Maharashtra is famous for its monsoon. Especially in Mumbai, the monsoon is the most awaited season. It is then that we see what BMC was up to for the whole of the last year. And it is then that we see what Mumbai-iets are made of. The colour, the fragrance and the spirit of Mumbai comes in all together in this season. After enjoying the monsoons in Mumbai, we planned to venture into the adjoining locales of the Western Ghats for a weekend break. For majority of Mumbai-ites, Lonavala & Khandala is synonymous with monsoon weekend getaway. However, we thought of venturing a little beyond into a small hamlet, nestled amidst five hills in the Sahyādri mountain ranges, called Panchgani. Krishna River flows through its valleys making the view completely breathtaking. It is not a surprise that the place has inspired Darsheel Safary (of “Tare Zameen Pe” fame) to paint his way out of dyslexia. And as for the topographical description, it is about a five hour drive away from the Mumbai city (approx. 280 kms).
HOTEL RAVINE
When you are staying in a hill station, you definitely have to stay in a place which overlooks the beautiful valley and the river. And thus we chose to stay in the three star, HOTEL RAVINE. The hotel stands near the scenic Sydney Point which gives a beautiful view of the valley. The rooms overlooking the valley have big French windows facing the valley. It has all the other amenities like a LCD TV, AC and a mini fridge (as it is a dry hotel, I recommend you to carry your own booze). But when you come to the food part, the hotel doesn’t provide many options. Your choice is limited in Chicken and paneer and that’s it. The restaurant or the confectionary doesn’t look very promising either. This hotel actually stands out only for its beautiful location and nothing else. I suggest that you should only be staying here while trying other options in the market for food.
MAPRO GARDENS
Panchgani is 18 kms from Mahabaleshwar. This place is famous for strawberries. If you visit the place in and around May, you may be able to pluck strawberries with your hand and eat them fresh out of the garden. But because we went in later, we could only try the preserved ones. You can easily get Mapro items in Mumbai but the fun of going to the factory outlet, would be missed. They have many range of products, be it strawberry iced tea, jam or jelly. I also found a bottle of blue Curacao which can churn out beautiful Blue lagoons (both virgin and not). Apart from buying off the shelf products, Mapro also has a great food stall and ice cream parlour. The one thing I truly loved here was the waffle cones. They were actually making fresh waffle cones, just like pancakes, only a crispier version of that. I m sure if you try those warm cones with fresh strawberries and a little ice cream, you will be transported to a mini food haven.
Though I personally didn’t try but the Mapro food counter is famous for its sandwiches and milk shakes. Whatever said and done, make sure of one thing that you do not forget to try their strawberry ice-cream. It is truly amazing!!!
