Il Palazzo @ Panchgani (Part 2)

How can I finish writing about Panchgani and not mention Il Palazzo? If I have to rate my trip to the beautiful valley, then definitely this particular hotel will get the top most rating. It is a bungalow, situated very near market, and yet magically, very quiet. The beautifully manicured gardens and the small swimming pool with a swing beside is a real treat. This is basically a hotel run by a Parsi family in their ancestral home. Though we were not staying in this hotel, we still managed to see the big spacious rooms decorated in the antique style but with every modern amenities required. The bathroom specially has got both the styles integrated beautifully. You will find a big dresser before you get into the bath. Though the bungalow doesn’t promise a good view of the valley, yet for people who plan to spend a quite weekend away from the city, and want to get thoroughly pampered, are most welcome here.




Priced at an economical 3000 Rs per night, it promises to be a great stay. The fare also includes four mouth-wateringly good meals. As they follow the Parsi style of cooking, thus you will find your meals in various courses, served by a waiter who is constantly monitoring your plate. If you want to try the food only, then book for a lunch or dinner in advance. They don’t take in booking for breakfast or snacks. We went for a sumptuous lunch and got the following courses to savour.


The first course included a delicious green pea soup accompanied with fresh bread. The bread was so soft that as you put it in your mouth, it melted away. In the starters, we had some chicken croquet which went very well with the pea soup. Back home, I tried to duplicate the croquets and ended up making a great cocktail snack. Watch out this space for the recipe which is coming soon.


In the main course, we had all possible meat available in Panchgani’s market. There was a Parsi style chicken curry. I assume they call it Sali-boti when it is served with potatoes. There was a nicely spiced sukha mix vegetable. Also with it was Malwani pomfret curry and mutton made in a delicious coconut curry. And along with this, there were chapattis or rice, whatever one wishes for.


Once our main course got over, my husband, an eternal fan of sweets and confectionary couldn’t wait for a moment before sinking his teeth into the delicious Sev pudding with cherry topping. The portions given on the table were huge and one could ask for a repeat of any course as you desire. Priced at a modest 300 INR per person, this was our best meal in Panchgani so far. What else can I say but a complete paisa vasool.


For a full weekend of such gorgeous lay of food, you have to burn a lot of energy. For this I recommend that whenever you go out, try not to take a car along. Walk a lot and freak out in the small swimming pool. Trust me at the end you will not regret.


PS: for book lovers, the hotel has a big collection of all kinds of book. You can easily seat yourself on a shaded swing and freak out with any of those books, as much as you want.

Photograph courtesy: www.goindiaholidays.com/il-palazzo.html, http://www.ilpalazzo.co.in/rooms.php?f=1,

Monsoon maaza @ Panchagani (Part 1)

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!!!