx ₹400 each way. The Govt. Express bus from Swargate starting 5:45AM and every hour with a price of ₹120 per individual. Private cab tours to Mahabaleshwar from Pune and Mumbai are operated by Vasa Cabs.

By car
Mahabaleshwar is about 120 km by car from Pune, and 247 km from Mumbai.

From Mumbai, the trip takes about 5 to 6 hours if traveling via Panvel through Mahad and Poladpur. A better option is to take the Mumbai-Pune expressway and the highway onwards from Pune to Satara; this route is 40 km longer but only takes 5 hours, and has easier driving (the road is straighter). You have to get off this highway at a place called Sirur and then travel via Wai and Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar.

On arriving by car, the Municipal council charges a fee of ₹50 per head, which is collected on entry points to the town and is valid for seven days. The Panchgani Municipal council also charges an entrance of ₹50 per vehicle if you are just passing through on your way to Mahabaleshwar.

By train
You can also reach Satara by train from Mumbai or Bangalore. Mahabaleshwar is 47 km from Satara and takes little more than one hour from there.

Time of arrival
Try to arrive here in the morning because most of the hotels have a check-in time of 9AM. If you arrive later you may have to wait until another room becomes vacant.

You can get latest timetable for buses for Mahabaleshwar here.

Get around
Mahabaleshwar is built on a plateau and getting around is quite easy. Taxis (cabs) and buses leave from the center of town near Irani's petrol pump opposite the club. Taxi drivers charge only ₹50 for ferrying at local places within or around New Mahabaleshwar. Taxi service for sightseeing or local ferrying is centrally regulated with the office opposite the gate to the Govt Bus Stand.

The main destinations are the "points", named after prominent British administrators who found these splendid locations with unbeatable views. The points are located at various edges of the plateau in different directions. Rental cars and taxis can get there quickly. Over the years, most people hire a car from wherever they are coming from to conveniently go around the points. The roads are narrow and not well maintained. Expect extremely heavy traffic and jams all over if you are visiting over the weekend or a public holiday. Parking lots are non existent near the points and so cars are parked along the road side making it even more difficult to reach the points. For the more adventurous, horses are available in town and there are lovely shady bridle paths for delightful rides. The best way to get around is by bus which is provided by Govt. You can book ticket prior day only. Cost is around ₹80-85 per person. Govt. Bus has two tour, one is Pratapgad darshan in morning 9:15AM and Mahabaleshwar darshan in noon 2:15PM (4 hours covering 11 Points Arthur, Kate, Strawberry farm and finally ending with Sunset, a semi-luxury bus 37 seats. The driver speaks only in Marathi with some Hindi. During off-season there is only one bus but during season three buses ply on this Darshan. Beware of monkeys.) They are best.

See
Although there are close to 25 'Points' in Mahabaleshwar, lots of these points would give you the same view (of mountains/valley) from a slightly different angle. The following are a must:
 * Shri Kshetra Mahabaleshwar (Old Mahabaleshwar). It is 8 km from new Mahabaleshwar, north side from S.T. Stand of the Mahabaleshwar. It is a holy place of lord Shiva. Also there is UGAM (Origin) of the rivers- Krishna, Savitri, Venna, Gayatri and Koyna,
 * A must see is a water well in the heart of market in the compound of the Library which is almost 150 years old. It still provides water to locals and is some 100 feet deep.
 * A must see is a water well in the heart of market in the compound of the Library which is almost 150 years old. It still provides water to locals and is some 100 feet deep.
 * A must see is a water well in the heart of market in the compound of the Library which is almost 150 years old. It still provides water to locals and is some 100 feet deep.



Do



 * Play poker
 * Play poker
 * Play poker
 * Play poker
 * Play poker
 * Play poker

Buy
The bazaar is in the center of town and consists of a pedestrian-only street with shops selling everything from fancy locally-made walking sticks to snacks and the specialty of the region - roasted chickpea nuts. At the far end of the bazaar stands a Mahabaleshwar institution, Imperial Stores, owned and run by generations of the Irani family. Here you can get anything from videos to provisions to ice cream to beer.

Eat
Strawberries, mulberries and carrots are the specialties of Mahabaleshwar. One should not forget to try the Corn grown locally available in both roasted and boiled form. Corn patties made from it is delicious. The food prepared with local vegetables has a unique taste and one should also try the small tomatoes which look like cherries! Don't forget to have the staple food of Maharashtra, the Vada Pav, which is deliciously prepared by the local vendor next to the Hanuman Temple in the main market.

Almost all the hotels have their own restaurants. Hotel DreamLand, Hotel Panorama, and Hotel Shreyas have nice restaurants and good food, and all three are close to the State Bus stand. Many hotels, like Hotel Regal, Bharat Hotel and Hotel Rajesh, serve a buffet meal in a platter, also known as the 'Gujarati thali'. However, eating at the hotels you stay is excessively costly.It is advisable to take meals at other restaurants as an outsider. Hotel Panorama, which is just behind the Govt Bus Stand, offers good quality veg food at reasonable cost.


 * Hotel Templeview - Vegetarian restaurant at old Mahabaleshwar for excellent parathas Rajasthani favorites. Hotel Woodland is another good option.
 * Hotel Templeview - Vegetarian restaurant at old Mahabaleshwar for excellent parathas Rajasthani favorites. Hotel Woodland is another good option.

Sleep
Never go to Old Mahabaleshwar for accommodation; it's better to stay near the bus stand. However, the Old City is better if you want to enjoy nature or the calm of the forest.



Splurge
These hotels can cut a few more bucks from your wallet and these cost in range of ₹3,000-5,000 per night, depending on season.

Go next

 * Nashik - An ancient holy city. About 210 km from Pune.
 * Shirdi - A town in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. There are many buses connecting Pune to Shirdi (200 km, 5 hour ride). Shirdi was where the saint Sai Baba lived till his samadhi in 1918. Today, it is a pilgrimage center and millions of his devotees from all over the world come each year to pay their respects.